“I said this was going to happen earlier this week. The case was pre-decided before it was even brought. Sad day for Wisconsin when the state supreme court just said last year that the existing lines are constitutional. Fortunately, the US Supreme Court will have the last word,” tweeted Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker on Friday after the state Supreme Court dropped the hammer on his extremely gerrymandered chamber and threatening his grip on power.
Problem for Vos is that the US Supreme Court is almost certain to reject any challenge to the Wisconsin state Supreme Court’s ruling, as UT Law Professor Steve Vladeck writes “The US Supreme Court has neither statutory nor constitutional jurisdiction to review how a state supreme court applies its state constitution to its state legislative districts… (Even at its most robust, the ‘Independent State Legislature’ theory would only authorize #SCOTUS review of how a state supreme court applied its state constitution to *federal* congressional or presidential elections.)”
So yeah, it’s over and, better yet, if for some reason Vos changes his mind again about not impeaching state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz – whose election in April flipped the court’s majority and made this ruling possible – the window to force an April 2024 election on Protasiewicz’s replacement closed on December 1st and if she were removed or resigned after being impeached then Dem Governor Tony Evers could appoint a replacement who wouldn’t face voters until 2031 due to some vagaries in state Supreme Court election law. Sucks for Vos.