Plan Would Cost Milwaukee a House Seat

Gov. Scott McCallum signed into law a measure that carves Wisconsin into eight congressional districts instead of its current nine, lopping off one U.S. House seat for Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.

McCallum spokesman Tim Roby said Wednesday the plan can’t be implemented until a lawsuit is resolved that had asked a panel of federal judges to redraw congressional lines.

McCallum signed the plan late Tuesday. It was filed with the secretary of state Wednesday.

A group of black Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee said they may sue to derail the plan. They favor an alternative map that would preserve the city’s two congressional districts.

State Rep. Polly Williams said the plan ignores minority voters in Milwaukee and strengthens incumbents planning to run in the new districts this fall.

“We just feel that we need to fight to maintain as much representation in Washington as we possibly can,” Williams said.

Four Republicans and four Democrats are running for reelection this year. The seat being lost is held by Rep. Thomas M. Barrett, a Democrat who is running for governor and was not seeking reelection to the House.

Wisconsin is losing one district because the state did not grow as fast as others over the last decade. The redistricting plan would end more than 100 years of Milwaukee being represented by at least two members of the U.S. House.

Under the plan, the city of Milwaukee, four of its suburbs and part of a nearby city would make up a single congressional district.

The state Senate approved the plan two weeks ago. The state Assembly approved it last month.

Lawmakers must redraw political boundaries every decade to reflect population shifts recorded in the U.S. Census. Their plans can be challenged in court.

A group of citizens led by prominent Democrats such as former Gov. Tony Earl sued in federal court last year, asking a three-judge panel to redraw congressional lines, arguing that state lawmakers would be unable to reach an agreement.

Attorneys involved in the case said the judges, who set a trial for next week, were likely to dismiss the lawsuit since McCallum signed the plan into law.

The court scheduled a separate trial to lawmakers’ failure to redraw legislative districts.