Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce Newsletter March 2020 Issue | Page 26

26 - The Sparta Ambassador - March2020
Monroe County Nonpartisan Redistricting Advisory Referendum Forums
Sparta, WI - League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area and Monroe County Friends of Fair
Maps are hosting forums throughout the county in March. The forums are in support of an advisory
referendum on the April 7th ballot in Monroe County to gauge voter sentiment on establishing an
impartial process for drawing Wisconsin’s state and congressional districts after the 2020 census.
Citizens will have several options to learn about the April 7th referendum and statewide efforts to
end gerrymandering in Wisconsin:
Sunday, March 1st, 2:00 - 3:00 pm at Sparta American Legion, 116 Angelo Rd, Sparta
Thursday, March 5th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm at Cashton Community Hall, 811 Main St, Cashton
Monday, March 16th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm at 1100 Superior St, Tomah
Guest speakers from the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition will discuss the
effect of partisan gerrymandering on representative government, how Wisconsin’s current redis-
tricting process impacts the constitutional rights of voters, and the effects of gerrymandering on lo-
cal governance and policy making. Learn about the proposed nonpartisan redistricting process for
Wisconsin based on Iowa’s model where career civil servants draw maps use criteria that prohibits
use of demographic and voting data that would favor one party over the other.
Invited speakers include Matt Rothschild, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign; Deb Cronmiller,
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin; Tara Johnson, League of Women Voters of the La Crosse
Area; and Wendy Sue Johnson, Plaintiff in the Gill v. Whitford Supreme Court Case. Voters in
eight Wisconsin counties have already passed the Fair Maps nonpartisan redistricting advisory
referendum by an overwhelming margin. In addition to Monroe County, nine other counties have
a Fair Maps referendum on the April 7th ballot. Locally, Trempealeau, Wood, and Portage county
voters will also send a message to our elected legislators through the advisory referendum ques-
tion, “Should the Wisconsin Legislature create a nonpartisan procedure for preparing legislative
and congressional redistricting plans?”
The forums will raise public awareness about the April 7th advisory referendum and encourage
voter turnout. Wisconsin deserves Fair Maps because every voice should be heard and every vote
should count equally!