All that's missing now is a barricade with a sign saying "No Democrats Allowed"
Republicans in Wisconsin will be overjoyed with the news that
they'll get to suppress the vote during the midterms just like they wanted to when they passed a Voter ID Law in 2011. Shortly after hearing oral arguments today in the Wisconsin Voter ID appeal:
A federal appeals court in Chicago Friday reinstated for now Wisconsin's voter ID law hours after the three-judge panel heard arguments on the subject.
The move by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for the state to implement the law for the Nov. 4 election, though it does not stop the ongoing appeal over whether the measure is unconstitutional.
"The state of Wisconsin may, if it wishes (and if it is appropriate under rules of state law), enforce the photo ID requirement in this November's elections," the unsigned two-page order reads.
The appellate court said Friday that it was satisfied by changes imposed on the law by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a separate decision earlier this year.
(bolding is mine)
Those "changes" were administrative alterations hastily put in place by the Division of Motor Vehicles earlier this week to "allow" DMV clerks to accept other documents if birth certificates or other costly documents aren't available. Of course, the DMV will need to investigate the validity of the ID application, which will take time.
I know you're going to ask:
The case was heard by Sykes and two other judges on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Frank Easterbrook and John Tinder. Sykes is a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush. Easterbrook was appointed to the appeals court by President Ronald Reagan and Tinder was appointed by Bush.
(bolding is mine)
We knew the case was being heard today and I was following reports of the hearing. Who knew the judges were going to rule immediately. No debate, consideration, no concern about voting rights? Apparently not.
After the hourlong arguments, attorneys for those suing over the voter ID law told reporters it would be irresponsible for the court to put the law in place for this fall. They said no court had never put a voter ID law into effect so near an election.
"A court can do whatever it wants, but I think it would be extremely irresponsible for a court to do something that would so change the landscape not only for the (state Division of Motor Vehicles) but for election officials...," said Larry Dupuis, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin.
3 Republican-appointed judges apparently don't seem to care about being seen as irresponsible. Scott Walker is in trouble! Raise the drawbridge, fill the moat! Democratic voters must be kept away from those voting booths! The fact that the next election is 6 weeks away isn't relevant. Stop that voting by Democrats!
People must be made to take a day off of work, arrange for transportation to a place made convenient for drivers (i.e. not on a bus route), take a number, sit, wait, hope and pray that all the utility bills and other "identifying documents" are going to be enough for the DMV clerk to "investigate" whether they are who they say they are and issue, at some point in the future, an ID so they get to cast a Constitutionally guaranteed vote in an election.
And, naturally, your concealed carry permit and hunting license is just fine for ID, but student ID or Social Services ID are NOT. Don't want those pesky young people or poor people voting, either.
They've already successfully taken away 2 of the 3 previous early voting weeks and ended any weekend voting we had. Wisconsin used to have 3 weeks of early voting and 2 weekends. In 2011, they reduced it to 2 weeks of early voting and 1 weekend, then last year they further reduced it to 1 week and NO weekend early voting.
It's a sad day in Wisconsin for those who believe that elections should be free and open. Republicans are popping champagne corks.
Update:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just posted an online editorial condemning the decision.
The appellate court said Friday that it was satisfied by changes imposed on the law by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a separate decision earlier this year.
We disagree. This has always been a law in search of a problem. The kind of fraud that voter ID can catch has been rare, and the chilling effect the law will have on the votes of some groups – minorities, older people and students – far outweighs any benefits.
Beyond that, the timing issue is critical. Coming less than two months before the November election, the ruling threatens to make balloting difficult for voters and election officials. Gov. Scott Walker said Friday that Department of Motor Vehicles officials and local clerks could "absolutely" implement a photo ID requirement in time for the election.
We’re not so confident. There’ve been plenty of problems in recent elections – including the August primary – when voter ID was not in place; adding this burden could put some real strains on state balloting come November.
Considering the role Milwaukee Pravda has played in advancing Scott Walkers political career, their displeasure is interesting.
Update 2:
The Wisconsin Democratic Party response was to send an immediate fundraising appeal (of course, they did).
Many groups, like the League of Women Voters, were shocked by the decision.
Andrea Kaminski, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said the organization is "disappointed and shocked" that the court would allow the law to change procedures so close to Election Day.
"It's hard to imagine that the court would do this seven weeks before an election when, according to the (Government Accountability Board), more than 11,000 absentee ballots have already been mailed out without instructions for ID," Kaminski said. "To think that that many ballots have already gone out, and the local clerks who have to suddenly change everything that they're doing and retrain at this late date, is just stunning."
Scott Walker is nearly giddy with
the news!
Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, heralded the court's decision as a victory for his state.
"Voter ID is a common sense reform that protects the integrity of our voting process," he said in a statement released by his office. "Today's ruling makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat."
How exactly does Voter ID make it "easier to vote"? For sure it makes it easier for him to win when all those Democrats aren't allowed to vote.
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