Shankland: "Democracy is at Risk"
MADISON, WI (WSAU) -- Central Wisconsin's strongest Democrat voice says the court ruling declaring the current legislative districts in the state unconstitutional is a victory for every voter.
Assembly Assistant Minorty Leader Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) agrees that the current district maps prevent a fair vote.
"What it really says is that every individual voter matters, and that our democracy must be protected at all times. We need to ensure that every person's voice counts," said Shankland.
"When politicians are able to choose their districts, instead of voters being able to choose their representatives, our democracy is at risk. This ruling really does present new opportunities for all voters in Wisconsin to have their voice heard and their votes counted equally."
Though the case could be appealed to a Supreme Court that will soon have a new Justice nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump, Shankland still believes the court could rule supporting the decision because of a key piece of evidence.
She said, "This is the first time, at least in recent history, that a lawsuit on redistricting and gerrymandering actually measured the wasted vote. They have a wasted vote formula."
That formula could be enough to create judicially manageable standards for gerrymandering, something missing from the highest court's rulings on this topic in the past.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the state have called the 2011 redistricting in question one of the largest examples of gerrymandering in American history.