Hintz on Governor Evers Fair Maps Plan Print
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Wisconsin Assembly, Aaron Collins   
Friday, 01 March 2019 15:26

vote_todayFair Maps Lead to Good Government and a More Transparent Democracy


MADISON – On Tuesday, Governor Evers announced that his biennial budget will include a nonpartisan redistricting process. Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement in support of the Governor’s plan:

gordon_hintz“I’m thrilled that Governor Evers has made non-partisan redistricting reform a priority by including it in his state budget proposal. In 2011, Assembly and Senate Republicans drew maps in secret with a partisan advantage of 64-35 seats in the State Assembly. And for the past eight years, lawmakers have pushed through laws and policies that are out of line with the majority of Wisconsinites. When politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around, they are insulated from the accountability required in a democracy.

“There is a myth perpetuated by my Republican colleagues that voters choose divided government in Wisconsin in the 2018 election. This claim is directly contradicted by the fact that in a massive Democratic election cycle where five Democrats swept statewide races, Governor Evers simultaneously won only 36 Assembly seats. By design, these gerrymandered maps assure Republican control of the Assembly whether it is a Democratic or a Republican election year.

“Competitive elections bring accountability. The very reason Republicans can ram through laws during a lame duck session that undermine the future powers of a democratically elected Governor and Attorney General is because they are insulated from any realistic backlash from voters.”