×
Perhaps you've heard that the Fitzgerald brothers and Scott Walker are rushing through an intensely partisan legislative redistricting scheme before the Republicans lose their majority in the August recall elections.
One of the problems is that doing so blows up all of the maps that are currently being agonized over by local units of government.
According to state law, locals get first dibs on redistricting. Then the state draws the legislative and congressional maps based on the locals' work.
But when did a pesky state law ever stop the Republicans from doing whatever they want?
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Ald. Ashanti Hamilton weren't able to make it to Madison today to testify. So here's the testimony they submitted for today's legislative committee hearing on the redistricting bill:
One of the problems is that doing so blows up all of the maps that are currently being agonized over by local units of government.
According to state law, locals get first dibs on redistricting. Then the state draws the legislative and congressional maps based on the locals' work.
But when did a pesky state law ever stop the Republicans from doing whatever they want?
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Ald. Ashanti Hamilton weren't able to make it to Madison today to testify. So here's the testimony they submitted for today's legislative committee hearing on the redistricting bill:
July 13, 2011
Assembly Committee on Homeland Security & State Affairs
Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce & State Operations
State Capitol
Madison, WI 53701
Dear Members:
Due to the short notice of this public hearing, we were unable to change previous commitments and appear before you in person. That being stated, we believe that Senate Bill 150 has profound and negative impacts on local governments and the redistricting process we have followed since 1971.
We oppose the proposed changes to the current state law.
As prescribed by state statute since 1971, the City of Milwaukee began its redistricting process in February, 2011 and completed that process Friday, July 8, 2011. During that process the city held four public hearings, participated in three public listening sessions, held two full-day public workshops for citizens to produce their own maps, and conducted countless informal briefings to individuals and interested citizen groups. The city cost of the dedicated labor hours and administrative expense total over $40,000. Passage of Senate Bill 150 would cost the city an additional $10,000 or more to make the retroactive changes mandated after the process by the state negating local authority to establish its boundaries.
Senate Bill 150 negates months of work, outright dismisses our open and transparent public hearing process, and wastes our taxpayer dollars. While the city has had little time for an in-depth analysis of the state's legislative district lines and the impacts it will have on communities of interests and our neighborhoods, we have identified widespread ward splitting that will force the Common Council and Mayor to initiate a second redistricting process – only a few short weeks after we completed a legal and comprehensive ward and aldermanic district mapping process.
The proposed legislative districts fail to incorporate the city's ward lines and therefore split 17% of all City of Milwaukee wards [55 wards] and mandate the City of Milwaukee to redraw the boundaries of nine aldermanic districts. Please see attached map.
By excluding local governments and ignoring natural boundaries and local factors that bind communities of interest, you have arrogantly mandated artificial ward lines without regard to local concerns. You have intentionally done this in order to gain extreme partisan advantage at the expense of equal and fair representation.
Current law properly ensures that local governments – the unit of government that is closest to its electors - have a strong voice in the redistricting process. The very fact that you need to pass a new state law that allows you to circumvent a process that has been in place since 1971 displays your raw intentions to grab more partisan advantage at the expense of local input.
Furthermore, voters in up to six Milwaukee County Assembly seats will significantly lose their influence in choosing who represents them to voters outside of Milwaukee County. For the largest county in Wisconsin and, the economic engine for the entire state, that is a significant loss of representation.
Senate Bill 150 is a power grab that allows this to occur without the proper public disclosure, debate and discourse that was followed in the City of Milwaukee.
The people of Wisconsin do not want a strong, central, State Government. Yet, that is what the Senate and Assembly leadership are forcing on the residents of our great State.
Today we call on you to slow this process down. You must hold more public hearings, allow more citizen participation and provide opportunities for the submission of alternative maps that will be seriously considered. And, you must respect the work being done by local units of government. No legislative vote should be taken until these provisions are fulfilled.
Respectfully,
Tom Barrett
Mayor
Ashanti Hamilton
Chair, Judiciary and Legislation Committee
