Friday, April 12th, 2013 @ 1:10AM

To read the official press release click here.

Press Release
Contact: Robb Kahl
608-266-8570

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 11, 2013

Representative Robb Kahl Co-Authors Redistricting Reform Bill

(MADISON) State Representative Robb Kahl (D-Monona) is joining with the 13 other freshman
Democratic Assembly members in authoring a redistricting reform bill. The bill is based on the
highly successful redistricting process used in Iowa.

“I am joining with my colleagues, all of whom have not served previously in the legislature, to
move reform forward,” Kahl stated. “Both parties have erred in not acting to reform the
redistricting process when the opportunity presented itself. As new members, we are committed
from day one to seeing reform put into place.”

The bill, now designated as LRB-0665/1, will require the non-partisan Legislative Reference
Bureau to redraw district boundaries following the census. Unlike the current map that is in
place where one district makes a u-turn around another and communities of interest are split,
districts will be drawn to be compact, equal in population and with boundary lines that do not
look like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

“One need only look at news service websites such as Wispolitics or the Wheeler Report to see
firsthand the way in which the redistricting problem is manifested,” Kahl stated. “Members from
seats so safe that they need not worry about a general election frequently put out press releases
that are intended to be red meat for the partisan extremists in their districts. Their sole focus is to
keep the fringe elements in their parties happy in order to avoid a primary. This simply
decimates our ability to promote and pass good public policy.”

Last November, Assembly Democratic candidates outpolled their Republican counterparts by
close to 200,000 votes statewide. However, there was no impact on the majority Republicans
held in the Assembly.

“In my district, I won with over 70% of the vote,” Kahl stated. “My election for office was over,
not in November, but when the primary votes were tallied. Maintaining the current flawed
system would benefit me, I have nothing to gain and potentially everything to lose by pushing
for this reform. We simply need to put voters first and ensure that their voice in selecting their
State Senator, State Representative and member of Congress actually counts.

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Categories: 2013 Press Releases, Press Releases
Tags: 47th Assembly District, redistricting, reform, Robb Kahl, Wisconsin