Rep. Oldenburg Introduces Non-Partisan Redistricting Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    September 12, 2023

CONTACT: Rep. Loren Oldenburg                                                                     (608) 237-9196

 

Representative Oldenburg and Legislative Colleagues Introduce Non-Partisan Redistricting Legislation

MADISON – Representative Loren Oldenburg (Viroqua) introduced Assembly Bill 415 alongside his legislative colleagues this afternoon.

 

“In the past, I signed onto this bill when it was introduced in 2019 by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I reached out to work with them this session on Assembly Bill 415 and unfortunately, they did not choose to continue to support non-partisan redistricting. However, over the last 20 years both parties have introduced this legislation, and I am excited to introduce it this session.” said Rep. Oldenburg.

 

In 1980 the Iowa legislature gave the Legislative Service Agency, the nonpartisan bill drafting agency of the General Assembly, the primary responsibility for drawing proposed redistricting maps subject to legislative and gubernatorial approval. Assembly Bill 415 would establish a nonpartisan method of redistricting in Wisconsin modeled after Iowa’s system. Under this legislation the Legislature would appoint four members to an advisory commission, these members then choosing their fifth member. The commission would hold at least three public hearings across the state to hear input from Wisconsin residents. The commission would then submit this information and testimony to the Legislative Reference Bureau. LRB must then have a first proposal drawn and submitted to the legislature by January 1st following the decennial census.

 

Upon this submission, the legislature has seven days to look over the proposal and approve it. If either chamber does not approve of this proposal, the chamber must submit to LRB why they did not approve of the map proposal. LRB will have 21 days to use this information to offer up a second proposal. Once this is submitted to the legislature, the process continues with the legislature receiving seven more days to approve the proposal. If the legislature once again does not approve of the second proposal, the process repeats. Under this bill, amending the first two proposals is prohibited except for minor changes as is it in Iowa. For the third proposal, LRB receives 21 more days to draw a third plan, and once submitted the legislature receives seven days to approve it and the proposal can be amended as any other bill. In the Iowa model political or election data is illegal for the LSA to use in any capacity.

 

“In Iowa, every cycle the legislature has approved one of the three proposals the LSA drew.” said Rep. Oldenburg. “With over 5 redistricting cycles and zero lawsuits charging partisan gerrymandering or voting rights acts violations, Iowa has achieved the only truly nonpartisan process in America. I am happy to introduce this legislation and I hope the Governor will sign it, as he has supported it in the past.” said Rep. Oldenburg.

 

Assembly Bill 415 will be presented for voting in the Assembly this Thursday, September 14th.