Update: I'm getting my wish. Updates below might be a good place to start.
I'm hoping for another day like Friday where the news kept getting better and better. It seems to be starting the same way with the Government Accoutability Board unanimously approving recall elections for 4 Republican State Senators after receiving and approving the recommendations of the GAB staff released on Friday.
More information can be found here and here
The GAB dismissed the arguments of the 4 State Senators that attempted to invalidate the recall against them.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article (link above):
Those facing recall would be Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau and Sens. Pam Galloway of Wausau, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls and Van Wanggaard of Racine.
The four have already drawn challenges from Democrats, with recall organizer Lori Compas running against Fitzgerald, Rep. Donna Seidel running against Galloway, former Rep. Kristen Dexter running against Moulton and former Sen. John Lehman running against Wanggaard.
While the dates of the primary and recall elections have been recommended by the GAB staff as May 15 for the primary election and June 12 for the recall election, Democrats will argue for earlier dates.
From the Wisconsin State Journal (link above):
The senators challenged thousands of signatures over a range of issues. They argued that only signatures from those in the new legislative districts approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature last summer should be considered, signatures from certain dates should be stricken, challenges from third-party groups should be challenged, and signatures that appear to be similar or identical handwriting should be stricken.
But the GAB memo said staff members reviewed the names and did not find enough invalid signatures to block the elections.
Democrats have expressed frustration with GAB, saying the dates being suggested could alienate certain groups of voters. They vowed to appeal.
Democrats are particularly concerned about disentranchising college students as universities will be on summer break during the elections if they are held on the recommended dates.
The GAB is unlikely to change the recommended dates as they are trying to schedule the recall elections for the State Senators on the same dates as the yet to be certified recall of Governor Scott Walker and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch:
While board members found enough signatures were filed to warrant recall elections for the senators, they held off on scheduling them because they want to hold them the same day as the recall elections for Walker and Kleefisch, if those elections are necessary. The board will decide later Monday when it wants to hold all the elections, which will likely require the approval of a Dane County judge.
If this goes like Friday (and I hope it does), there will be more updates or news in other areas that will break. I'm particularly looking for a decision on the Redistricting Lawsuit as well as on the 2nd Lawsuit on our Voter ID Law (there is already an injunction from the first one which will eliminate the state approved ID being required for our April 3 municiple and presidential primary election).
Update: Kevin Kavanaugh, one of the John Doe indicted Walker associates, didn't appear in court today due to illness. His next court date is in April. He's been charged with embezzling funds from a veterans group from an account County Executive Scott Walker insisted be set up instead of allowing the group to maintain its own funds.
Noise of rain has just posted exciting news on the League of Women Voters lawsuit against the Voter ID Law. The judge ruled that the law is unconstitutional (Wisconsin Constitution) I'm still looking for a link, but you will definitely want to head there for some Scottenfreuden.
Update: Here's the link.
A Dane County judge permanently enjoined the state's new voter ID law on Monday - the second judge in a week to block the requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls.
Friday's ruling by Dane County Judge Richard Niess goes further than the one issued by another judge last week because it permanently halts the law. Tuesday's order by Dane County Judge David Flanagan blocked the law for the April 3 presidential primary and local elections, but not beyond that.
The latest order may make it harder for the state to put the voter ID law into effect before the April 3 election because it would have to win two appeals in less than four weeks. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has asked for a stay of the earlier order, and he is expected to appeal it this week.
Monday's decision came in a case brought by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin that argues the state constitution allows the Legislature to exclude felons and mentally incompetent people from voting, but not other classes of people. The new law creates a new category of people who cannot vote - those without ID - and thus violates the state constitution, the lawsuit argued.
This is much stronger than the temporary injunction issued last week which only prevented the requirement for a state approved ID in the April 3 elections. This is a permanent injunction.
In all, there are four lawsuits against the voter ID law - by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin filed in Dane County; by the Milwaukee chapter of NAACP and Voces de la Frontera filed in Dane County; by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court in Milwaukee; and by the League of United Latin American Citizens of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and others in federal court in Milwaukee
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See Noise of rains diary for further more on this wonderful news.
Update: More on the possible recall dates:
The petitions to recall the senators, as well as Walker and Kleefisch, were submitted on Jan. 17. The accountability board had 31 days under state law to determine whether recall elections were warranted, and the board went to court to get more time.
Dane County Judge Richard Niess doubled the board's time to review the petitions, giving it until March 19.
Board officials have said they will need more time to review the petitions against Walker and Kleefisch, and the board plans to go before Niess on Wednesday to ask for another extension.
The board's staff had wanted the board to ask for a two-week extension, but the board decided to instead ask for an 11-day extension, until March 30. Asking less of an extension would mean any recall elections would be held a week earlier than what the staff was seeking.
The board is also asking to be given until March 30 to formally order the election for the senators so that it can keep any recall elections on the same day.
If Niess sticks by the March 19 deadline, the elections would be held May 1. If primaries were needed, May 1 would be a primary and the general election would be March 29. Election officials hope to dalay that schedule because the second election would be the day after Memorial Day, creating difficulties for local election clerks.
If he allows the board's request, the elections would be a week later - May 8 and June 5.
Note: Kossack Colo Tim has some sharp eyes. In the comments he notes that the March 29 date is incorrect. I'm not changing it in the blockquote since it was a copy and paste from the original article.
Update 4: Walker Needs a Much Bigger Crying Towel Edition: Scott Walker will NOT be allowed to use all those unlimited campaign donationsfor his new legal defense fund.
Normally, the most the governor can raise from a single contributor is $10,000. Walker can raise unlimited donations for now to help defend himself against the recall effort, but the money above $10,000 from contributors can’t be used for any other purpose.
He must also have permission from the donor to transfer funds to the legal defense fund. He has 2 high priced defense attorneys on board.
Update 5: BANG! Edition: Bad news this time. It looks like the GOP is getting their wish to open more state parks to hunting despite the concerns of bikers, skiiers, and hikers. Inserting an easily ignored 100 yard "buffer zone" around trails isn't my idea of improving safety, but it was enough to convince enough State Senators to pass the bill. It's off to Scott Walkers signing pen next.
Update 6: Nothing yet on the Redistricting Lawsuit. This is the start of week 2 of the deliberations of the 3 judge panel who offered the GOP the opportunity to redraw the maps with the plaintiffs. Looks to me like the judges might be redrawing the maps themselves.
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