MADISON – This morning, Governor Tony Evers announced the full list of citizen appointees to the People’s Maps Commission, which is tasked with designing fair, impartial, and nonpartisan legislative districts based on the 2020 U.S. Census data for submission to the State Legislature. Commission Members were selected by a three-judge panel from 270 applicants and include Elizabeth Tobias, a resident of the 66th Assembly District, as the representative for the 1st Congressional District. Representative Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) released the following statement:
“Fair legislative maps are critical to a healthy democracy. Our current gerrymandered maps have allowed many legislators to ignore the will of the people with impunity. The People’s Maps Commission is designed to draw new maps with the public, instead of a secretive, partisan process executed behind closed doors,” Neubauer said.
Elizabeth Tobias, of Racine, will represent the 1st Congressional District. She is the executive assistant to the Board of Education for the Racine Unified School District and a member of the Wisconsin Association of School Superintendents and the American Society of Administrative Professionals.
“I am deeply grateful to Elizabeth and the other eight members of the People’s Maps Commission for stepping up to serve in these critical roles. The People’s Maps Commission will hold public hearings with people from across the state to provide information on redistricting, gather feedback, and ultimately propose fair, nonpartisan maps that work for the people, not the party in power.
“Our democracy must be for the people, by the people, and of the people, and our legislative maps need to reflect this. I encourage all Racinians interested in the health of our democracy to consider engaging with the commission and sharing their thoughts at the 1st Congressional District virtual public hearing.”
Due to COVID-19, the People’s Maps Commission will host virtual public hearings for each of Wisconsin’s congressional districts. Agendas and additional details will be announced in advance of meeting dates. The hearing dates are as follows:
- Thursday, October 1, 2020, 8th Congressional District
- Thursday, October 29, 2020, 5th Congressional District
- Thursday, November 19, 2020, 3rd Congressional District
- Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 4th Congressional District
- January hearing date TBD, 7th Congressional District
- February hearing date TBD, 1st Congressional District
- March hearing date TBD, 6th Congressional District
- April hearing date TBD, 2nd Congressional District
Additional information on The People’s Maps Commission, the application and selection process, and general resources on redistricting are available here. For further information regarding this announcement and the new Commission members, please see Governor Tony Evers’ press release, available here.
