Gerrymandering is one of myriad tools by Republicans bent on engineering a Republican government irrespective of the will of voters and the rule of law.
A three-judge panel in November 2016 found the Republican-drawn, secret redistricting map unconstitutional.
In January 2017, the federal panel ordered a remedy to the unconstitutional, partisan gerrymander requiring "that the Legislature enact, and the Governor approve, a new redistricting map by November 1, 2017."
No, this is our state, is the effective answer of the Republicans who have appealed the panel’s decision to the United States Supreme Court.
On May 22, the Republicans filed an application to stay the order of the federal panel, failing to list the Constitutional rights of citizens in their argument. Rather, Republicans base their argument on the sovereignty of Wisconsin in which Constitutional rights of citizens hold little power against the state, (Wisconsin Department of Justice), (Supreme Court of the United States), (Supreme Court of the United States).
States rights over liberty interests of people.
From Amy Howe at SCOTUSBlog:
In March, the state of Wisconsin asked the Supreme Court to review a decision by a three-judge court striking down the redistricting map that the Republican-controlled legislature created after the 2010 census. The three-judge court concluded that the map was the result of partisan gerrymandering – that is, purposely drawing district lines to favor one party and put another at a disadvantage. The justices will consider the case at their June 8 conference, but yesterday Wisconsin added a new request to the case, asking the Supreme Court to block a court order requiring the state legislature to create a new plan by the fall.
Republicans want power. The United States Supreme Court may well decide this pursuit of power is Constitutionally permissible. No one knows what Justice Kennedy will do, (Stern, Slate). See also Ratfucked, (The New Yorker). So, Wisconsin Republicans are going for a big win.
The problem for Republicans is if the Supreme Court lets the status quo stand, Republicans lose and the Wisconsin people win.
(Whitford v. Nichol, (District Court (Case 3:15-cv-00421)) (2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155022 (W.D. Wis., Nov. 17, 2015)), is a federal case challenging the constitutionality of Wisconsin's Republican-drawn legislative-redistricting scheme.
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