Former State Assembly Representative Zamarripa who is now an Alderwoman in the Aldermanic 12 District in Milwaukee weighs in at the last minute on the proposed state redistricting maps.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
November 11, 2021
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, City of Milwaukee Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa from the 12th Aldermanic District and former State Representative from the 8th Assembly District released a press release targeted at State Representative Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milw) and accused Ortiz-Velez of disinformation. Ald. Zamarripa wrote, "Disinformation about the Voting Rights Act has no place in the debate about legislative redistricting, from a Republican or Democrat...When Representative Ortiz-Velez spoke about the attempts by the non-partisan People's Maps Commission convened by Governor Evers to draw fair legislative maps, she carried water for Speaker Vos and his attempts to gerrymander an anti-Latino majority...Like many in the arena of public affairs, I have concerns with the product of the People's Maps Commission, but Latinos, immigrants, South Siders, and Democrats all would benefit from a straightforward, honest and public-interested discussion about district lines."
Zamarripa came short in explaining her allegation of any specific disinformation in a debate about redistricting nor has she held a public debate to discuss the redistricting process in the state. Also, Zamarripa hasn't publicly condemned any proposed redistricting map that violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) mandates including the Governor Evers People's Maps Commission and the GOP redistricting maps that dilutes the Hispanic voting age population (HVAP) and the Black VAP as well.
Zamarripa as a State Representative was unsuccessful in passing any legislation due to her record for voting by Party lines, since the GOP control the State legislature, especially AB873 that she proposed and couldn't get bipartisan support to pass a César E. Chávez state optional holiday in 2014.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) couldn't reach State Representative Ortiz-Velez for comment.
On Wednesday, State Senator Lena C. Taylor (D-Milw) during a press conference phrased State Representative Ortiz-Velez for supporting the Black and Hispanic community by speaking out against all the proposed redistricting maps that violate the VRA and dilutes Hispanic and Black VAP in State Senate Districts (SD) 3, 4 and 6, which includes Assembly Districts 7, 8 and 9 in SD 3, 10, 11 and 12 in SD4 and 16, 17 and 18 in SD6.
During Thursday's State Assembly session, State Representative Marisabel Cabrera alleged that the GOP and the PMC's redistricting maps are not fair maps, which violated Wisconsin Open Meeting Laws, also violate the VRA and failed to use the correct processing data, which was the Citizenship voting age population and all the proposed redistricting maps used the wrong data.
State Representative Cabrera (D-Milw) from the State Assembly District 9th and State Representative Ortiz-Velez from the State Assembly District 8th voted against the PMC map and also voted no for the GOP maps because they are unconstitutional, unfair maps, diluted both the Hispanic and Black VAP and violate the VRA.
Editor's note:
State Representative Ortiz-Velez gave a captivating, persuasive and powerful speech about the illegal process to dilute both the Hispanic and Black VAP including the multiple VRA violations committed, to the State Assembly and received a standing ovation from both sides of the aisles and 17 State Assembly Democrats voted no to reject Governor Evers PMC's redistricting maps while 21 Assembly Democrats voted in favor of the Governor's PMC maps that dilutes both Hispanic and Black VAP, which eliminates two Hispanic majority Assembly Districts in the Southside of Milwaukee and most of the six Black majority Assembly Districts in the Northside of Milwaukee including Senate Districts 3, 4 and 6.
All 38 Assembly Democrats voted no to reject the GOP redistricting maps. The Republican controlled State Assembly voted 60-38 to pass AB624, their own version of the redistricting maps that Governor Tony Evers (D) has vowed to veto.
The following State Representatives and a lone State Senator (all Democrats) that stood in the right side of history with minority majority communities and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The State legislators (1 State Senator and 17 State Assembly Representatives) voted against Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) favored People's Maps Commission (PMC) redistricting maps that diluted Latino and Black voting age populations in minority majority districts and who voted against the Republican controlled State legislature's gerrymandering redistricting maps AB 624/SB621. Also, all Democrats in the State Senate and State Assembly voted against the GOP gerrymandering maps.
The following State legislators voted against the PMC's redistricting maps.
• Senator Lena Taylor
• Rep. Jimmy Anderson
• Rep. Jill Billings
• Rep. David Bowen
• Rep. Jonathan Brostoff
• Rep. Marisabel Cabrera
• Rep. Sue Conley
• Rep. Dora Drake
• Rep. Evan Goyke
• Rep. Kalan Haywood
• Rep. Diane Hesselbein
• Rep. Gordon Hintz
• Rep. Francesca Hong
• Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde
• Rep. LaKeshia Myers
• Rep. Greta Neubauer
• Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez
• Rep. Mark Spreitzer
Update:
State Representative Ortiz-Velez responds to Alderwoman Zamarripa's press release.
No comments:
Post a Comment