Wisconsin governor vows to veto Republican-backed redistricting maps

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) vowed to veto the Republican-backed redistricting maps the state Senate approved on Monday that would likely give the GOP a majority in the legislature for the next decade.

“Republicans’ new gerrymandered maps are modeled after the same gerrymandered ones we’ve had for a decade,” Evers wrote in a tweet Monday afternoon. 

“I won’t sign them. Wisconsinites want and deserve #fairmaps now,” he added.

Republicans’ new gerrymandered maps are modeled after the same gerrymandered ones we’ve had for a decade.

I won’t sign them. Wisconsinites want and deserve #fairmaps now.

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) November 8, 2021

The Wisconsin Senate voted along party lines 21-12 to approve the congressional maps, which were drawn by Republicans, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

GOP members of the state legislature introduced bills pertaining to the new state lines last month that would likely solidify Republican control in the Badger State for the next 10 years, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. The new maps would also increase Republicans’ chances of winning six of the state’s eight seats in Congress.

The Wisconsin Assembly, which is also controlled by Republicans, is reportedly scheduled to vote on the maps Thursday.

Democrats also put forth new congressional maps on Monday, which would have given the party a 17-16 majority in the Senate, but it failed in a 22-11 vote, mainly along party lines, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The same went for the lines drawn by a commission established by Evers; those maps were voted down 22-11.

Critics of the GOP-backed maps have denounced them as partisan gerrymandering in favor of Republicans, but lawmakers are contending that the new lines are lawful.

Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R) on Monday said the maps “comply with state law, federal law and constitutional law,” according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

If Evers follows through with his pledge and vetoes the maps, the process would reportedly be kicked to the courts. The judicial branch is already preparing for a potential map clash between the legislature and governor, with state and federal lawsuits pending.

The last time such an issue made it to the courts was in the 1960s, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.