Analyzing Republican lawmakers’ offer of new legislative maps

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - The battle over the legislative maps in Wisconsin continues with a new twist that the state Assembly is expected to vote on Thursday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos proposed the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau draw up new state electoral maps.

Iowa uses a similar method -- a method previously rejected by the Speaker and state Republicans. But now there are two cases in front of the state Supreme Court over the maps, and Republicans are concerned they may lose those cases now that the court has a liberal majority.

But Gov. Evers quickly rejected the idea after its announcement Tuesday, and there is no guarantee the Republican-led state Senate would approve the measure.

To help understand this better, we talked with J.R. Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com.

He explains the Iowa model and the offer from Speaker Vos, and why it wasn’t well-received by Democrats despite plans to use the non-partisan agency.

We also asked Ros about the news Wednesday that Speaker Vos announced a panel of three former state Supreme Court justices in relation to impeachment proceedings against the court’s newest justice, Janet Protasiewicz, and why the GOP -- and specifically Speaker Vos -- are so entrenched on this.

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