Although state senators introduced a bill Monday that would put controversial district redraws into play for potential senator recall elections in the coming months, one Republican senator has spoken out against the bill, posing a potential roadblock for its smooth passage in the body.

Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, announced his opposition to the bill Monday, which Common Cause in Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck said could block the bill entirely from a passing vote in the Senate.

The bill would move up the date the new boundary lines go into effect, which Schultz has said would allow voters to recall him that were not the original constituents to put him in office.

“I’m not going to vote for it because the people who sent me to Madison are the ones who should decide whether I ought to be recalled or not,” Schultz said.

Without Schultz’s opposition, Heck said, the bill would still pass in committee, but would not pass in the state Senate, where the Republicans have a one-seat majority.

“Schultz is absolutely right [in his opposition of the bill],” Heck said. “The voters of these districts were told they would be changed in November of 2012.”

According to Heck, the redistricting bill, which passed with its original enactment date over the summer, draws up new districts that favor Republican candidates.

This bill is an attempt to give the Republicans an advantage before the general elections in 2012 and a response to threats of recall.

Andrew Welhouse, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said the bill is a necessary measure and would clear up confusion before recall elections could take place.

“There were a lot of questions about what representation means,” Welhouse said. “This bill was an effort … to clear up a lot of issues and a lot of those unanswered questions.”

Currently, Wisconsin has one district with more than 35,000 above the average requirement and one with 19,000 people below it, Welhouse said. He said elections cannot be run well with districts that are not constitutionally proportional.

Welhouse also said with new district maps already drawn out, using the old maps would lead to citizens being confused about who represents them.

Still, Heck alleged the bill was “terrible” and “confusing” for voters.

He said the nature of the bill is very partisan and primarily meant to assist Republicans in the potential recall elections presumed to be approaching.

“[The Senate] has designed a very Republican bill that confuses voters and makes it very easy for Republicans to win any recall elections that may occur,” Heck said.

Heck said support of the bill could harm some Republicans’ reputations with their constituents and warned Republicans should be thoughtful in their thought process when determining whether or not to pass the bill in committee.

Schultz resonated Heck’s concerns and said those who support the bill could face negative campaign ads alleging Republicans cared more about protecting their own jobs than creating and protecting jobs for Wisconsinites.

The vote was tabled today and will not be voted on tomorrow, Heck said.

“There’s uncertainty that the vote would pass in committee,” Heck said. “This was a move by the Republicans to earn time garner more support for the bill.”

Heck said he predicts the bill will fail.

– The Associated Press contributed to this story.