Time to Take Action!
*1. We need maps – at the end of June the entire state will be reviewed to see how many maps have been made, so if you have not yet done your map,
- Sign up for “Map Play” – https://bit.ly/MapPlay or draw your own community of interest map at https://portal.wisconsin-mapping.org/
- Ask your municipal leaders to create a map – see sample email. Questions? Contact Cheryl Maranto at cmaranto4860@gmail.com.
*2. Contact WI Legislators! AB395 and SB389 (nonpartisan redistricting) have been introduced and sent to committee without a hearing set. Contact the State Senate and Assembly Committees where SB389 (Gov’t Operations) and AB395 (State Affairs) have been assigned and demand a hearing. Legislators keep track of these contacts, so act now.
*3. Encourage the Senate to pass the For The People Act! The For the People Act is the country’s most comprehensive democracy reform legislation in decades. And at a time when we’re facing more than 250 voter suppression bills in state legislatures (including Wisconsin), it couldn’t be more urgent to put this legislation on the president’s desk. Some of the bill’s redistricting reforms include:
- Banning partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts.
- Creating independent commissions that take the power to draw the lines away from self-interested politicians and put it in the hands of an independent, citizen led commission.
- Creating clear standards for what constitutes a partisan gerrymander so that the courts do not have to guess when a map crosses the line.
- Instituting new protections for communities of color — the people who are often hurt the most by gerrymandered districts, particularly in southern states.
To strengthen democracy, we must pass the For the People Act. Reach out to your senators today and tell them to vote YES for fair maps! Contact Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Sen. Ron Johnson. Senators keep track of this stuff, so do it now.
4. Engage others
- Get a yard sign at Grassroots North Shore (Sa 11am – 1pm / Wed 4:30–6:30pm).
- Engage a friend in the Fair Maps Movement with these tools: Gerrymandering 101 handout / Gerrymandering and Wisconsin policies.
- Sign up for a virtual Redistricting 101 session — and bring a friend!
5. Sign the online fair maps petition – https://www.fairmapswi.com/petition21. You can also download the petition and collect signatures – http://bit.ly/FMC_petition2021.
Next meeting: We are having a real live get together in July – a picnic! Monday July 12 at Brown Deer Park. We’ll be at Picnic Area 2. Start time is about 5:30 PM. Save the date, details to follow.