U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020 Population Data to be used for Local Redistricting

Last Friday, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2020 population data to the states. Once the state processes the data, municipalities and counties will use it to perform local redistricting.

In Wisconsin, the Legislative Technology Services Bureau (LTSB) receives and processes the census data required for local redistricting, as well as provides the software and technology to perform local redistricting.

LTSB has developed WISE-LR, a web based application, specifically for helping communities comply with local redistricting laws in 2021. WISE-LR allows local officials, or their delegates, to create, analyze, and share county supervisory plans, municipal ward plans, and aldermanic plans with accurate demographic data. Every Wisconsin County Clerk, County Land Information Officer, and Municipal Clerk has been sent credentials and instructions on how to log-in to the WISE-LR Local Redistricting Software.

LTSB staff finished processing the U.S. Census data for Wisconsin over the weekend and has made it available for Counties to begin drawing their preliminary supervisory district maps. LTSB notified all County Clerks, Municipal Clerks, and County Land Information Officers today that Local Redistricting has begun and that they can access the WISE-LR system to begin the process. 

LTSB has posted the Census Data directly to its web site: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ltsb/gis/data/

Please visit LTSB's Local Redistricting website for any other information: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ltsb/local-redistricting/

Governor Vetoes Series of Election Bills

Last week, Governor Evers vetoed the following six bills passed by the Republican controlled Legislature. The League opposed two of the bills and took no position on the remainder.

SB 203, Regulating voter options for returning a completed absentee ballot and the ability of municipalities to conduct election events to receive completed absentee ballots. Read the Governor's veto message here.

SB 204, Changing process of applying for and receiving an absentee ballot, including new signature requirements for applications, restrictions on automatically receiving absentee ballots, and prohibitions on sending absentee ballots or applications before they are requested by voters. Read the Governor's veto message here. The League opposed this bill.

SB 205, Regulating absentee voting in certain residential care facilities and retirement homes. Read the Governor's veto message here. The League opposed this bill.

SB 210, Modifying certain election procedures, including requiring the distance between election observers and tables where recount activities are occurring to be no more than three feet. Read the Governor's veto message here.  

SB 212, Prohibiting clerks and any other person other than a voter or a witness from correcting an error on an absentee ballot. Read the Governor's veto message here.

SB 292, Requiring a municipality that chooses to broadcast or live stream election night canvassing proceedings to store a recording of those proceedings for 22 months. Read the Governor's veto message here.

DOR Posts 2021 Final Equalized Values

Last Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue posted its final 2021 Equalized Values, Tax Incremental District (TID) Values, Net New Construction Report, and County Apportionment Report. The statewide net new construction percentage is 1.6%. Residential property makes up 71.5 percent of the state's total equalized value.

Read the full reports here.

View interactive data and statistics on equalized property values for certain years, locations and classifications here.

Treasury Releases Reporting Portal

Also last week, the U.S. Treasury released the User Guide: Treasury's Portal for Recipient Reporting.  The User Guide provides recipient governments with instructions to submit information in the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) recipient reporting portal. The User Guide contains detailed guidance and instructions on how to create and submit Interim Reports, Project and Expenditure Reports, and Recovery Plans as required by Treasury's Interim Final Rule. This information functions as a supplement to the Compliance and Reporting Guidance issued by Treasury on June 17, 2021.