2021 Senate Joint Resolution 63
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: public policy regarding plans that establish state legislative districts.
Whereas, the Wisconsin Constitution requires the legislature to reapportion the state legislative districts after each federal census; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the
senate, the assembly concurring, That it is the public policy of this state that plans establishing legislative districts should:
1. Comply with the federal and state law;
2. Give effect to the principle that every citizen's vote should count the same by creating districts with nearly equal population, having population deviations that are well below that which is required by the U.S. Constitution;
3. Retain as much as possible the core of existing districts, thus maintaining existing communities of interest, and promoting the equal opportunity to vote by minimizing disenfranchisement due to staggered Senate terms;
4. Contain districts that are compact;
5. Contain districts that are legally contiguous;
6. Respect and maintain whole communities of interest where practicable;
7. Avoid municipal splits unless unavoidable or necessary to further another principle stated above, and when splitting municipalities, respect current municipal ward boundaries;
8. Promote continuity of representation by avoiding incumbent pairing unless necessary to further another principle stated above; and
9. Contain districts that follow natural boundaries where practicable and consistent other principles, including geographic features such as rivers and lakes, manufactured boundaries such as major highways, and political boundaries such as county lines.
