Gov. Evers moves to intervene in redistricting challenge to Wisconsin’s legislative maps

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On Tuesday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit before the Wisconsin Supreme Court challenging the state’s current legislative maps.

“My commitment to the people of Wisconsin remains the same—I believe that the people should get to choose their elected officials, not the other way around, and that includes making sure legislators cannot abuse their power and manipulate the redistricting process to try and keep their power,” said Evers.

“Wisconsinites deserve fair maps—not the gerrymandered maps we have now that I already vetoed two years ago—and I will not stop fighting until we have a fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting process that ensures the people get to choose their elected officials in this state,” Evers said.

Evers, represented by Attorney General Josh Kaul, filed the motion to become a party in the legislative redistricting litigation case pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court (2023AP1399-OA.) The motion filed before the Wisconsin Supreme Court Tuesday argues the governor is a proper party in reapportionment matters, and that his intervention is warranted in this case.

“The extreme gerrymandering of our legislative maps has shifted power from where it ultimately belongs—with the voters—to the legislators who have drawn the maps,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Kaul.

“It’s time for Wisconsin to have fair maps and to return the power to set our legislative agenda to Wisconsin voters,” Kaul added.

In the October 6 order accepting jurisdiction, the Wisconsin Supreme Court required additional parties to move for intervention with a deadline of October 10.

According to the filing obtained by the Wisconsin Law Journal, The Governor’s representation includes Assistant Attorneys General Brian Keenan, Anthony Russomanno, and Faye Hipsman, together with Attorney General Joshua L. Kaul. The Wisconsin Elections Commission and its officers are separately represented by Assistant Attorneys General Karla Keckhaver, Steven Kilpatrick, Charlotte Gibson, and Thomas Bellavia, together with Deputy Attorney General Eric J. Wilson.

As previously reported by the Wisconsin Law Journal, Wisconsin is right down there with Texas currently as far as the most gerrymandered state in the nation.

“When you get compared to Texas when it comes to electoral things, that’s not a good thing,” Former Attorney General Eric Holder said at a campaign event in Wisconsin last April.  Holder noted that “Texas is the hardest state in the country in which to vote. You don’t want to be there,” he said.