State Capitol demonstrators rally for fair maps, call for nonpartisan redistricting

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A rally for fair maps was held on the steps of the state Capitol Monday, May 17.

Lawmakers are about to redraw the maps of Senate and Assembly districts, and demonstrators say they want those maps drawn on a nonpartisan basis. 

Lawmakers, activists and musicians attended the rally, and the emcee congratulated them for caring about a process that doesn't get a lot of attention.

"It's not an issue that gets the average person like riled up," said Kristen Brey, of As Goes Wisconsin. "It's like, legalizing weed -- heck yeah, brah -- but expanding Medicaid, like gimme that annual physical exam! Using census data to like -- so a 10-year, every 10-year process to draw lines on a map, so it's like kind of fair, but maybe not fair when we vote."

The Fair Maps Coalition wants to take legislative map-drawing away from politicians and in their words, "return it to the people."