MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to stay and reconsider its ruling that the boundaries of the state's legislative districts are unconstitutional.
Lawyers representing many Republican senators filed a motion with the court Thursday, saying they could not meet the Jan. 12 deadline for new maps. They also claim that the court did not listen to their arguments in the case and did not give them a chance to respond to the deadline for new borders. They asked the court to suspend all proceedings until it rules on the request.
The legislative electoral maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011 strengthened the party's majorities, which now stand at 64-35 in the General Assembly and a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate.
Democrats filed a lawsuit in August, arguing that the maps are unconstitutional and give the Republican Party an unfair advantage. They filed the action a day after liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in, flipping the court's majority to 4-3 liberal control.
The court ruled on December 22 that the current borders are unconstitutional because they are not contiguous. Many districts include chunks of land that are not connected to each other, resulting in maps that look like Swiss cheese.
The court ordered the legislature and other parties involved in the lawsuit to produce new maps by January 12, with supporting arguments 10 days later. The court will likely release new maps sometime in late February or early March unless the Legislature acts first.
State elections officials have said the maps must be ready by March 15 to be useful for the 2024 election.