Hi there. Governor Tony Evers here.
Two years ago, I delivered on my promise to sign fair maps into law, which was a historic day for our state.
Before I signed fair maps into law, Wisconsinites spent a decade living under some of the most gerrymandered legislative maps in the country.
For too long, lawmakers had little incentive to find common ground or listen to the people who elected them. Legislators were able to rely on the safety of their seats rather than the quality of their work.
Today, we’ve already seen firsthand how fair maps have improved the policymaking process through all the good things we’ve gotten done for the people of Wisconsin because it did.
But here’s the rub: new maps are redrawn every 10 years.
Because Wisconsin doesn’t have a permanent nonpartisan redistricting process in place, Wisconsinites have no guarantee that we’ll still have fair maps after the next U.S. Census, especially once I’m no longer governor.
While Wisconsinites finally have fair maps today, if the Legislature doesn’t act now, our maps could go right back to being rigged, and Wisconsinites could go right back to living under some of the most undemocratic maps in America…again.
And I said in my state of the state address, elected officials in this state have a responsibility to make sure we never go back.
There’s one simple thing we should all be able to agree on, which is that politics should stay out of redistricting from start to finish. Period.
So, I’m calling a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature on April 14th to take up a constitutional amendment to ban partisan gerrymandering once and for all in Wisconsin.
And, folks, let me be clear, there are no tricks, no gimmicks, no funny politics here. Just a clean, straight-up ban on partisan gerrymandering. I could not have made this vote any easier for the Legislature.
It’s time to ban partisan gerrymandering once and for all in Wisconsin and ensure we have fair maps for our future.
Let’s get to work and let’s get this done, folks. Thank you.