State Summary
Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto.
For the 2020 cycle, the Governor has created, by executive order, an independent advisory commission to propose maps to the legislature. The commsision has been meeting since October 2020 to collect public input.
On June 3, 2020, petitioners filed a petition (20-03) with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, encouraging the Court to adopt specific rules for the resolution of redistricting disputes. That petition is currently pending. (Disclosure: I have opposed the petition.)
In the 2010 cycle, Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (SB 149) and state legislative plan (SB 148) on July 20, 2011, which were signed by the Governor on Aug. 9, 2011. On Mar. 22, 2012, a federal court struck two state Assembly districts under the Voting Rights Act; the court adopted a remedial plan for those two districts on Apr. 11, 2012.
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Seats: (projected)
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Governor:
Key Info for 2010 Cycle
Website
Primary governing law
Key Info for 2020 Cycle
Primary governing law
Data
The Latest Updates
Institution
Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto.
On Jan. 27, 2020, the Governor created, by executive order, an independent advisory commission to propose maps to the legislature. There are nine commissioners, none of whom are a public or party official or lobbyist; per the order, the commission will draw maps free of partisan bias and partisan advantage, without “diluting or diminishing” minority votes, with districts that are compact, contiguous, avoid splitting wards and municipalities, retain the core population of each district and maintain traditional communities of interest, and “prevent voter disenfranchisement.” The commsision has been meeting since October 2020 to collect public input. The legislature may adopt, reject, or ignore the commission’s proposals.
Timing
Wisconsin law requires that state legislative lines be drawn in the first legislative session after each Census; the legislative session began on Jan. 12, 2021, and continues through the end of the year. [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 3]
There is no similar deadline for congressional districts, though candidates must file for both congressional and state legislative primary elections by June 1, 2022. [Wis. Stat. § 8.15(1)]
Wisconsin law prohibits redrawing state legislative districts mid-decade, before the next Census; there is no similar provision pertaining to congressional lines. [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 3; State ex rel. Smith v. Zimmerman, 266 Wis. 307 (1954)]
Public input
The legislature has not announced any specific plans for public input this cycle just yet.
The Governor’s advisory commission has been collecting public input since October 2020. Meeting records are here.
Criteria
Like all states, Wisconsin must comply with constitutional equal population requirements and must abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.
The Wisconsin constitution further requires that state legislative districts be in as compact form as practicable, and that they be bounded by county, precinct, town, or ward lines where possible. The state constitution also requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. [Wis. Const. art. IV, §§ 4-5]
Also, state Assembly districts must be nested within state Senate districts, so that each Senate district is made up of three Assembly districts. [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 5; Wis. Stat. § 4.001]
2010 cycle
Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (SB 149) and state legislative plan (SB 148) on July 20, 2011, which were signed by the Governor on Aug. 9, 2011.
Because state districts must follow municipal ward lines where possible, redistricting usually occurs after ward lines are redrawn. In 2011, the legislature set an extremely aggressive schedule (though activity had not been scheduled to resume before September, the legislature reconvened in extraordinary session on July 19 and passed both maps by July 20), the legislature also passed legislation asking municipalities to redraw ward lines after state districts had been drawn.
The congressional plan was challenged in federal court, and upheld. [Baldus v. Brennan, 849 F. Supp. 2d 840 (E.D. Wis. 2012)]
The state legislative plan was also challenged in federal court; on Mar. 22, 2012, the federal court struck two state Assembly districts under the Voting Rights Act, and adopted a remedial plan for those two districts on Apr. 11, 2012. Further challenges to the state legislative plan were rejected. [Gill v. Whitford, 138 S. Ct. 1916 (2018), dismissed on remand sub nom. Whitford v. Gill, No. 3:15-cv-00421 (W.D. Wis. July 2, 2019); Baldus v. Brennan, 862 F. Supp. 2d 860 (E.D. Wis. 2012); Baldus v. Brennan, 849 F. Supp. 2d 840 (E.D. Wis. 2012)]
2000 cycle
Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (AB 711) that was signed on Mar. 27, 2002. It did not, however, pass a state legislative plan, and cases were brought in both state and federal court. The state court deferred to the federal court, which issued state legislative plans on May 30, 2002, amended July 11, 2002. It does not appear that the congressional plan was challenged in court after it was enacted.
[Jensen v. Wis. Elections Bd., 639 N.W.2d 537 (Wis. 2002); Baumgart v. Wendelberger, No. 01-C-0121, 2002 WL 34127471 (E.D. Wis. May 30, 2002)]
