
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers followed through Thursday on his promise to veto the Republican-drawn redistricting plans, calling the maps “gerrymandering 2.0.”
The move officially shifts the fight over the once-a-decade job of drawing new political boundary lines for legislative and congressional districts to the courts. The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday laid out a schedule for hearing arguments in the case early next year.
Democrats have also filed a lawsuit in federal court, but the three-judge panel there has indicated it will wait to take action until after the case is resolved in state court. The last three times redistricting took place in Wisconsin under divided government, in 2002, 1992 and 1982, a federal court drew the maps.
Evers, who is up for reelection next year, had said he would not sign the bills that only strengthen GOP majorities under maps that Republicans enacted a decade ago.