Overview
- Two three-judge panels convened for the first time to set schedules in lawsuits challenging Wisconsin’s congressional map under a 2011 law modeled on federal practice.
- In the business coalition case handled by Law Forward, all parties backed a schedule pointing to a potential trial on March 29, 2027, pushing resolution past the 2026 midterms.
- In the separate suit by Elias Law Group, plaintiffs urged a phased plan to enable new lines for 2026, but the panel signaled it needs more time despite a March 1 map deadline cited by election officials.
- Republican attorneys moved to dismiss both cases, arguing circuit court panels cannot revisit maps previously adopted by the state Supreme Court in 2022, a claim the plaintiffs dispute.
- Any decisions by the panels can be appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which has a 4–3 liberal majority, as Republicans currently hold six of eight U.S. House seats under the contested map.