Federal judges officially revised two district lines in Milwaukee they say disenfranchised a community of Latinos, ending a months long process that pitted Democrats and Republicans against each other over new district maps passed last summer.
Every 10 years district maps are redrawn to better represent the shifts in population within the state. The new maps, drawn by a Republican-controlled legislature, were criticized for being drafted in secret, allegedly disfranchising thousands of Wisconsin voters and favoring Republicans.
Consequently, Democrats challenged the maps in court, a lawsuit that resulted in changes to the eighth and ninth districts in Milwaukee.
Of the 132 redrawn maps, a panel of three federal judges deemed only two districts violated the Voting Rights Act because they weakened the Latino vote by dividing the community, preventing a Latino majority.
To fix the situation, the judges ordered both Republicans and Democrats submit new maps. They chose the Democrats’ map Thursday, which recreates the Latino majority.
Republicans said the maps they drew were successful, since the judges found only two of the 132 new districts were unconstitutional.
Democrats are also pleased with the court’s decision to choose their revisions.
However, Sen. Mark Miller, D-Madison, said, “Republicans continue to get away with their almost laughable claim that their maps were not influenced by partisan factors.”
The 2002 maps will be used for the upcoming June recall elections and the new maps will be employed for the November elections.
