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Kenosha resident tells council gerrymandering undermines voters’ consent
Summary
At the Aug. 4 Kenosha Common Council meeting, resident Greg Kishline urged the council to consider national examples of gerrymandering and cited federal statutes and recent court action as evidence that redrawing districts can nullify voter choice.
Greg Kishline, a Kenosha resident, told the Common Council on Aug. 4 that gerrymandering undermines “the consent of the governed” and pointed to recent federal actions and court rulings as evidence of what he described as a growing national problem. "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," Kishline said, quoting the Declaration of Independence.
Kishline said political leaders are attempting to redraw districts to entrench partisan majorities and that the practice reverses who chooses whom. "At that point, the legislators are picking their voters," he said. He referenced what he described as a Department of Justice indictment alleging a conspiracy to deprive citizens of the right to have their votes counted and cited 18 U.S.C. §241 by number in his remarks.
Kishline also cited Wisconsin’s experience, saying the state lost majority control because of district maps in 2011 and that the issue was addressed in December 2023 after lengthy litigation and significant legal costs. He named several states he said have seen similar efforts, including Texas, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio.
The remarks occurred during the meeting’s public comment period and did not include proposals for local council action. No councilmembers responded with motions or votes tied to Kishline’s comments during the meeting.
