Every decade, states are required to redraw voting districts to account for population changes with the results of the latest U.S. Census. In the last 10 years, the state of Wisconsin gained around 320,000 residents, a shift that is not enough to increase our representation in Congress, but substantial enough to necessitate minor (key word there) changes in districting.

But this is post-collective bargaining Wisconsin, and here, we do it big regardless of whether or not it’s called for.

In 1812, looking to benefit his party, Massachusetts Gov. Eldridge Gerry stacked the political deck in his favor by drawing districts comprised of voters that would secure seats for Democratic-Republican candidates. Newspaper editors at the time compared one of the unusual district shapes to a salamander, and the eponymous gerrymandering has since been the term used for the manipulation of voting districts for political security.

Accusations of gerrymandering are bound to arise whenever districts need to be redrawn. But this is the formerly reasonable and civil state of Wisconsin: Surely with our moderate history and legacy of at least nominal cooperation, we came to a sensible conclusion this time around. Yeeeaaah no. Just as slimy and cold-blooded as the salamander that inspired the term, Wisconsin Republicans’ gerrymandering is yet another shameful development in the divided Wisconsin.

The new lines were released to the public and Democratic legislators July 8 and drawn up by private lawyers to the tune of $300,000. By the time you read this piece, Republican leadership intends to have voted on them. Aside from the wasteful use of taxpayer dollars by not relying on state lawyers, it’s completely within the Republicans’ rights to shove through whatever unfavorable or otherwise despicable legislation they see fit as the majority party.

Wisconsin has not seen such blatant disregard for cooperation in the realm of redistricting in decades, but these guys aren’t really surprising anybody with that.

The redistricting maps as they stand now affect 22 state legislators. More than half are Republicans, they claim. Self-sacrifice like that just brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it? Me neither. Anyway, two Democrats running in recall elections would no longer reside in their respective districts should they win, and Sen. Alberta Darling’s district would lean even further to the right, likely securing her seat, which she won just barely the last time around. 

Democrats have spoken out against the changes across the board, yet the 12 or so Republicans to be affected by redistricting appear to have very little to say in opposition to party leadership. Just following orders: always a solid defense, right?

Luckily, state law stipulates that local municipalities must draw their ward lines before the Legislature draws its own lines; only a handful of communities have already done so at this point in the game. But when those pesky laws get in the way, what else can be done but void the law, which is precisely what Republicans plan to do.

Undoubtedly, Democrats will sue to stop current redistricting plans. State dollars will be used to fund the lawsuits (never you mind the $300,000 spent by Republicans to draw up the maps), and the right will paint the Democrats as wasters of tax dollars, so look forward to that.

What the Republicans are doing, in and of itself, is not exactly a grievous abuse of power. Detestable to be sure, but nothing of the caliber we haven’t seen this crew engage in before. The fundamental issue is leaving the redistricting process under the purview of those vilest of individuals: politicians.

One of said vile individuals, Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, has introduced a bill that would take the redistricting process away from legislators and put it into the hands of a nonpartisan commission. Why it took this long to introduce a measure of this sort is frustrating, but even more so is the fact that we probably won’t see the effects of such a bill for another 10 years.

Wisconsin made it up until this point as a functioning and civil state government. But this is no longer that Wisconsin, and before it becomes unrecognizable, serious changes need to be made.

Jake Begun ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and journalism.