Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform in Wisconsin 2013-2014

In January, 2013, the Common Cause in/Wisconsin (CC/WI) State Governing Board voted to
make non-partisan redistricting reform in Wisconsin -- our top political reform priority. We
realized at the time that we would have to undertake a massive education effort in order to make
Wisconsinites aware of how critical and important this issue is (or ought to be) to them. After
all, redistricting or gerrymandering as it is often called -- was an activity that seemed to
matter only to political insiders. It was a process undertaken in total secrecy and directed by
partisan leaders with taxpayer money with no information about what they were doing available
to the public or with any public input. And that was and is exactly the problem -- on every count.
The 2011 redistricting process was the most hyper-partisan, secretive, expensive and outrageous
in Wisconsins history. Majority Republicans, in less than a week, introduced and rammed
through the Legislature their new, secretly-drawn state legislative and congressional district
maps designed to ensure them majorities in the Wisconsin Legislature and in Wisconsins
eight-member U.S. House delegation for decade. And they charged the taxpayers of Wisconsin
over $2.1 million to create far fewer competitive general elections for the State Senate, State
Assembly and for the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican legislators even had to sign
secrecy oaths during the process to keep their gerrymandering from the press and public.
Much has happened during the last 15 months. Redistricting reform has emerged as the most
prominent political reform issue in Wisconsin. CC/WI (with able assistance from the League of
Women Voters of Wisconsin), has been leading the effort both in the Wisconsin Legislature and
in educating Wisconsin citizens about the and the redistricting reform legislation that we had a
significant hand in shaping and promoting. This reform has the unprecedented editorial support
of 19 Wisconsin daily newspapers: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal,
Appleton Post-Crescent, Kenosha News, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Wausau Daily Herald, The
Capital Tomes, Eau Claire Leader Telegram, Stevens Point Journal, Wisconsin Rapids Daily
Tribune, Janesville Gazette, Beloit Daily News, Sheboygan Press, Manitowoc Herald Times,
Tomah Journal, Chippewa Herald, Baraboo Republic, Racine Journal Times and the La Crosse
Tribune.
In late 2012 and early 2013 CC/WI initiated discussions about the need for effective redistricting
reform legislation and a united reform effort with State Senators Tim Cullen (D-Janesville),
Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) and Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and with State
Representatives Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), Mandy Wright (D-Wausau), Eric Genrich (D-
Green Bay), Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire) and others. We then united all the various pro-reform
legislators behind a single reform measure modeled after Iowas non-partisan redistricting
system -- which was enacted into in 1980. The result was Senate Bill 163 and Assembly Bill
185 which are identical measures that have attracted extensive legislative co-sponsorship and
support from thousands of Wisconsin citizens and almost all of Wisconsins daily newspapers.
But the arrogant and dictatorial legislative leadership in the Wisconsin Legislature have ignored
repeated requests and even demands by CC/WI, other legislators, thousands of citizens and the
newspaper editorial boards to schedule even a public hearing on this reform legislation.
Both State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and State Senate Majority Leader Scott
Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) have provided no good reason for opposing redistricting reform other
than it would reduce their own power and ability to control and manipulate Wisconsin elections
for their own narrow, partisan benefit. But their gerrymandering has polarized Wisconsin
politics in a way we have never seen before and made for an ideological, dismissive and
unresponsive Legislature bent on achieving only their own narrow, divisive agenda instead of
working in the interest of all Wisconsinites in a bipartisan, reasonable and cooperative manner.
Redistricting reform would greatly help to reduce this hyper-partisan polarization because it
would force legislators to be more responsive to all of their constituents through more
competitive general elections instead of just to the most extreme voters of their political base in
primary elections as is increasingly the case now.
CC/WI compared the number of competitive State Assembly elections in 2010 -- before
gerrymandering -- with the 2012 elections. (We define "competitive" as general elections
decided by 10 percentage points or less -- so no election with a greater spread than 55 percent to
45 percent). We also compared the number of competitive State Senate elections in 2012 with
2008 when those same State Senate seats were in play. Finally, we looked at the
competitiveness of Wisconsins eight U.S. House seats in 2010 compared to 2012.

In 2010, there were 21 Assembly general elections that fell in the competitive category. In 2012,
the number of competitive Assembly general elections fell by about 30 percent from 2010 to just
15. The fall off in the number of competitive State Senate general elections was even more
dramatic. In 2008, there were 4 competitive State Senate general elections. In 2012, after
gerrymandering, the number of "competitive" State Senate general elections fell by 75 percent to
just one in State Senate District 18 which is comprised of Fond du Lac and Oshkosh.
In 2010, three of Wisconsins eight U.S. House seats fell into the competitive category. In 2012,
there were no competitive U.S. House elections in Wisconsin. Not one was within 10 points.
The citizens of Wisconsin are now making the connection between partisan gerrymandering and
the obvious dysfunction and bitterness that characterizes the Legislature and Congress today. At
the end of October, approximately 300 citizens attended our reform forum in Stevens Point at
which redistricting reform was the major topic of discussion. CC/WI also suggested to pro-
reform legislators that they initiate alternative public hearings around the state to educate
citizens and continue to keep the issue front and center in the public eye.
In mid-December of 2013, CC/WI led off testimony at the first alternative public hearing in
Appleton, attended by more than 100 citizens in a snow storm with four legislators present.
Three more alternative public hearings followed in January in northwestern Wisconsin in
Rice Lake, Chippewa Falls and Wausau. A State Capitol hearing in Madison held by Senators
Cullen and Schultz in February drew a capacity crowd as did a Common Cause forum at
Edgewood College the following week with Senators Schultz and Fred Risser. In early April,
CC/WI held another reform forum in Eau Claire with three legislators and a full house of 130
attended. Another is being planned for early June in Racine.
While the 2013-2014 legislative session has come to an end without movement or even a
sanctioned public hearing on Assembly Bill 185/Senate Bill 163, the issue does not end with
the Legislature adjourning for the year. Non-partisan redistricting reform has been elevated as
an election year issue and a number of newspaper editorial boards are currently discussing the
possibility of making support for this reform one of the criteria in their candidate endorsement
process an unprecedented status for a political reform issue.