Evers Calls on Wisconsin Legislature to Act on Priorities, Including Gerrymandering Ban

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, has called on the Republican-controlled state Legislature to act on a range of policy priorities during 2026, his final year in office. Among these requests, Evers called lawmakers to the state Capitol for a special session aimed at banning partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Evers previously signed new legislative district maps in 2024, a change that has helped Democrats gain seats and narrow Republican majorities in the state Legislature. Republican legislative leaders have a history of disregarding past special sessions called by Evers, and observers expect a similar response to this latest request. The reporting also notes that a liberal-aligned Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge recently won a state Supreme Court race by a 20-point margin over a conservative opponent, though the direct connection between that election result and the special session call is not detailed in the available reporting. As of the reporting period, it remains unresolved whether the Republican-controlled Legislature will convene the special session on gerrymandering or take up any of Evers' other stated 2026 priorities. The full scope of those additional priorities, and whether legislative action will extend later into the year than originally scheduled, has not been specified beyond general characterization in the available sources.