MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers promised to veto a redistricting proposal that the Republican-controlled Assembly passed on Wednesday and that largely mirror maps he proposed, but with changes that would reduce the number of GOP incumbents who would have to face one another in November.
Evers’ veto will leave it to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to install the state’s new maps.
The liberal-controlled state Supreme Court last month tossed the current Republican-drawn maps as unconstitutional. The court said it would draw new maps unless the Legislature and Evers agreed to ones first.
The political stakes are huge for both sides in the presidential battleground state, where Republicans have had a firm grip on the Legislature since 2011 even as Democrats have won statewide elections, including for governor in 2018 and 2022.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has long argued for keeping the current lines the same, said Tuesday night that he would happily pass maps proposed by Evers. But on Wednesday, Vos defended passing the same maps the Senate did on Tuesday, which make some changes to the Evers map.