Contact: Mary McCarthy, (414) 344-1733
Sachin Chheda, (414) 412-6099

After legislature refuses to consider fair maps process & legislation, citizens call public hearing
to be co-chaired by former Senators Dale Schultz and Tim Cullen

MADISON—Citizens frustrated by the lack of action by the Wisconsin State Legislature on creating a fair and transparent process to draw legislative district maps are organizing a “Citizens’ Public Hearing on Fair Maps” to be held on Tuesday, May 15, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 203 Wisconsin Avenue, in Madison.

“We expected at least the courtesy of a hearing, if not a committee and floor vote, on independent redistricting,” said Sachin Chheda, director of the Fair Elections Project and co-chair of the WI Fair Maps Coalition, a collective of a dozen groups concerned about democracy. “Instead, we got stonewalling, lies, and misdirection, and no action on the independent redistricting bill. So if Sen. LeMahieu and Rep. Bernier won’t do their job, we’ll have to step in and do it for them.”

The Citizens’ Public Hearing will be co-chaired by former Senate Majority Leaders Tim Cullen and Dale Schultz, who have led the fight for fair redistricting for many years. Senator Cullen also chairs Common Cause Wisconsin, which along with the League of Women Voters, the Fair Elections Project, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign are organizing the hearing.

The public will be invited to present testimony about what a fair map-drawing process would look like, as well as to propose actual fair maps or other input into unrigging the system.  The event is free and open to the public.

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