The News: The Wisconsin Supreme Court allowed two new legal challenges to the state’s congressional maps to continue forward by appointing two separate three–judge panels to hear the cases. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) had argued against such an appointment as any attempt to redraw the Congressional district lines in this manner would violate the U.S. Constitution. These efforts also threaten to plunge Wisconsin’s election cycle into uncertainty just months before the next election season kicks off.
The Quote: WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber, stated, “Revisiting the congressional maps so late into the political cycle invites endless litigation and throws our electoral process into chaos. The state’s current maps, which have now been used for several election cycles, are lawful and should stand. These attempts to redraw Wisconsin’s map for partisan political gain are outrageous, and exactly what the U.S. Supreme Court warned state courts not to do. WILL plans to defend the current maps and ensure the stability that Wisconsin voters, candidates, and election officials deserve, and which the Constitution requires.”
Background: In 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted new congressional maps drawn by Governor Tony Evers to correct population changes that occurred over the previous decade. This should have been the end to the legal and political posturing until the 2030 census. However, various groups have repeatedly tried to challenge those congressional maps in the ensuing years. The Wisconsin Supreme Court had already denied multiple attempts to redraw those maps. These most recent cases, filed in Dane County, is the third attempt.
Lucas Vebber
Deputy Counsel