Petition filed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of Wisconsin voters challenging the state\u2019s legislative maps that were drawn following the release of 2020 census data. The petitioners allege that the Wisconsin state Assembly and Senate maps are extreme partisan gerrymanders that unduly favor Republicans in violation of the state constitution. The petition notes that for the past two decades, Wisconsin\u2019s legislative plans have been among the most gerrymandered in the country: \u201cIn 2012, Republicans won 48.6% of the statewide vote, which yielded a remarkable 60 assembly seats\u2026When Democrats received roughly the same vote share, they carried 36 assembly seats\u2026 From the 2012 through the 2020 elections, Republicans never fell below 60 seats\u2014winning up to 64, or nearly two-thirds of the seats. In 2018, Republicans won 63 seats with just 44.8% of the vote.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petitioners argue that Wisconsin\u2019s legislative districts violate multiple provisions of the state constitution, including the constitution\u2019s guarantee of equal protection, free speech and association and free government as well as the constitutional requirement that districts be contiguous. The petitioners also contend that the legislative districts violate the state constitution\u2019s separation of powers rule, since the districts \u2014 which were ultimately imposed<\/a> by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April 2022 \u2014 are the very same maps that the governor vetoed and the Legislature failed to override. \u201cBy judicially overriding that gubernatorial veto in the Legislature\u2019s stead, this Court transgressed separation-of-powers boundaries and impermissibly intruded upon core powers of the executive and legislative branches,\u201d the petition states. The petitioners ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court to block the current legislative maps and order new, fairer maps for future elections. Finally, the petitioners ask the court to order special elections in 2024 for certain state senators whose terms would not otherwise expire until 2027, arguing that \u201c[b]ecause they were elected from unconstitutionally configured districts, they lack legal entitlement to their office.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n On Oct. 6, 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-3 decision agreeing to hear the case. On Dec. 22, 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the state’s legislative maps violate the state constitution’s contiguity requirement and must be redrawn for the 2024 elections. On Dec. 28, 2023, the Wisconsin Legislature asked the court to reconsider its decision striking down the state’s legislative maps. The court denied the motion on Jan. 11, 2024. In February 2024, Wisconsin enacted new legislative maps that comply with the state constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESULT:<\/strong> In light of the enactment of new, fair legislative maps in 2023, the state Supreme Court dismissed the case as moot. <\/p>\n\n\nCase Documents<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t