Republican redistricting resolution draws Democratic ire

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A resolution from Wisconsin Republicans calling for new political boundary lines to adhere as closely as possible to existing congressional and legislative districts drew criticism Thursday from Democrats, who have long argued that the existing maps are gerrymandered and unconstitutional.

A GOP-controlled state Assembly committee on Thursday approved putting the resolution up for a vote before the full Assembly on Tuesday. It lays out parameters for any maps submitted to the Assembly as it moves ahead with the once-a-decade task of redistricting.

One of guidelines in the resolution calls for retaining “as much as possible the core of existing districts, thus maintaining 11 existing communities of interest, and promoting the equal opportunity to vote by minimizing disenfranchisement."

An argument Democrats make in a federal redistricting lawsuit is that the current Republican-drawn maps, which were approved in 2011, should be declared unconstitutional because of population changes over the past decade as reflected in the latest census numbers. Democrats don't want the new maps to be based on the current ones, which solidified Republican majorities in the Legislature.

Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said the resolution was not about helping the Republicans' position in court. The Legislature is backing a lawsuit that the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear. Republicans are opposing the Democratic lawsuit in federal court.

Steineke downplayed concern about the intent of the resolution, saying it was an attempt to be transparent about the parameters for considering maps submitted to a website Republicans established to accept ideas from a map-drawing commission established by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers or any member of the public.

“It’s about continuity of...