CRAWFORD COUNTY - At their February 19 meeting, the Crawford County Board of Supervisors will vote on a 'Resolution to Create a Nonpartisan Procedure for the Preparation of Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Plans.’ The meeting will take place at the Crawford County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien, starting at 10 a.m.
On November 6, 2018, voters in four more counties in Wisconsin overwhelmingly approved a referendum to ban gerrymandering in Wisconsin: Eau Claire County (74 percent); Lincoln County (65 percent); Sauk County (72 percent); and Winnebago County (69 percent).
Previously, 41 county boards in Wisconsin had also passed resolutions calling on the state legislature to ban gerrymandering and adopt independent, nonpartisan redistricting.
The current list of counties that have passed a Fair Maps resolution include:
Adams County (1/16/18)
Ashland County (11/14/17)
Bayfield County (10/31/17)
Brown County (10/18/17)
Burnett County (2/22/18)
Calumet County (9/19/17)
Chippewa County (6/13/17)
Clark County (12/18/13)
Dane County (6/01/17)
Door County (3/25/14)
Douglas County (5/18/17)
Dunn County (4/19/17)
Eau Claire County (6/20/17)
Forest County (6/20/17)
Grant County (3/20/18)
Green County (7/11/17)
Jackson County (5/15/17)
Jefferson County (5/09/17)
Kenosha County (8/15/17)
La Crosse County (8/17/17)
Langlade County (2/18/14)
Lincoln County (3/21/17)
Manitowoc County (10/30/17)
Marinette County (12/17/13)
Milwaukee County (6/22/17)
Monroe County (8/23/17)
Oconto County (12/6/17)
Outagamie County (5/23/17)
Portage County (6/20/17)
Racine County (8/28/2018)
Richland County (10/31/17)
Rock County (2/27/14)
Rusk County (9/19/17)
St. Croix County (5/2/17)
Sauk County (9/19/17)
Taylor County (10/30/13)
Trempealeau County (9/18/17)
Vernon County (9/19/17)
Walworth County (12/10/13)
Winnebago County (7/17/18)
Wood County (10/15/13)
The resolution
Here is the text of the resolution that the Crawford County Board will vote on:
WHEREAS, currently under the state constitution, the legislature is directed to redistrict legislative districts according to the number of inhabitants at its next session following the decennial census by the majority party, and at the same intervals, the legislature also reapportions congressional districts pursuant to federal law; and
WHEREAS, legislative and congressional redistricting plans enacted pursuant to this procedure are used to elect members of the legislature and members of Congress in the fall of the second year following the year of the census; and
WHEREAS, historically legislative and congressional plans in Wisconsin have been subject to partisan influence that puts the desires of politicians ahead of the electoral prerogative of the people; and
WHEREAS, the 2011 process to draw the maps and fight litigation contesting those maps cost taxpayers nearly $1.9 million; and
WHEREAS, a panel of federal district court judges has ruled that the redistricting that was done in Wisconsin in 2011 was unconstitutional; and
WHEREAS, redistricting to achieve partisan gains is improper, whether it is done by Republicans or Democrats;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Crawford County Board of Supervisors insists upon the creation of a nonpartisan procedure for the preparation of legislative and congressional redistricting plans; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the process promotes more accountability and transparency and prohibits the consideration of voting patterns, party information, and incumbents' residence information or demographic information in drawing the maps, except as necessary to ensure minority participation as required by the U.S. Constitution; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County Clerk is directed to send a copy of this resolution to the Governor of the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Counties Association, the Wisconsin Towns Association, the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, all members of the state legislature and to each Wisconsin County.
Redistricting history
The modern redistricting history in Wisconsin is as follows:
1951 - The Wisconsin Legislature begins drawing the lines for legislative districts. This has been the current practice of redistricting since the 1950 Census.
1951 - Wisconsin remains at ten congressional districts for the 1950 Census.
1951 - The Wisconsin Legislative Council creates a reapportionment commission consisting of two State Senators, three State Representatives, and three citizens for the purpose of legislative redistricting.
1951 - The Supreme Court upholds the legislative redistricting plan drawn by the reapportionment commission.
1961 - Wisconsin remains at ten congressional districts for the 1960 Census.
1961 - A Republican controlled Legislature and Democratic Governor Gaylord Nelson fail to enact a redistricting plan.
1963 - On a second attempt, the Republican controlled Legislature and Democratic Governor John Reynolds fail to enact a redistricting plan.
1964 - The Wisconsin Supreme Court promulgates a redistricting plan that drew the lines for the rest of the 1960s.
1971 - Wisconsin loses a congressional seat from the 1970 Census and is reduced from ten to nine congressional districts.
1971 - A Republican Legislature and Democratic Governor Patrick Lucey fail to adopt a redistricting plan.
1971-1972 - A 12-person reapportionment commission is also formed in attempt to enact a redistricting plan and fails to reach an agreement. The commission consists of lawmakers and citizens that are appointed by the Governor.
1972 - Members of the Wisconsin Legislature approve a redistricting plan in special session under the threat of state and federal lawsuits. Members of the Legislature enact the plan for the 1970 Census against a deadline set by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
1981 - Members of the Wisconsin Legislature approve a Congressional Redistricting plan for the 1980 Census. The plan was approved on the second attempt after Governor Lee Dreyfus vetoes the first congressional redistricting plan. Wisconsin remains at nine congressional districts.
1982 - A three judge panel of the Chicago-based Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals promulgates a Legislative redistricting plan that governs only the 1982 legislative elections. The court promulgates the plan after Republican Governor Lee Dreyfus and a Democratic controlled Legislature fail to approve a legislative redistricting plan in 1981.
1991 - Members of the Legislature fully enact a congressional redistricting plan. Wisconsin remains at nine congressional districts.
1991 - Governor Tommy Thompson vetoes a Legislative redistricting plan for the 1990 Census. At the time the lines are drawn, Democrats control both houses of the Legislature and the Republicans control the Governor's office.
1992 - The Western District of Wisconsin federal court promulgates a plan for legislative redistricting for the 1990 Census.
2001 - Wisconsin loses a congressional seat from the 2000 Census and is reduced from nine to eight congressional seats.
2001 - The Wisconsin Legislature reaches an agreement on Congressional redistricting plan for the 2000 Census. This is the first redistricting plan for Wisconsin at its current allotment of eight congressional districts.
July 2002 - The Western District of Wisconsin federal court promulgates a Legislative redistricting plan for the 2000 Census after a split-controlled Legislature fails to approve a plan.
December 21, 2010 - The U.S. Census Bureau releases reapportionment figures for the 2010 Census. Wisconsin remains at eight congressional districts.
July 19, 2011 - The state Senate passed new legislative and congressional maps along party lines, with the Assembly passing them two days later. Governor Scott Walker quietly signed the new maps into law on August 9, 2011, the day the state held six state senate recall elections.
November 2016 - A panel of federal judges on Monday tossed the redistricting maps that Scott Walker and Republican legislative leaders adopted in 2011 in Act 43. By a vote of 2-1, the judges sided with the plaintiffs, a group of Democratic voters in Wisconsin, in the Whitford case.
June 2017 - The three-judge panel had ordered the Republican leadership to redraw the maps in a constitutional manner, and they set a November 1 deadline. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel appealed the 2-to-1 decision, and the Supreme Court accepted the appeal. Schimel also asked for a ‘stay’ – a hold -- on the order to redraw the maps, and the Supreme Court granted the stay.
June 2018 - The Supreme Court ruled on the partisan gerrymandering case — and the justices decided, essentially, to give the plaintiffs a do-over. The problem, the justices concluded, was that plaintiffs focused on proving the entire state map was gerrymandered against Democrats. Instead, they should have focused on proving whether their particular districts were gerrymandered. But rather than simply dismissing the case, as is the norm when the Court finds a lack of standing, seven of the nine justices ruled that it should be sent back for reargument before the district court — essentially, giving plaintiffs another shot at establishing standing, now that the Court has laid out more guidance on how to do so.
Provide input
Here is a list of your elected representatives on the Crawford County Board if you wish to express your views regarding this matter:
District 1: Geri Kozelka
Prairie du Chien, 1st Ward
1111 E. Parrish Street
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-988-6087
District 2: Henry Esser
Prairie du Chien, 2nd & 7th Wards
1121 South 5th Street
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-326-2130
District 3: Kersten RocksvoldPrairie du Chien, 3rd Ward
313 E. Iowa Street
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-326-8056
District 4: Brad Steiner
Prairie du Chien, 4th Ward
310 N Michigan
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-412-0252
District 5:Duane Rogers Prairie du Chien, 5th Ward
320 N Dousman
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-412-2986
District 6: Carl Orr
Prairie du Chien, 6th Ward
222 Stuart Lane
Prairie du Chien 53821
608-778-5636
District 7: David Olson
Town of Freeman, Villages of DeSoto (Ward 2) & Ferryville
63824 Marigaard Road
De Soto, WI 54624
608-648-3676
District 8: Mary Kuhn
Town of Utica & Village of Mt. Sterling, Town of Clayton (Ward 3)
53201 Kuhn Drive
Soldiers Grove, WI 54655
608-624-3311
District 9: Wade Dull
Town of Clayton (Ward 1) & Village of Soldiers Grove
15625 State Hwy 61
Soldiers Grove, WI 54655
608-624-5284
District 10: Donald Stirling Town of Clayton (Ward 2) & Village of Gays Mills
45641 Sand Creek Road
Gays Mills, WI 54631
608-735-4807
District 11: Wayne Jerrett, Jr.
Towns of Haney, Scott, Village of Bell Center
45067 County Road S
Gays Mills, WI 54631
608-872-2129
District 12: Larry KelleyTown of Seneca, Village of Lynxville
58761 Benhardt Ridge Road
Eastman, WI 54626
608-874-4232
District 13: Greg RussellTown of Eastman (Ward 1), Village of Eastman, Town of Prairie du Chien (W2)
108 Meadow Lane
Eastman, WI 54626
608-874-4186
District 14: Gari LorenzTowns of Eastman (Ward 2) , Marietta, Town of Wauzeka (W2) Village of Steuben
53000 Morovits Hollow Road
Wauzeka, WI 53826
608-874-9300
District 15: Gerald KracheyTown of Wauzeka (Ward 1), Village of Wauzeka
PO Box 208
Wauzeka, WI 53826
608-875-6805
District 16: Derek Flansburgh
Town of Bridgeport
58340 Old Highway 60
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-326-1819
District 17: Tom CornfordTown of Prairie du Chien (Ward 1)
35479 State Highway 27
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
608-326-2900
