Lawsuit to challenge Wisconsin’s legislative maps to be filed

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By Steve Schuster

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A Madison-based law firm is planning to challenge the state’s gerrymandered legislative maps, reported the Capital Times on Thursday.

The lawsuit will be filed after Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz is sworn in on Aug. 1, Nicole Safar, executive director of Madison-based Law Forward, said in a Wednesday interview with the Capital Times.

“Wisconsin is probably the most gerrymandered state in the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder at a Protasiewicz campaign event in Milwaukee last weekend.

According to Holder, Democrats only have about 35% of the Wisconsin legislature, which he said is a direct result of the gerrymandering political lines that were redrawn in 2011 under Scott Walker and defended by Protasiewicz’s former opponent Dan Kelly who had the Republican party as a client.

Wisconsin ranks last among states for gerrymandering, Holder said.

“When you get compared to Texas when it comes to electoral things, that’s not a good thing,” Holder said, noting that “Texas is the hardest state in the country in which to vote. You don’t want to be there,” he said.

“Let’s go back to the old Wisconsin, the pre-Scott Walker Wisconsin where people actually have an opportunity to decide who’s going to represent them because in this gerrymandered state, you have folks who are supporting special interests against the desires of the people,” Holder said, noting that electing Protasiewicz will bring justice back to the Badger state.

Wisconsin Republican Senator Andre Jacque told the Wisconsin Law Journal in a February interview that Wisconsin Republicans were aware of Democrats’ plans to gerrymander in favor of liberals in anticipation of a Supreme Court seat win.

“One thing I have heard from various Democrat colleagues is that they have already redrawn the state legislative branch in anticipation of retaking the control of the state Supreme Court,” Jacque said.