Wisconsin
Related: About this forumWisconsin: Democrats sue state election officials over 2011 redistricting
http://www.jsonline.com/news/democrats-sue-state-election-officials-over-2011-redistricting-b99533804z1-312495891.htmlThe lawsuit comes two years after a panel of three federal judges in separate litigation redrew two Assembly districts and blasted GOP lawmakers for drawing the maps in secret. That panel found the two districts on Milwaukee's south side violated the voting rights of Latinos, but it upheld all the other legislative maps, allowing Republicans to keep their advantage in elections. The new lawsuit seeks to change that by arguing the maps are so partisan as to be unconstitutional.
"This case we hope will be the election law equivalent of Brown v. Board of Education," said Milwaukee attorney Peter Earle, referring to the landmark school desegregation case. "We will establish a national standard that can be used reliably into the future."
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Democratic voters from around the state brought the case in federal court in Madison against members of the state Government Accountability Board, which runs elections but was not involved in drawing the maps. It has the backing of a group called the Wisconsin Fair Elections Project that was formed to promote nonpartisan redistricting.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)For example:
All districts must be in shape as close as possible to an equilateral hexagon. The shape may not deviate radially by more than X%.
For example:
All districts must be shaped in a way that the ratio between circumcircle and in-circle does not exceed X. (Ratio would be 1.44 in the case of a square-shaped district.)
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Maryland has odd redistricting. It would hurt blue states too.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)As I said, non-partisan.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)global1
(25,285 posts)and suing state election officials over gerrymandering with the ability to push it all the way to SCOTUS is a good tactic.
Yes - Dems gerrymander as well - but - if this could make it to SCOTUS and a fair and equitable way of determining Congressional Districts across the country were an outcome - at least it evens the playing field and gives the American People the ability to have the proper representation in Congress no matter where the chips may fall.
The Repugs sue for every little thing. Think about the recent SCOTUS/ACA decision where it was down to the interpretation of a few words. Fortunately SCOTUS ruled in ACA's favor - but it could have went the other way.
Again - it's about time that the Dems resort to the same tactics as the Repugs do. The best defense is a good offense and I'm all for this lawsuit to proceed.
I'll take my chances across the country in a fair and equitable system of determining Congressional Districts and therefore representation of the parties in Congress. Think about it - the Repugs have been losing ground across the country and they resorted to this out of kilter gerrymandering to save their Party.
Turn around is fair play.
Gothmog
(145,667 posts)Jimbo S
(2,960 posts)I submitted a guest blog to Blogging Blue on this subject.
http://bloggingblue.com/2015/03/guest-blog-the-issue-of-gerrymandering-legislative-districts-in-wisconsin/
Summary:
- Wisconsin Assembly districts are currently gerrymandered beyond a reasonable doubt (the game is rigged).
- Both sides do it when given the chance.