Another FUCK YOU for ya, Scott:
A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday rejected Gov. Scott Walker’s emergency bid to delay a deadline to call special elections for two open legislative seats.
But with the GOP now planning to change state law on special elections, the decision may not constrain Walker for long.
“Representative government and the election of our representatives are never ‘unnecessary,’ never a ‘waste of taxpayer resources,’ and the calling of the special elections are, as the Governor acknowledges, his ‘obligation’ to follow,” Judge Paul Reilly wrote in the ruling.
A lower court in Madison had given Walker until noon on Thursday to schedule the two races.
Lawyers for the state argued that the governor should be granted an eight-day extension. They said the issue is moot because lawmakers plan to reconvene next week to rewrite state law, and effectively block the special elections from being held.
Judge Reilly said he was “not persuaded” by the arguments, noting that: “The Governor understands he has an obligation to follow the law as do we.”
Of course, Walker is still pushing to strangle Democracy:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will ask the state Supreme Court to consider his request to delay calling two special elections after an appeals court judge ruled Wednesday that he must order the elections by noon Thursday.
Reilly's ruling disputed Walker's argument that the two special elections "are an unnecessary waste of taxpayer resources and confusing to voters."
"Representative government and the election of our representatives are never 'unnecessary,' never a 'waste of taxpayer resources,' and the calling of special elections are as the Governor acknowledges, his 'obligation' to follow by (state statute)," Reilly wrote.
According to a letter filed with the state Supreme Court on Wednesday by state Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin, Walker plans to file an emergency petition with the high court Thursday, asking it to bypass the court of appeals. Walker will ask the Supreme Court to make its decision by the noon Thursday.
The appeals court decision came hours after Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, argued to a Senate committee that it would be a "waste of taxpayer money" to hold two special elections on a timeline that would bump up against and potentially overlap with already-scheduled fall elections for the two seats.
Democratic lawmakers and residents of the two vacant districts countered that the election timelines would have been less messy if Walker had ordered elections for the seats shortly after they opened in December.
We have to make Walker pay at the polls this November. Click below to donate and get involved with the Democrats running for Governor:
Tony Evers
Dana Wachs
Kathleen Vinehout
Andy Gronik
Paul Soglin
Kelda Roys