Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Two Majority Hispanic Districts In Milwaukee Approved By Common Council

Click on map image to enlarge for statistics.

Photos by HNG

Latino Redistricting Committee was proposing at least three Hispanic Districts.

By H. Nelson Goodson
July 6, 2011

Milwaukee - On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously approved redistricting Plan A proposed by Alderman Ashanti Hamilton that creates two majority Hispanic Districts for 2012. The 12th Aldermanic District will have 67.8%, a majority Hispanic voting age population and the 8th District will have 62%, a majority Hispanic voting age population as well.
Juan Carlos Ruiz, spokesperson for the Latino Redistricting Committee said, the Committee was happy that the Latino community has two majority Hispanic Districts and an opportunity to elect representatives.
Currently, the 12th Aldermanic District is represented by Alderman James "Jim" Witkowiak and the 8th District is represented by Robert "Bob" Donovan. Both aldermen are non-Hispanic. Alderman Donovan said, the best option was Plan B, but it wasn't included in the first round. I was slow on these, because I'm slow on recognizing race,,, and it should not be seen as race... but fair representation. The only way for Hispanics to be represented is by a Hispanic, I disagree with that. Donovan wanted the Common Council not to give in to Plan A that was proposed.
Alderman Hamilton said, the committee looked at the growth of the population and ethnicity of the area were taken into consideration inorder to follow the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Alderman Witkowiak said, we are recognizing the natural growth of the Latino community and supported more than two Hispanic Districts. He also supported Plan C with the intergration growth of a Latino majority population on District 13. On Plan C, District 13 would have had 39.7% Hispanic voting age population and District 12 would have had 66.2% and the District 8, 62.3%. The Plan was rejected by the Council.
The Common Council rejected Donovan's proposed Plan B.
Last week, the Common Council Judiciary and Legislative Committee voted 3-2 to accept Alderman Hamilton's Plan A, which was created by the Legislative Reference Bureau. The U.S. Census reported that the Hispanic population in Milwaukee grew by 44%.
The Latino Redistricting Committee was proposing two Hispanic majority Districts for the 12th and 8th and a possible third, District 13th that can eventually become a majority Hispanic voting age population District. The 13th District is represented by Alderman Terry Witkowski.

Plan A map and statistics (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/nGNcuK

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