If Wisconsin’s legislative district maps need to be redrawn ahead of the 2018 elections, it should be Republican lawmakers who do the job.
The argument is one made by attorneys representing the state in a federal lawsuit challenging the 2011 maps.
A federal panel struck down the district boundaries last year in a lawsuit filed by Democrats. The court is currently considering whether to order new maps to be drawn before the U.S. Supreme Court considers an appeal of the ruling.
In briefs filed last month, Democrats argued the court should draw new boundaries right away, while Republicans said it should be put on hold until after the appeals process is complete.
In a court filing Thursday though, the state said that, if the maps must be redrawn, the Legislature should be in charge of the process. The state also argued that the new boundaries should not be drawn until early 2018, just before the next legislative elections are set to take place.