'Gerrymandering has got to go': About 100 people gathered at Village Hall in Menomonee Falls to call for fair maps
"Gerrymandering has got to go," was the repeated chant at Menomonee Falls Village Hall on Jan. 21 at a rally seeking to end gerrymandering.
"What do we want?" asked community leaders for the fair maps movement.
"Fair maps, now," was the reply of the rally attendees.
About 100 people showed up at the rally to stop the practice of gerrymandering and to advocate for fair maps. They held signs calling for fair maps and to end gerrymandering as they walked around village hall.
People at the rally were encouraged to sign a pledge to support candidates who favor nonpartisan redistricting.
More: 'Democracy is at stake': Suburban Milwaukee grassroots leaders push for an end to gerrymandering
This rally was organized by the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Grassroots Germantown and the Menomonee Falls Action Team. State Rep. Sara Rodriguez, D-Brookfield, was the featured guest speaker.
On Jan. 21, there were fair map rallies at more than 15 locations statewide, including Madison, La Crosse, Eagle River and Eau Claire.
States draw new congressional and legislative districts every 10 years to account for population shifts, said Carlene Bechen, Wisconsin fair maps organizer at Fair Maps Coalition.
The maps, however, can be drawn in ways that give one political party an edge in campaigns; this is known as gerrymandering.
When maps were last drawn in 2011, Republicans controlled all of state government. They drew their maps behind closed doors and required Republican lawmakers to sign nondisclosure agreements to look at maps of their districts before the public could see them.
But Rodriguez said at the rally that having fair maps is a bipartisan issue.
"We all know our democracy is under threat," said Rodriguez at the rally. "Democrats, Republicans and independents, they want fair maps."
Rodriguez said gerrymandered maps “lead to more unnecessary partisanship” at a time where voters are calling for elected officials to work together.
"We must continue this long fight," she said, urging all elected officials to work together.
Lena Eng, executive director of Voters First Wisconsin, and a conservative from New Berlin, said at the rally, “Voters want fair and free elections, regardless of their political leaning. That starts with maps that are not rigged to favor either political party.”
Republicans who control the Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers failed to agree on maps. As a result, it is up to the courts to decide where to draw the lines for elections this fall.
Vicki Aro-Schackmuth, chair of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Waukesha County team and one of the event coordinators for the rally said at the rally, “Efforts for fair maps were fought in the Wisconsin State Legislature, who chose partisanship over citizenship. Now the fight extends to the courts. Scholars from across the country remark that Wisconsin’s Supreme Court actions on voting maps appear political. We want the court to know we’re watching their actions.”
Chris Byrnes, lead event organizer and team co-leader of the Menomonee Falls Action Team called the turnout for the rally "both inspiring and informative."
"We will continue to show up at rallies and meetings and the polls. It's time for the court to do the right thing and ensure every voter is fairly represented in their government," Byrnes said.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: About 100 people rally in Menomonee Falls to end gerrymandering
