MADISON, Wis. – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday decided to review a case ruled on last November that said the 2011 Republican re-drawing of State Assembly boundaries was an unconstitutional gerrymander, because of excessive partisanship.

Republicans maintain their methods were within the bounds of the Constitution.

There have been cases heard in the past regarding the method in which political boundaries are drawn, but Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin says this time it's different.

"In the past it's been thrown out because it's been in violation of voting rights or civil rights laws, but gerrymandering has always been considered somewhat of a partisan exercise,” he explains. “But in this case the U.S. Supreme Court may decide that this was too excessive."

Wisconsin Democrats argue that the 2011 Republican maps were drawn with the express purpose of disenfranchising Democratic voters.

Republicans disagree, and Republican legislative leaders have already hired two high profile law firms to represent them before the Supreme Court.

In May, the Supreme Court struck down two North Carolina congressional districts that the court said were drawn based too heavily on race.

Twelve Republican-dominated states have already lined up to support Wisconsin's Republicans in defending the 2011 maps. But Heck says both parties gerrymander to gain advantage, and the Wisconsin decision will have national implications.

"Democrats did the same thing in states like Rhode Island and Maryland, so this is not a Republican-Democratic issue,” he points out. “Of course, our neighbors to the south, Illinois, the Democrats have been doing this for years to the Republicans, so this could actually change the standard nationwide."

After the 2011 redistricting in Wisconsin, Republican candidates won 60 of the 99 seats in the State Assembly. However, Democratic candidates won a majority of the votes cast statewide for Assembly.

Heck says the U.S. Supreme Court could rule that this kind of partisan map drawing is constitutional.

"We tend to think that they're probably not going to do that, that they're probably going to opt for saying that excessive partisanship in drawing state legislative boundaries is unconstitutional, thereby upholding the Federal court decision last November," he states.

The Supreme Court will take up the Wisconsin case this fall.





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HELENA, Mont. - Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and organizations across the country are encouraging people to make sure they're signed up to vote.

The event was started in 2012 by a member of the voting advocacy nonprofit Forward Montana. The organization has events planned around the state on Tuesday.

Emma Bode is Forward Montana's Bozeman field manager. She said some people might not be aware there are elections this year in Montana, but people will have a chance to vote in local elections, which she says impact everyone's day-to-day life.

"The decisions that local elected officials are making impact things like your roads and public transportation," said Bode. "Things like how much it might cost to go to school, like tuition. Things like COVID precautions and local guidelines around the pandemic."

Bode said November's elections in places such as Bozeman also include important levy and bond issues that affect issues like affordable housing and outdoor recreation.

Pari Kemmick is Billings field manager for Forward Montana. She said even one vote can sway local elections.

"A lot of these elections truly do come down to a handful of votes," said Kemmick. "A ward for a city council, for example, can literally be decided by 10, 15, 20 votes in some cases, and so your vote truly does count."

Kemmick noted that during the 2021 legislative session, Montana lawmakers made a number of changes to voting, including ending same-day voter registration.

"For us," said Kemmick, "what that means is that National Voter Registration Day is ever more important to get people to understand exactly what they need to vote and to let people know that they shouldn't be pushing it to election day."

Along with Billings and Bozeman, Forward Montana is holding events in the Flathead Valley and Missoula.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Some New Yorkers are voicing concerns about the creation of not one, but two draft maps for congressional, State Senate and Assembly voting districts. The groups are asking the public to weigh in on the redistricting process, to ensure the revised maps properly represent constituents.

Asher Ross, director of the "Mapping Our Future" campaign for the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a virtual discussion this week, the move runs counter to the Independent Redistricting Commission's mission: to deliver one set of maps that are nonpartisan and fully inclusive of public input.

"This process has not worked so far, to this point," Ross asserted. "And it's very troubling about where it's going to go from here, and the commission's ability to deliver fair maps."

He pointed to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where members of the Arab community advocated to keep their neighborhood from being split up, but do not see their input reflected in the draft maps.

Ross pointed out hundreds of people have already turned out at public hearings. There is still time to submit testimony or attend public hearings, which start again Oct. 20.

In some cases, public input has enhanced representation, such as with Asian American communities in Brooklyn and Queens.

Carlyn Cowen, chief policy and public affairs officer for the Chinese American Planning Council, noted redistricting has not served Asian American communities well in the past. She said even though they represent 10% of the state's population, and 15% in New York City, it is not reflected among elected officials.

"The representation that we have on the state and congressional level is less than 3% at either level, which means that people are not necessarily being represented by people who look like them and represent their interests," Cowen observed. "There are so many urgent issues that our community is facing."

The Independent Redistricting Commission must submit its final maps to the Legislature by Jan. 15. Cowen said it is vital they understand the importance of where neighborhood lines are drawn.

"The idea of fairness in redistricting is not really about partisan; Democrat, Republican," Cowen contended. "It's actually about making sure that we are all represented by our districts, and that we're upholding the Voting Rights Act."

BISMARCK, N.D. -- North Dakota lawmakers in charge of redistricting have approved a preliminary draft of new legislative boundaries, but voters' advocates said a lot is being done without as much public input as they'd like.

The latest version of the map was approved by the Republican-controlled redistricting committee Thursday. The panel has been meeting this month, with residents able to testify in-person or virtually.

Rick Gion, communications and policy director for North Dakota Voters First, said hearings were scheduled during working hours, limiting participation.

"We are concerned about making sure that citizens are engaged in this process," Gion explained.

He contended other states offer a greater number of public hearings that better accommodate people's schedules. Gion pointed out even with late-arriving census data affecting the process, he feels things are moving too quickly.

Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, a member of the committee, argued the panel has done plenty to make hearings accessible, noting the public can weigh in during two more meetings next week.

Gion emphasized they're appealing for additional meetings beyond those currently scheduled. He added contrary to the wording published ahead of the process, his group feels proposed boundaries aren't being posted online in a timely fashion as constituents prepare their testimony.

"The maps are appearing during the meeting, mostly after the meetings," Gion observed. "People don't have time to review them beforehand, and go and testify."

He contended it raises questions about transparency in the overall process. Sen. Bekkedahl believes legislative staff has been moving quickly to relay the latest maps to the public.

The legislative maps are expected to be voted on by the full Legislature in a special session later this fall. The maps also need the governor's endorsement.