(The Center Square) – The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says the legislature has done what the Wisconsin Supreme Court suggested and passed new maps. Now, he says it’s time for the court fight over redistricting to stop.
Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly and Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday approved Democrat Gov. Tony Evers’ preferred maps. The vote is part of a strategy to head off maps that do even more damage to Republicans in the state from the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told reporters that strategy is aimed not just at getting the least-worst maps for Republicans but is also aimed at getting on with the 2024 elections and avoiding a multi-million-dollar court battle.
“To actually be and we begin the campaign talking about ideas and why our side is better for Wisconsin, I think that is a better answer than drawn out court battles and going through millions of dollars of taxpayer expense when there’s really no need to do so,” Vos said.
The legislature sent Evers the maps Tuesday, which means he has until Tuesday to sign them.
If he does, Vos said, the entire fight in front of and about the Wisconsin Supreme Court would then end.
“Once we pass the maps, more or less, the lawsuits stop. There’s no need for us to try to do an appeal to the Supreme Court because the legislature has adopted a map. It’s been signed by the governor. There’s no need for us to go through this process to say that Janet Protasiewicz is biased, and we need a Caperton decision, because she won’t be deciding on the maps,” Vos explained. “So, I think a lot of the things that we have for the potential to go to the U.S. Supreme Court with and win on are no longer viable. Which is why if the governor signs the map, I am supremely confident that that is the map that we will run on in November.”
Vos said he is also confident that Wisconsin Republicans can win under Evers’ maps. He said Republicans have better candidates and a better message.
Evers’ maps would give Democrats a decided advantage in November, if not flip the legislature from Republican-controlled to Democrat-controlled.
Evers on Tuesday said he would sign the maps if Republicans passed them unchanged.
