WLIA 2020 Annual Convention

The workshop will focus on preparing for Local Redistricting in Wisconsin in April 2021, by performing a rehearsal of the process in 2020. The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), Legislative Technology Services Bureau (LTSB), and the Applied Population Laboratory (APL) at UW-Madison will provide information on the upcoming 2020 US Census, the legal process of redistricting, and the software utilized for local redistricting in the state of Wisconsin. LTSB will also discuss the logistics of the 2020 rehearsal redistricting pilot program.

Part one of this workshop will provide local officials, GIS professionals, and WLIA members information about the upcoming 2020 Census, local redistricting timelines, and information on current local redistricting statutes. This will include an overview of the ‘how and why’ of redistricting for counties and municipalities, as well as discussions of procedures, guidelines, and the laws that shape redistricting in Wisconsin.

Part two of the workshop will be a “hands-on” demonstration of the all new WISE-LR software, which will be used for local redistricting in Wisconsin. WISE-LR is a web application developed by the LTSB specifically for the state statutes of Wisconsin and local redistricting laws in 2020. WISE-LR will allow local officials, or their delegates, to create, analyze, and share county supervisory plans, ward plans, and aldermanic plans with accurate demographic data. Attendees will have time at the end of the workshop for experimentation and one-on-one “hands-on” instruction.