Federal court blocks Wisconsin GOP's redistricting maps

Homerboy

Lifer
Mar 1, 2000
30,890
5,001
126
Hey hey! The GOP in my state made the news again!


http://fox11online.com/news/political/federal-court-blocks-wisconsin-gops-redistricting-maps

MADISON (AP) -- Federal judges struck down Wisconsin's Republican-drawn legislative districts as unconstitutional on Monday, marking a victory for minority Democrats that could force the Legislature to redraw the maps.

The ruling by a three-judge panel can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But it still provides hope for legislative Democrats who have been in the minority for six years and lost more ground in this month's election. The judges didn't order any immediate changes to district boundaries, instead saying they would accept ideas on what to do next within the next 30 days.

Republicans, who took full control of state government in the 2010 election, drew the maps in 2011 as part of redistricting required every 10 years. A dozen voters sued, arguing the maps unconstitutionally discriminated against Democrats by diluting their voting power. They called it the worst example of gerrymandering in modern history.
 

michal1980

Diamond Member
Mar 7, 2003
8,019
43
91
dozen voters over turn the wishes of the tens of thousands that voted. Sour grapes. Hope the supreme court over turns.

Dems cant win with voters, use courts to bully their way.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,335
1,846
126
dozen voters over turn the wishes of the tens of thousands that voted. Sour grapes. Hope the supreme court over turns.

Dems cant win with voters, use courts to bully their way.
John Kerry had more votes than George W Bush.... The courts gave the victory to George W Bush ...
Damn courts bullying the poor innocent repubicans!
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,721
31,081
146
dozen voters over turn the wishes of the tens of thousands that voted. Sour grapes. Hope the supreme court over turns.

Dems cant win with voters, use courts to bully their way.

apparently the will of these voters is an unconstitutional will, kinda like those Trump voters that don't seem to give two tits about the first amendment and all those other inconvenient amendments without a #2 in front of them.

Good thing this is a Republic, dummy, otherwise "the will of the people" would be stripping the rights of "the people we don't like." Oh, we'd also have President Clinton if your concern for "the will of the people" were actually addressed.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
dozen voters over turn the wishes of the tens of thousands that voted. Sour grapes. Hope the supreme court over turns.

Dems cant win with voters, use courts to bully their way.

So when AG Sessions tries overruling state votes for recreational pot you are going to support the states, right?
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,395
8,558
126
republicans elected to control state government, implement policies that keep the state out of the national economic recovery, blame democrats in washington.

thanks wisconsin.
 

michal1980

Diamond Member
Mar 7, 2003
8,019
43
91

michal1980

Diamond Member
Mar 7, 2003
8,019
43
91
apparently the will of these voters is an unconstitutional will, kinda like those Trump voters that don't seem to give two tits about the first amendment and all those other inconvenient amendments without a #2 in front of them.

Good thing this is a Republic, dummy, otherwise "the will of the people" would be stripping the rights of "the people we don't like." Oh, we'd also have President Clinton if your concern for "the will of the people" were actually addressed.
Electoral College dumbass.
 

michal1980

Diamond Member
Mar 7, 2003
8,019
43
91
John Kerry had more votes than George W Bush.... The courts gave the victory to George W Bush ...
Damn courts bullying the poor innocent repubicans!
Have you followed Wisconsin politics? Just about everything republicans have done democrats have sued over. Act 10, voter id, district lines.

Isnt it hypocritical to bitch about gerrymandering when all you want is district lines redrawn so that your side can win more seats?

Oh we democrats don't like these lines, we want them drawn so we win more.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,395
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
87,694
54,681
136
Have you followed Wisconsin politics? Just about everything republicans have done democrats have sued over. Act 10, voter id, district lines.

Isnt it hypocritical to bitch about gerrymandering when all you want is district lines redrawn so that your side can win more seats?

Oh we democrats don't like these lines, we want them drawn so we win more.

Wait, you're trying to say it's hypocritical to sue over someone screwing you out of representation because you will have more representation after they stop screwing you?

Lol.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,613
11,255
136
Have you followed Wisconsin politics? Just about everything republicans have done democrats have sued over. Act 10, voter id, district lines.

Isnt it hypocritical to bitch about gerrymandering when all you want is district lines redrawn so that your side can win more seats?

Oh we democrats don't like these lines, we want them drawn so we win more.

So your argument is that it is hypocritical to complain about election rigging hurting you, when it would benefit you if it wasn't rigged?
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
26,060
24,365
136
dozen voters over turn the wishes of the tens of thousands that voted. Sour grapes. Hope the supreme court over turns.

Dems cant win with voters, use courts to bully their way.

These lawsuits tend to be a small number of people who are active enough to get that involved. They generally represent the interests of quite a few other people. That's the way I've seen them happen at least.

Regardless really not sure how using your full legal rights equates to bullying. You must not agree with some of those legal rights it seems. I mean obviously - the system is clearly not working since a few are literally using it to BULLY. As long as they disagree with you of course. Do you propose we eliminate the judicial branch of government in cases that give the few vs the many a route to state their case?

oh and 2 of those 3 judges were appointed by Republicans fyi
 
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Sunburn74

Diamond Member
Oct 5, 2009
5,076
2,635
136
From the court opinion directly:

"In 2012, the Republican Party received 48.6% of the two-party statewide vote share for Assembly candidates and won 60 of the 99 seats in the Wisconsin Assembly."

Are you kidding me? They aren't even trying anymore to hide it.

By the way, it was a really novel way of proving highly aggressive gerrymandering (they basically developed a unit of measure for gerrymandering [called the EG or efficiency gap] and established what is the upper limit for a natural gerrymander. I'm planning to email the ACLU and see if it can be applied in my state.) If you have time to thumb through the 80 page court opinion, I would highly recommend it.
 
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vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
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Keep your eye on North Carolina governor race and the power struggle there. Same deal, but worse in regards to voter suppression. If the Democratic candidate takes control there will be sweeping changes there too.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,539
6,705
126
oh and 2 of those 3 judges were appointed by Republicans fyi

But they are probably old and appointed in a time when Republicans had the mistaken notion that Judges should have judicial qualifications and pass elitist tests of judicial temperament. Now we know the only good judge is a cowboy who can make decisions from the hip.
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
29,540
30,025
136
From the court opinion directly:

"In 2012, the Republican Party received 48.6% of the two-party statewide vote share for Assembly candidates and won 60 of the 99 seats in the Wisconsin Assembly."

Are you kidding me? They aren't even trying anymore to hide it.

By the way, it was a really novel way of proving highly aggressive gerrymandering (they basically developed a unit of measure for gerrymandering [called the EG or efficiency gap] and established what is the upper limit for a natural gerrymander. I'm planning to email the ACLU and see if it can be applied in my state.) If you have time to thumb through the 80 page court opinion, I would highly recommend it.

That's awesome. They picked up a super majority with fewer than half of the vote. It's a great example of why local and state races are really freaking important especially around census time.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,613
11,255
136
That's awesome. They picked up a super majority with fewer than half of the vote. It's a great example of why local and state races are really freaking important especially around census time.
The problem is, once it's this gerrymandered it is very hard to change the majority party to fix it, which is the whole point.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
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The problem is, once it's this gerrymandered it is very hard to change the majority party to fix it, which is the whole point.

You can do what NC is trying to do...just invent more seats and fill them in your favor!

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article115979233.html

Republicans lost a majority in the state supreme court so now they are trying to change the rules and stack it back in their favor. The incumbent Republican governor lost and he's throwing a fit and refusing to concede. And people think Liberals took this election hard...