Here & Now

GOP Calls For Change To State Elections Law

Frederica Freyberg:

In tonight’s first look, the Republican legislative majority and Governor Scott Walker will set about undoing a ruling from a Dane County judge this week. The judge ruled the governor must call special elections for two seats left vacant when the legislators took jobs in his administration. Now legislative leaders have called an extraordinary session to rewrite the law. WPR Capitol Bureau Chief Shawn Johnson joins us on this. And thanks for doing so.

Shawn Johnson:

Hey Fred.

Frederica Freyberg:

So rather than go the judicial route, which might have been seeking a stay or appealing this ruling out of Dane County, lawmakers are taking it, as we’ve said, into extraordinary session.

Shawn Johnson:

Yeah. This is all happening very fast. I mean, it was just Thursday that they were hearing testimony in this case. And the judge ruled from the bench because she said the law here was clear that under the law, the governor had to order these special elections. Today, we heard some rumblings that legislative leaders might call some type of an extra session. They did it. And Governor Scott Walker came out and said he would sign what they pass right away.

Frederica Freyberg:

In fact, in a statement the governor released he said, “It would be senseless to waste taxpayer money on special elections just weeks before voters go to the polls when the legislature has concluded its business.” Concluded its business of course except for this.

Shawn Johnson:

We’ve got a stack now of special sessions and extraordinary sessions after this one gets called where the legislature keeps extending that calendar that was maybe going to end in February and now who knows.

Frederica Freyberg:

So stepping back, you said the Dane County judge found that it was quite clear that she had to rule in the way that she did and so perhaps it would suggest that going the judicial route for the governor or the legislators wasn’t going to be successful. They had to do something else.

Shawn Johnson:

We don’t know. I mean, the final say on this would have been up to the state Supreme Court. But we do know that the law, if you look at it, says if there’s a vacancy in an election year before the second Tuesday in May that you call a special election. The governor said because these vacancies occurred last year, that law didn’t apply. But the judge was saying that would lead to an absurd result because you could have somebody leave the legislature in early May and the governor would have to call a special election. Where under his rationale, he wouldn’t have to for something that happened in December.

Frederica Freyberg:

Meanwhile, the plaintiffs Thursday, yesterday, thought they had won this case. And they did. It still has this next step to go, of course. But what were the plaintiffs saying?

Shawn Johnson:

Alvin Meyer was one of the plaintiffs who was there at the court hearing on Thursday. Afterward he said he was happy. He said he’s a taxpayer and he deserves to have a senator like everybody else.

Alvin Meyer:

Is the view that the role of legislator is so insignificant that we don’t need one for a year? I just don’t comprehend that, even what was the purpose here. Somebody quits, resigns, moves on, why not fill their job? We’re either saying that the role of a state senator is important or we’re not.

Frederica Freyberg:

So one has to wonder what the reaction to all of this might be from Eric Holder, President Obama's former Attorney General, whose firm or whose group lodged this case against Wisconsin and Governor Scott Walker. But other Democrats stateside are weighing in.

Shawn Johnson:

Yeah. We know that Democrats have–at least in a statement Senate Majority Leader Jennifer Shilling released a statement saying, “It’s not surprising to see another temper tantrum from Republican leaders when something doesn’t go their way. Republicans are clearly intimidated by the thought of losing power and would rather create chaos and confusion going into a tough re-election year.” Essentially Democrats are saying the governor doesn’t want to call these elections because earlier special elections suggest they might lose them. It is a lot of national attention now being focused, though, on two state legislative districts.

Frederica Freyberg:

Very interesting stuff. Shawn Johnson, thanks very much.

Shawn Johnson:

You’re welcome.