Drawing fair maps just common sense

It is common sense. Just follow the law. That is the advice of the group Common Sense Wisconsin has for those about to re-draw Wisconsin’s congressional and legislative maps. The group is reminding those tasked with drawing the new maps just what the requirements are. That includes things like making the districts as equal as possible in population and following the Voting Rights Act. What isn’t a requirement is the desire to help one political party over another, but that is what the process has been about of late. The political party in charge of the Legislature is charged with drawing the maps, and they have done so to make it easier for members of their party to win election. They have used what should be a non-partisan effort as a political tool to try to gain an unfair advantage. So much so that the most recent maps drawn ten years ago led to many lengthy and costly court fights. Common Sense Wisconsin suggests the mapmakers start in one corner of the state, draw square districts, even out the populations of the district, and avoiding splitting municipalities. That seems like common sense, but common sense doesn’t seem to be so common in Madison these days.