Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Effects of gerrymandering felt in Wisconsin as governor, GOP clash over Covid restrictions

The Wisconsin GOP redrew legislative maps in 2011 to its advantage, stifling any chance Gov. Tony Evers had of responding to the pandemic, observers say 

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers answered reporters questions at the State Capitol in Madison on March 21, 2019.Steve Apps / Wisconsin State Journal via AP

At one point during the pandemic, Black residents of Milwaukee County were six times more likely to die from the coronavirus than Wisconsin's white residents, state health officials said.

The state's governor, Tony Evers, a Democrat in his first term, issued a mask order and other mandates to protect all citizens, but the Republican-led legislature successfully sued to strike down those decisions.

The more Evers fought for Covid-19 restrictions, the more GOP resistance he faced inside the state Capitol. The state Supreme Court issued several decisions siding with Republicans in limiting Evers’ power to act during a public health emergency.

“It’s pretty shameful they didn’t want to act or didn’t seem concerned with the loss of life toward Blacks and Latinos,” Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democrat, said. “It seemed like they could care less.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gop-gerrymandering-slows-wisconsin-s-covid-response-n1255684

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