It’s the gift that keeps on giving for Wisconsin Republicans. A decade ago, they secretly carved up the state in a gerrymander so extreme that even 10 years later many voters are disenfranchised.
It was a neat trick: Take power from the people, give it to yourself, send the people the bill. The cost of redistricting a decade ago: $3.5 million, most of it going to high-priced lawyers.
Congressional and legislative lines will again be adjusted starting this year to account for changes in population. This time, that work should be done in public.
In his budget proposal, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers urges that the process be conducted in the open, that legislative records be retained for 10 years, and that legislative action on redistricting comply with Wisconsin’s open meetings law.