Molly Beck

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers will propose in his state budget a process aimed at drawing legislative boundaries in a way that favors neither political party.

The move would put election maps in the hands of a nonpartisan state agency instead of with Republicans who control the Legislature and drew the state's current legislative boundaries that are being challenged in federal court.

"The people should get to choose their elected officials, not the other way around," Evers said in a statement. "By creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission in Wisconsin, we’re making sure that when we’re redrawing district maps in 2021, we’re putting people before politics."

But Republican lawmakers are sure to block the proposal that is the latest in a series of measures to be included in Evers' first state budget set for release Thursday.

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In a case that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos are defending the state's election maps that favor keeping Republicans in power.

RELATED:Supreme Court agrees to wade into politically explosive issue of election maps drawn for partisan advantage

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A panel of judges in 2016 ruled 2-1 that Wisconsin’s maps violated Democrats’ voting rights because they were so heavily tipped in Republicans’ favor. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 found that those who brought the case didn’t have legal standing to sue and sent the case back to the lower court.

A new trial is scheduled for July.

Under Evers' proposal, the maps would be drawn by state employees working at the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau — which writes comprehensive reports on issues facing the Legislature, provides analysis for legislation, and houses files associated with drafting bills.

The plan bars mapmakers from using voting patterns, party information, incumbent residence information and demographic information to draw the boundaries, except where required by law.

RELATED:New election data highlights the ongoing impact of 2011 GOP redistricting in Wisconsin

The bureau's map process would be overseen by a nonpartisan five-member commission appointed by legislative leaders of both parties.

Each of the four leaders would get to appoint one commissioner each and those four members would appoint a fifth commissioner to serve as the commission's chairperson.

Under Evers' proposal, commissioners may not be anyone who holds a partisan public office or political party office nor may they be employed or related to any lawmakers.

Public hearings on the proposed maps would be held in each congressional district.

In a recent Marquette University Law School poll, an overwhelming 72 percent of those polled said they support legislative and congressional district boundaries being drawn by a nonpartisan commission rather than the state Legislature, as Evers has proposed.

That's compared with just 18 percent who said the Legislature should continue to draw the boundaries.

"Governor Evers has heeded our call for moving nonpartisan redistricting reform forward, and now the Legislature must follow suit,” said Sachin Chheda, chairman of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, which launched the lawsuit challenging the state’s current election maps.”

Aides to Fitzgerald and Vos did not immediately have a reaction to Evers' proposal, which will be included in the governor's two-year state budget set to be released Thursday.