Published in the Beloit Daily News Letters to the Editor on June 8, 2020

People oppose gerrymandering

Our community and all of our elected officials must go on record to oppose partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin.

The rigging of political maps is wrong, regardless which party - Democrats or Republicans - do it.
 It makes for too many “safe seats.” Elected officials can ignore the wishes of many of their constituents. It also makes for hyper-partisanship and lack of cooperation because the elected officials have nothing to fear.

No party should be able to draw district maps to keep themselves in power for ten years. It is just plain wrong!
 Banning gerrymandering has enormous bipartisan support in Wisconsin. 
A Marquette Law School poll last year showed that 72 percent of Wisconsinites want to ban gerrymandering, and that includes 63 percent of Republicans, 83 percent of Democrats, and 76 percent of Independents.

Over 50 county boards—representing about 80% of the state’s population—have passed resolutions urging the state legislature to ban gerrymandering in Wisconsin and give us independent, nonpartisan districts. In April, Rock County passed an advisory referendum on nonpartisan redistricting by 80%.

The time is long overdue for fair political mapping for Beloit and all of Wisconsin.

(Submitted by Joyce Metter, voter service co-chair, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Beloit)