Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
AMENDED Proclaiming opposition to the loss of local control, additional costs, and damage to the interests of the citizens of Madison as caused by changes to Wisconsin's redistricting statutes.
Body
WHEREAS, the US Constitution requires that every 10 years representative districts be redrawn, equalizing population to achieve the goal of “one person, one vote” at all levels of government; and,
WHEREAS, Federal and State law mandate that the new districts be compact and contiguous, respect existing municipal boundaries, and reflect communities of interest; and,
WHEREAS, between February 23, 2011 and July 19, 2011, the City of Madison’s Ad Hoc Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee held a series of eight open, publicly noticed meetings and three community input meetings spread throughout the City; and,
WHEREAS, with that extensive public input and by following the law as written the Committee and City Staff have developed fourteen maps and numerous variations thereof; and,
WHEREAS, on July 19, 2011 the City of Madison has its first public hearing as required by state statute on the tentative ward map; and,
WHEREAS, on July 8, 2011, contained within Senate Bills 148 and 149 the Republican leadership of the State legislature released draft maps of Congressional, Senatorial, and Assembly Districts several months ahead of schedule and well before the deadline for municipal definition of wards; and,
WHEREAS, two private law firms were paid at least $300k to create, in secret and without public knowledge or review, new Congressional and Legislative district maps allegedly using state and federal criteria; and,
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 150 was also released on July 8, 2011, which retroactively changes state statutes to allow the State Legislature to define its districts first and force municipalities to alter their ward boundaries with disregard toward what had been drafted and in some cases adopted by July 8, 2011; a...
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