WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A local elected official will be sharing their experience with nonpartisan redistricting to state officials.
Thursday evening Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg will be testifying before the People’s Map Commission at their virtual public hearing for the 1st Congressional District. The People’s Map Commission is a nine-member nonpartisan redistricting commission charged with drawing fair, and impartial maps for Wisconsin.
Rosenberg has advocated for nonpartisan redistricting in her prior role as a Marathon County Supervisor, introducing a resolution supporting a nonpartisan redistricting process for the state’s legislative and Congressional maps in 2017. The resolution was tabled at the time but a similar resolution passed in 2020.
At the hearing Thursday night, Rosenberg says her testimony will mainly consist of explaining the county’s nonpartisan redistricting process. “We work closely with the county board who have their own committee.
“And we’ll go back and forth over 180 days to make sure that we are reproportioning correctly and not making any partisan changes to our maps.”
Along with counties having nonpartisan redistricting processes, Rosenberg explains public votes have been made in favor of the issue. “The Lincoln County Board passed a resolution overwhelmingly. Then they went back and they had a nonbinding ballot initiative.
“And they passed. Sixty-five percent of people in Lincoln County said you know what, I think this is not fair and we should make sure our processes are fair.”
With the vote held in Lincoln County and the process used to redistrict in Marathon County, Rosenberg says the issue of fair maps is nonpartisan across the state. She’s cautiously optimistic that those in Madison will see that as well.
The hearing for the 1st Congressional District will be held Thursday night until 8:45 p.m. Two more public hearings will be held by the People’s Map Commission on February 25th and March 11th designated for the 6th and 2nd Congressional Districts.
Written comments can still be submitted to the Commission online through their website.
