Under GOP maps, the will of the people will never be the law of the land, says Agard.

MADISON - Today, the State Senate will vote on gerrymandered Republican maps. The proposed maps would set congressional lines and state legislative lines for the next 10 years.

Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement:

“The maps created by the GOP in 2011 were rigged, but the maps we are voting on today are worse. The people of Wisconsin will suffer for another ten years with partisan, gerrymandered maps. Elected officials should not get to choose their voters, but that is what Republicans are continuing to do again today.

“In the Capitol, there is an inscription that reads, ‘The will of the people is the law of the land’. Today, Republicans are attempting to change that inscription to read, ‘The will of the people will never be the law of the land’. Wisconsinites overwhelmingly support policies such as Medicaid expansion, cannabis legalization, addressing climate change, and a slew of other issues that Republican legislators have refused to act on due to being completely out of touch with their constituents. Rigged maps hurt Wisconsinites. Period.

While legislating under rigged maps, Republican leaders have no incentive to act on popular policy issues because they face little to no repercussions for their inaction. In fact, legislators often become more extreme under this gerrymandered majority because their only political consequence is the possibility of a primary from their own party. This is not how democracy should operate.

“I am voting NO on the proposed GOP maps today because my constituents have been outspoken about wanting fair maps. I am voting NO on the GOP maps today because Wisconsinites everywhere deserve fair and transparent representation that honors the peoples’ will. The maps proposed by the Republicans are an example of politics at its worst. Wisconsin deserves much better than this.”