Daniel Kelly & Map Redistricting, Part One of “Comics from Daniel Kelly’s Closet”, concurrently published by Tone Madison on 3/17/23 (read HERE)! Full Image IDs are at the bottom of this post.
COMIC IMAGE IDs: All panels are squares, and all panels have a top bubble of text, a middle section with images/graphs and text, and a bottom bubble with more text (the bubbles at the top and bottom alternate between blue and red). All panels have the same faded Wisconsin district map as the background. All panels include T.L. Luke’s logo (an oval with her signature in white), and on the bottom of each panel is a line of text that says “T.L. Luke, 2023 [space] tl-luke.com / @tl.luke [space] Panel #/6” where the # is the number of the panel.
Panel 1 ID: Title “Daniel Kelly & Map Redistricting”, a comic by T.L. Luke.
Top text says “With the April 4th Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice election around the corner, Ilet’s discuss the importance of voting for Judge Janet Protasiewicz by understanding why Fmr. Justice Daniel Kelly is, and always has been, a partisan bad actor.”
Center has a black and white illustration of a white person’s bust. They have black pigtail braids, a grey hat, black glasses, a white sweater, is looking at the viewer, and has their mouth open. A word bubble comes out that says “Part One of this series will focus on Map Redistricting. But to understand why this is important, and what this has to do with Kelly, we must go back to 2011 and Act 43. Before that, here’s a quick review of Gerrymandering:”
Bottom text says “State maps have assembly & senate districts, each with their own elected Representative, that are redrawn every 10 years by the State Legislature (coinciding with the US Census), and should reflect a fair breakdown of Wisconsin’s voting population. However, some lawmakers manipulate the district boundaries to favor one party which makes winning said district nearly impossible for the opposing party; this is called Gerrymandering.”
Panel 2 ID: Top text says “In 2011, the GOP-majority Wisconsin Legislature introduced Act 43, a significant redistricting map that gerrymandered Wisconsin to such an extreme degree that it continues to be the primary example* for scholars studying partisan gerrymandering.
In a small black bubble under the top bubble it says “*Duke University found that Wisconsin’s redistricting plan shows more Republican bias than over 99% of the 19,000 random Assembly Maps that they reviewed.”
In the center is a word bubble coming from the last panel, it says “To better visualize the impact of Act 43, let’s look at this example from 2008’s election vs. 2012’s election. The voting totals are relatively comparable, and yet the seat distribution post redistricting favors Republicans. A lot.”
To the right of the word bubble are two Wisconsin maps, one labeled “2008 Pre Act 43” and the other is labeled “2012 Post Act 43”. Above them it credits NY Times for the map graphics. Under the 2008 map are two columns, one says “DEMOCRATS, Seats: 52, Votes: 1,478,830” the other says “REPUBLICANS, Seats: 46, Votes: 1,172,877.” Under the 2012 map are two columns, one says “DEMOCRATS, Seats: 39, Votes: 1,417,359” the other says “REPUBLICANS, Seats: 60, Votes: 1,249,562”
In a small black bubble under the center it says “(They even get more seats than democrats did in 2008 despite over 200,000 less votes in 2012.)”
Bottom text says “The results were so alarming that Democrats challenged Act 43 as unconstitutional, which was elevated to the Supreme Court of the United States in Gill v. Whitford, and inevitably lost (5-4) on the grounds that “partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.” AKA, this is a problem for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.”
Panel 3 ID: Top text says “So, what if I told you that Daniel Kelly was actually one of the attorneys who defended Republicans during these Act 43 lawsuits? That’s right. Before he was appointed Justice by Scott Walker in 2016, he worked very closely with Republicans and the RNC to help with the legality of this extreme partisan gerrymandering. It’s why many believe he was appointed in the first place despite having no experience as a judge.”
Center area has a black and white portrait of Daniel Kelly from his TMJ4 News interview. He is white, has short curly grey hair, his mouth is open, and he’s wearing a black suit and grey tie. In a black bubble to his right it says “Kelly talks about having unbiased, nonpartisan Justices on the bench, but when asked if he would recuse himself from new redistricting cases given his previous involvement working closely with the Act 43 lawsuit, he simply said:” Under this is a word bubble from Kelly’s mouth that says “If it was the map that I worked on, I would. But it’s not the map that I worked on, so no.”
Bottom text says, “But, it essentially is the map he worked on, because when it was up for redistricting again in 2022, it barely changed (and was fraught with more lawsuits that once again fizzled in a conservative-majority court). And, not only that, map redistricting will come up as a Wisconsin Supreme Court case again (like it did in 2022) and, if Kelly is on the bench, we can count on him siding with the Republicans who benefit the most from this gerrymandering.”
Panel 4 ID: Top text says “In conclusion, Daniel Kelly is historically pro-gerrymandering, as seen by his past involvement as an attorney defending Republican’s 2011 redistricting. You know who isn’t? Judge Janet Protasiewicz. Throughout her campaign, she has been consistent with her personal views on Wisconsin’s maps.”
Center has a black and white portrait of Janet Protasiewicz, a white woman with short grey hair, mouth open, pearls around her neck, and a black dress. Her left hand is gesturing open hand and up. There are word bubbles coming out either side of her (she’s in the middle of the panel). The word bubble on the left says “I think anybody with any sense knows our maps are rigged. We have amongst the most gerrymandered maps in the entire country.” The right says, “I have told people, ‘I don't think you can sell, to any rational person, that our maps are fair.’”
Bottom text says “And I agree with her. No Wisconsin citizen, regardless of party affiliation, should have their vote wasted because some politicians and lawmakers (like Daniel Kelly) adjusted the maps in a way so their party can never lose. Just look at Sheboygan. Their city was once represented by a single, liberal-leaning district, but was split into two districts in 2011. Since then, Republicans have won every single year and Democrats have all but stopped campaigning there; why run if you have no hope of winning? Vote April 4th.”
Panel 5 ID: Top text says “This comic was researched, written, and illustrated by T.L. Luke in 2023. Our goal is to make complicated subjects, like politics, more accessible to visual learners while also encouraging thoughtful critical thinking. We’re committed to providing Facts over opinion, so please feel free to peruse our sources and research for yourself. And don’t forget to vote April 4th for Judge Janet Protasiewicz.
In a black bubble it says ““Investigating Gerrymandering and the Math Behind Partisan Maps”, The New York Times
“Protasiewicz would ‘enjoy taking a fresh look’ at voting maps”, The CapTimes
“Wisconsin Supreme Court chooses Evers’ ‘least changes’ redistricting plan”, WPR
“Hagedorn says time ran out for Wisconsin’s redistricting process”, PBS Wisconsin
“Janet Protasiewicz, Daniel Kelly on Wisconsin redistricting”, PBS Wisconsin
“Kelly and Protasiewicz financial disclosures show only one candidate did partisan work”, Wisconsin Examiner
“Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly seeks 10-year term on court”, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“US Supreme Court Ruling Effectively Ends Wisconsin Gerrymandering Challenge”, WPR
“Gill v. Whitford”, Ballotpedia
“Wisconsin State Assembly”, Ballotpedia
“Sheboygan voting lines split the city along Superior Avenue when voting for state Assembly. A state commission hopes to change that.”, Sheboygan Press
“Assembly Districts”, Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008”
Bottom text says, “Continued…”
Panel 6 ID: Top text says “…Continued.”
In a black bubble it says ““City of Sheboygan Voting Wards and Locations”, SheboyganWI.gov
“Wisconsin’s Assembly maps are more skewed than ever. What happens now?”, Wisconsin Watch
“2011 Wisconsin Act 43”, Wisconsin State Legislature
“Why Do Republicans Overperform in the Wisconsin State Assembly? Partisan Gerrymandering vs. Political Geography”, Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog
“Evaluating Partisan Gerrymandering in Wisconsin”, Duke University
“Walker’s Bizarre Choice for High Court”, Urban Milwaukee
“Who is new Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly? Questions and answers about Scott Walker's appointment to the bench”, The CapTimes
“Gov. Scott Walker appoints attorney Dan Kelly to Wisconsin Supreme Court”, Associated Press
“Walker Appoints GOP Legal Ally To State Supreme Court”, WPR
“The New Front in the Gerrymandering Wars: Democracy vs. Math”, New York Times Magazine
“Dan Kelly’s case to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court”, TMJ4 News (YouTube)”
Bottom text says, “Last but not least, thank you to everyone in the community who shares these informative comics across social media. Every time you do, you are raising voter awareness. Voter suppression comes in many forms, but one of the most silent tactics is simply keeping the public ignorant. Let’s break that cycle. Let’s hold our representatives and Wisconsin accountable together.”
And last, in a small black bubble at the bottom it says, “Please do not publish this comic in your publication without expression permission from tl@tl-luke.com. Thank you.”
LINK LIST:
"Investigating Gerrymandering and the Math Behind Partisan Maps," The New York Times
"Protasiewicz would 'enjoy taking a fresh look' at voting maps," The Cap Times
"Wisconsin Supreme Court chooses Evers' 'least changes' redistricting plan," Wisconsin Public Radio
"Hagedorn says time ran out for Wisconsin's redistricting process," PBS Wisconsin
"Janet Protasiewicz, Daniel Kelly on Wisconsin redistricting," PBS Wisconsin
"Kelly and Protasiewicz financial disclosures show only one candidate did partisan work," Wisconsin Examiner
"Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly seeks 10-year term on court," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"US Supreme Court Ruling Effectively Ends Wisconsin Gerrymandering Challenge," WPR
"Gill v. Whitford," Ballotpedia
"Wisconsin State Assembly," Ballotpedia
"Sheboygan voting lines split the city along Superior Avenue when voting for state Assembly. A state commission hopes to change that," Sheboygan Press
"Assembly Districts," Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008
"City of Sheboygan Voting Wards and Locations," SheboyganWI.gov
"Wisconsin's Assembly maps are more skewed than ever. What happens now?" Wisconsin Watch
"2011 Wisconsin Act 43," Wisconsin State Legislature
"Why Do Republicans Overperform in the Wisconsin State Assembly? Partisan Gerrymandering vs. Political Geography," Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog
"Evaluating Partisan Gerrymandering in Wisconsin," Duke University
"Walker's Bizarre Choice for High Court," Urban Milwaukee
"Who is new Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly? Questions and answers about Scott Walker's appointment to the bench," The Cap Times
"Gov. Scott Walker appoints attorney Dan Kelly to Wisconsin Supreme Court," Associated Press
"Walker Appoints GOP Legal Ally To State Supreme Court," WPR
"The New Front in the Gerrymandering Wars: Democracy vs. Math," New York Times Magazine
"Dan Kelly's case to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court," TMJ4 News (YouTube)