Milwaukee Common Council Judiciary & Legislation Committee Unanimously Voted For Map A, Which Failed To Create Third Hispanic Majority Aldermanic District

The Milwaukee Common Council Judiciary & Legislation Committee failed to create a third Hispanic voting-age population majority Aldermanic District.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 11, 2022

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, Milwaukee Common Council members in the Judiciary & Legislation (J&L) Committee voted unanimously to adopt City of Milwaukee Aldermanic redistricting Map A, which failed to create a third Hispanic majority voting-age population district in Aldermanic District 13 in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Most of the members of the Latino community and allies in attendance during the Judiciary & Legislation Committee hearing favored Map C, which had a Hispanic majority voting-age populations of 70.6% in the 8th Aldermanic District, including 69.9% Hispanic majority voting-age population in the 12th Aldermanic District and 32.1% Hispanic voting-age population in the 13th Aldermanic District.

Map A, which the J&L Committee unanimously adopted after the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office in a close door session recommended in their legal opinion that it wasn't possible to create a third Hispanic voting-age population majority Aldermanic District.

The J&L Committee adopted Map A has 66.5% of the Hispanic majority voting-age population in the 8th Aldermanic District, 66.2% of the Hispanic majority voting-age population in the 12th Aldermanic District and at least 25.6% of Hispanic voting-age population in the 13th Aldermanic District.

The J&L Committee's adopted Aldermanic redistricting Map A goes before the full Milwaukee Common Council for adoption on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. 

Former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vetoed the previous redistricting maps to allow for a third Hispanic majority voting-age population redistricting map after members of the Hispanic community objected that the Hispanic voting-age population growth in Milwaukee was not being fully included to create a third Hispanic majority voting-age population district.

Unfortunately, Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa who favored a third Hispanic majority voting-age population district was not successful in arguing for a third Hispanic district and the J&L Committee also failed to consider alternative redistricting maps from Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights organization that would have significant Hispanic voting-age populations in the 8th, 12th and raise the Hispanic voting-age population in the 13th Aldermanic District. 

Christine Neumann-Ortiz from Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) claims that it was an absolute disgrace by the Judiciary & Legislation Committee not to uphold the democratic principles and to not move forward to account for the dramatic population growth of the Latino community in the City and that Alderman Scott Spiker simply wants to maintain a majority White conservative Aldermanic District and claimed reverse discrimination to prevent adoption of redistricting maps that would create a third Hispanic majority voting-age population district. 

On late Monday, Neumann-Ortiz said in a Zoom streaming statement that 20% of the City of Milwaukee population is Hispanic and 1 of 5 people in Milwaukee are Latino and the 15 member Milwaukee Common Council should have at least 3 Hispanic Aldermanic representatives. Neumann-Ortiz also says that VDLF are looking into options to address the current decision of the J&L Committee's adoption of Map A.

According to the J&L Committee's hearing on Monday, "Minutes note: Appearing: LRB Staff: Keith Bordnax - LRB Manager Jeff Osterman - LRB Supervisor Luke Knapp - Analyst Public Comments: Darryl Morrin - VP League of United Latin American Citizens Regional Christine Neumann - Ortiz from Voces de la Frontera Voces de la Frontera Counsel - Richard Saks Mr. Salous Nabil - SUPPORTS Proposed Map C Sylvia Ortiz-Velez - member of the WI State Assembly Mr. Wassin Malas - Exec Director of the Wisconsin Muslim Alliance Ms. Janan Najeeb - Milwaukee Muslim Coalition Mr. Gregory Lewis - Souls to the Post Ms. Andrea Mendez - Burrtia Mr. Clarence Nicholas - NAACP Mr. Iftekhar Khan - founder of Islamic Society of Milwaukee Ms. Malina Schweinert - Bay View resident Ms. Nancy Hernandez - Hispanic Collaborative Mr. Othman Atta - Islamic Society of Milwaukee Ms. Jamie Cross - in Support of Voces de la Frontera's proposals 8th District, Ald. Zamarripa is presenting Map B. 14th District, Ald. Dimitrijevic is presenting Map D. 12th District, Ald. Perez, Staff Members from City Attorney's Office: Ms. Kathryn Block Mr. Peter Block Mr. Robin Pederson Ald. Bauman, based on the City Attorney's opinion, moved to SUBTITUTE the file to adopt Map A"

Editor's note: The Voces de la Frontera maps did not provide stats and percentages of the actual Citizenship voting-age population (CVAP) in their redistricting maps nor the Judiciary & Legislation Committee including the Milwaukee City Attorney's legal opinion addressed the CVAP, just the Voting-age population.

No one from the public or elected officials attending the hearing on Monday addressed the CVAP gap, which would have led to addressing the Stat percentages.

On Friday, January 14, 2022, Voces de la Frontera (VDLF), Forward Latino and allies held a press conference at City Hall in Milwaukee, which claimed that the City Attorney's opinion on the redistricting maps was erroneous and that the Milwaukee Common Council should seek an outside legal opinion. 

VDLF says that all the maps they presented are legal and meet the Voting Rights Act guidelines. https://bit.ly/3rlYxH1