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Politics & Government

Legislature Takes Up Redistricting

The process to redraw legislative boundaries began Wednesday.

As if our state hasn’t confronted enough controversial issues over the last six months, the 2011-12 legislative session marks the time when the legislature is required to adjust the borders of Wisconsin’s 99 State Assembly districts, 33 State Senate districts, eight Congressional districts and every local ward and election district (such as aldermanic and county supervisory districts) in the state.

Redistricting is required under law in response to the decennial census in order to ensure that each district contains as close to the exact same number of citizens as possible.

The population shifts that occurred statewide over the last decade require substantial changes in legislative district boundaries. New district maps have been proposed and will be considered in the same way as a typical legislative bill. Committee hearings and votes will be required before passage by both houses of the legislature and eventual signing into law by the governor.

The redistricting proposal comes in the form of three separate bills. Senate Bill 148 is the proposal defining new State Assembly and Senate districts, while SB 149 sets new boundaries for Wisconsin’s eight Congressional districts and SB 150 for new wards and local election districts.

The new maps have now begun to make their way through the legislative process. In fact, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and the Assembly Committee on State Affairs held a joint public hearing on the three redistricting bills on Wednesday at which there was a robust discussion of the overall proposal. Next, these two committees will have to vote on any pending amendments to the proposal and the final bill as amended.

Following committee consideration, the three pieces of legislation will be considered first by the State Senate. Upon Senate approval, the Assembly will discuss the proposal, and any suggested changes, before giving its approval. Like any other bill, if there are disagreements between the versions passed by the Senate and Assembly, a compromise could be negotiated or worked out in a conference committee.

An extraordinary session of the legislature was called earlier this week, providing the opportunity to take this required redistricting action over the summer months. I anticipate that the Senate and Assembly will meet very soon to discuss and pass the new maps. In anticipation of this debate, I hope that you take the opportunity to become educated on the proposal.

You may do so by viewing the redistricting proposal online.

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