MADISON, Wis. -- Those calling for transparency in redrawing Wisconsin's political maps say more public awareness this time is a benefit, but there are early signs the process will devolve into a partisan fight.

Watchdogs say when state Republicans controlled redistricting after the 2010 census, they drew maps in secret that greatly benefited their party over the decade. Following the latest census, the process starts again.

Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin, said the GOP still controls the Legislature, and right now, it looks like a similar situation is taking shape.

"The Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature have shown no indication that they're willing to engage in any compromise or anything less than the great success they enjoyed in 2011 in pushing through the partisan maps," Heck contended.

Heck noted what's troubling this time is a recent report from Wis-Politics that pointed out Republicans have agreed to spend at least $1 million dollars from taxpayers on an anticipated legal fight.

However, unlike 2011, he said there's more public pressure for an open and fair process, including engagement with the Gov. Tony Evers' People's Map Commission.

Republican leaders have called that effort unconstitutional, signalling they will go forward with their own maps.

Heck and other policy groups argued with Evers in office, he can veto a proposal drawn by one party.

But they worry Republicans will simply turn to the conservative-leaning state Supreme Court in hopes of letting their own map stand.

Long term, Heck suggested adding public engagement could force legislation that would result in a nonpartisan process.

"I am confident that sometime during this decade, we could see that come to critical mass and perhaps change," Heck predicted.

He added lawmakers might feel compelled to overhaul redistricting as more counties, including those in conservative areas, pass advisory referendums asking for an independent process. Last fall, nearly a dozen referendums appeared on ballots across Wisconsin.

But the group acknowledged any legislation introduced this session won't get far enough to influence maps for the coming decade.


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INDIANAPOLIS -- Voting-rights advocates applaud this week's federal appeals-court decision to prevent Indiana from purging some voters from the rolls without notifying them first. However, they said there is more work to do to ensure everyone has access to a ballot.

Two Indiana state laws, Senate Bill 442 in 2017 and Senate Bill 334 in 2020, aimed to remove a voter's registration if it appears they'd registered in another state.

Barbara Bolling-Williams, Indiana state conference president for the NAACP, said neither held up in court, because they violated the National Voter Registration Act.

"The federal act requires that there is contact with the voter, you know, to say, 'It appears that you're registered in Ohio, is that you? Have you moved to Ohio; are you no longer going to be registered to vote here in Indiana?'" Bolling-Williams explained.

If a voter does not respond, officials need to give notice that the person is set to be removed from the rolls, and then wait two federal election periods.

Bolling-Williams pointed out other policies, like same-day registration, have increased access in other states, but Indiana's voter registration period ends 30 days before Election Day.

Legal battles around voter purges and other laws to restrict voting access, especially for historically marginalized communities, are not unique to Indiana.

As of July 14, 18 states had passed 30 laws in 2021 alone, making it harder to vote, according to the
Brennan Center for Justice. Proponents argued they are meant to prevent fraud, but Bolling-Williams countered lawmakers are not taking voters' needs into account.

"In this climate of not wanting people to vote, basically, we understand that if everybody has an opportunity to vote, then the will of the people will reign, and not the dictatorship of a few," Bolling-Williams contended.

Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Sen Todd Young, R-Ind., were among those who blocked federal legislation, the "For the People Act," which would have prevented many of the new, more restrictive state laws from going into effect.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Redistricting reformers urged the people charged with drawing new voting-district maps in Missouri to commit to putting the voters over partisan interests.

Gov. Mike Parson has appointed a bipartisan group of commissioners to draw state legislative maps. The Legislature draws congressional maps.

Caroline Fan, founder and president of the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation, said in the past, map-making has been done out of the public eye. She wants to see more transparency this year, and stressed one crucial piece is listening to local residents about what matters to them. It could be a common place of worship, a school district, a race or ethnicity.

"This is our opportunity as Missourians to kind of hit 'refresh,'" Fan contended. "And if certain areas have grown, other areas have shrunk, to make sure that everyone is well represented, and that we have fair maps."

Fan added map-drawing tools are far more accessible now than 10 years ago, the last time new districts were created, which means it is much easier for residents to have a say in the process, by laying out their recommendations and submitting them to the commission at public hearings.

Missouri House and Senate commissioners have six months to agree on a set of new voting district maps before a judicial panel takes over. Fan emphasized the importance of community input.

"Even these communities that might only make up 2% of the state's population, it's still really important that all of these communities are heard," Fan asserted. "And particularly because some of these communities are really growing."

Block-by-block census data crucial for redistricting is normally available by April 1 the year following the census. But this year, it was delayed due to the pandemic and efforts by the Trump administration; first to add a citizenship question to the census and then, to exclude undocumented people in determining the number of representatives each state gets.

Parson is among a group of Republican governors calling on the Census Bureau to release the data as soon as possible.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

TILLAMOOK, Ore. -- Like other infrastructure needs, the widening gap in internet access is affecting people across the country.

In the spirit of New Deal initiatives during the Great Depression, the nonprofit Lead for America has started the American Connection Corps. In 2021, the program is training fellows in 12 states, including Oregon.

Benya Kraus, co-founder of Lead for America and director of the American Connection Corps, said in both Tillamook and Morrow counties, where the Oregon fellows will serve, there is a need for infrastructure in hard-to-reach places, and also reaching out to people.

"We're, from the get-go, thinking about digital inclusion and literacy and making sure that it's not just about the build-out," Kraus explained. "It's actually about making sure that people know how to use it and have access to the devices and the costs that would allow them to be able to participate in the digital economy."

To date, the American Connection Corps has placed more than 100 fellows in 26 states. Oregon ranks 34th in the nation in access to broadband, according to the website BroadbandNow.

Kraus noted one important component of the fellowship is choosing people in their hometowns or who are moving back to their hometowns. She added the program's training focuses on solving challenges and building relationships.

"There's a lot of purpose and personal meaning that is fulfilled when you live your life in deep relationship to your place, to people, to the commitments to those people and places," Kraus contended.

With people stuck at home during the pandemic, the digital divide was in stark relief. However, Kraus emphasized underserved families across the country have known and lived with the issue for a long time.

"But I do think COVID has brought on this greater urgency now to get creative between public and private partnerships and nonprofit partners like us, too," Kraus remarked. "How can we team up together to solve one of the most pressing challenges our country is facing?"