WISGOP lawbreaking delayed until tomorrow

Reports WisPolitics.

Sen. Lazich and friends held a committee hearing yesterday — although Lazich did most of the talking, alternating between witness and committee chair, and most of that talking was largely incoherent* — to discuss the immediate partial enforcement of Wisconsin's proposed electoral redistricting plan, which by law is not scheduled to take effect until November, 2012. Wisconsin has a bicameral legislature and according to State statute, each Senate district must be composed of three Assembly districts (there are 99 Assemblypersonages and 33 Senators). Lazich's initial proposal called for only the new Senate districts to take effect immediately but yesterday she raised the possibility of having only selected Senate districts take effect immediately, while all the Assembly districts wouldn't take effect until one year from now.

But any Senate district not composed of three Assembly districts would be illegal. Take Sen. Lazich's own district 28 (please!). It's composed of Assembly districts 82, 83, and 84. This is the case under the current districting and remains the case under the proposed redistricting. However the new Senate district 28 contains only most of old Assembly district 82, only most of old Assembly district 83, about half of old Assembly district 84, plus bits of old Assembly districts 7, 15, and 33.

Now I'm no mathematician, but that sure ain't three Assembly districts.

And unless I missed it, nobody at yesterday's hearing pointed that out.

* For example, Lazich said that in the event of an unsuccessful recall election, the subject incumbent would be immune from subsequent challenge for one year. In fact the subject incumbent would be immune for the rest of her term, which in the case of a State Supreme Court justice could be upwards of nine years. It seems to me that if Sen. Lazich wants to make alterations in the law, she might first familiarize herself with its provisions. That can't be too much to ask of a legislator.