As everyone is aware, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed the draconian Budget Bill in the wee hours of the night. The contentious bill passed along strict party line votes, with the lone "Independent," Bob Ziegelbauer, who consistently votes with Republicans, again voting with Republicans.
Tucked into the Bill are numerous changes that further seek to dismantle the State of Wisconsin's long tradition of limiting the power of government, controlling corruption, and assuring fairness for all citizens. A tiny bit apparently authorizes the return of bail bondsmen to the state, a move straight from the playbook of ALEC.
Most shocking to myself is the alteration of the language in the Wisconsin State Statute pertaining to elections. I am familiar with the language of the current statute, having looked carefully at it over the past week while drafting a complaint to the Government Accountability Board regarding the Republicans' plans to run fake Democrats in the upcoming recall elections, thus forcing primaries.
Currently, the statute reads as follows:
8.15 (7) A candidate may not run in more than one party primary at the same time. No filing official may accept nomination papers for the same person in the same election for more than one party. An independent candidate at a partisan primary or other election may not file nomination papers as the candidate of a recognized political party for the same office at the same election. A person who files nomination papers as the candidate of a recognized political party may not file nomination papers as an independent candidate for the same office at the same election.The prohibition of an independent candidate from filing papers as the candidate of a recognized political party was part of my argument that the fake candidates were not legally allowed to run, since they would not in truth be a representative of a politically recognized party.
However, the new Assembly bill, including the ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1, TO 2011 ASSEMBLY BILL 40 passed early this morning, removes that specific language from the Wisconsin statute concerning elections.
The bill will now read:
8.15 (7) A candidate may not run in more than one party primary at the same time. No filing official may accept nomination papers for the same person in the same election for more than one party. A person who files nomination papers as the candidate of a recognized political party may not file nomination papers as an independent candidate for the same office at the same election.The new bill specifically removes the language prohibiting an independent from filing as the candidate of a recognized political party.
I have not gone through the entire bill yet, but I am convinced that the Republicans are hurriedly changing even long-standing Wisconsin election law in order to legalize their sleazy tactics.
The power grab by this Republican Governor and Legislature is shocking. What a tragedy for our great state.