Evers urges Wisconsin justices to affirm redistricting plan

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers filed a motion Thursday with the state Supreme Court urging the justices to affirm his legislative district boundary map that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected.

The state Supreme Court adopted Evers’ map in March, choosing his plan over Republican lawmakers’ proposal. But the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Evers’ map on March 23 after the GOP complained it increased the number of Assembly districts with a majority of Black and Hispanic voters from six to seven in Milwaukee in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. The federal justices kicked the case back to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Evers argued in his motion Thursday that the state justices should affirm their earlier decision. He maintained that seven minority districts are justified because six would improperly dilute their votes under the Voting Rights Act. He included with the motion a report from Lisa Handley, an elections consultant who has served in a number of redistricting and voting rights cases, backing up his claim.