Fair maps groups deliver ‘garbage pizza’ to lawmakers to protest Republican-drawn maps

A group of organizations fighting for nonpartisan political districts in Wisconsin and across the country delivered “garbage pizza” to lawmakers’ offices on Monday to protest the passage of maps drawn by Republicans that strengthen the GOP hold on the state Legislature. 

The organizations, the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Represent Us and Gerry’s Partisan Pizza, held a press conference near the Capitol in Madison on Monday morning to advocate for more balanced maps — and pass out free pizza. 

Jacob Malinowski, communications director for the Fair Maps Coalition, says the free pizza was a perk but that people were also engaged with the fight for better representation. 

“Folks do really care about maps, people are really invested,” Malinowski says. “Ten years ago, it would’ve been 100% about free pizza.” 

The garbage pizza deliveries were made to the Republican and Democratic leadership of both the Senate and Assembly, the chairs and ranking members of the committees that held hearings on the maps, the authors of a bill that would create more balanced maps and the office of Gov. Tony Evers. 

The garbage pizzas were maps cut into circles with pieces of trash as toppings. 

“Did you guys order a pizza? I don’t think you did,” Sachin Chheda, chair of the Fair Maps Coalition, asked Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Madison) as he delivered the pizza. “As you know, the voters of Wisconsin did not order gerrymandered districts, so even though you didn’t order a pizza we got you one.”

“I don’t want garbage pizza and I don’t want garbage maps,” Sinicki responded. 

Gerry’s Partisan Pizza has been doing a tour of the country to fight for fairly drawn maps, with stops in North Carolina, Maryland, Florida and Pennsylvania. 

The groups will be making another stop in Appleton on Tuesday.