Wrestlin' in Wisconsin

Conservatives: We Are Being Outworked And Out-Organized In Wisconsin Recall Campaigns
Wisconsin Recall

First Posted: 03/17/11 11:48 AM Updated: 03/17/11 11:48 AM

WASHINGTON -- Both national and Wisconsin-based Republican operatives tell the Huffington Post the party is being dramatically outworked and out-organized by Democrats in the recall campaigns being launched against state Senators.

The operatives, who raised their concerns out of hope it would jar the GOP into assertiveness, argue complacency has taken over after Governor Scott Walker successfully shepherded his anti-collective bargaining bill into law. While the Wisconsin Democratic Party, with major assists from progressive groups and unions, has harnessed resentment towards the governor into a full-throttled effort to recall eight GOP Senators, neither the enthusiasm nor organizational acumen exists on the Republican side of the aisle.

“It's clear that Democrats and liberal organizations are engaging in an attempt to make recall more than a mere hypothetical possibility for some Wisconsin Republicans,” said Liz Mair, Vice President of Hynes Communications and former RNC Online Communications Director, who has followed closely the work of conservative groups in Wisconsin. “Even though Governor Walker acted to end the impasse, Republicans and conservatives should not be acting like this is done and dusted.”

A conservative activist working inside the state on recall efforts was even more explicitly distraught. The Wisconsin Republican Party, the operative said, was not lending resources to the recall campaign groups had launched against Democratic Senators, in turn causing those groups to narrow their target list down from eight lawmakers to just three.

“It would be nice if the Republican Party, operatives, etc, would step in with a little money,” said the activist, who asked to remain nameless lest he draw the GOP even further away from the recall effort. “But they are talking about doing radio and I’m not sure that gets you signatures.”

“Sure, the first battle was won with the passing of the bill,” the activist added, “but the war is not won. If they come in and recall some of those state senators and none of the Democrats get knocked out, that’s not good for the republicans at all…it is a bit of a mystery to me. You would think they would want to make sure all these [recall] efforts are successful.”

The data bears out the notion of a disparity. Reid Magney, a spokesman for the non-partisan Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, described the recall efforts by Democrats against Republican state Senators as more organized than their counterparts. Whereas GOP-run recalls registered at different times and originated from a random spattering of groups--a Utah-based conservative organization was forced to find a partner inside Wisconsin to make its petitions legally acceptable--all of the Democratic activity has run through the state party.

“The recalls of Republicans [launched by Democrats] all came in on the same day, they are all organized by the same people, which is the Democratic party of Wisconsin. It’s not on the docs but it doesn’t have to be. The PO box is all the same,” said Magney. "The state GOP is not involved in the same way.”

The funding differences, it appears, are even more drastic than the organizational. While Mair pleaded for conservative groups to “raise and spend money in order ensure that those who pushed reform through aren't turfed out,” Democratic organizations claim to be swimming in a historic pool of funds.

Democracy for America, the group started by Howard Dean following his failed 2004 election, said it has raised nearly $800,000 to run ads and help with the recall campaign, which communications director Levana Layendecker described as “unprecedented for a non-election year issue.” In addition, 2,500 volunteers have signed up with DFA to help gather signatures. The group, with 25,000 members in Wisconsin alone, expects that number to only grow.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which has nearly 25,000 Wisconsin members its mobilizing as well, is pouring massive resources into an ad campaign to keep momentum behind the recall efforts. Their efforts include a new spot focusing on three GOP state senators (Alberta Darling, Dan Kapanke and Randy Hopper).

Union groups, while legally prohibited from working with the Democratic Party on the recount, have still pushed to keep the issue front and center, as have a host of other progressive institutions.

“I think that the governor really did wake a sleeping giant,” said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn.org. “People feel that what happened was not just a horrible attack but the courage of regular people standing up and getting in the way. That was what electrified folks. It was the first time we had seen anything like that.”

February 14, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
Special Session Senate Bill 11 relates to state finances, collective bargaining for public employees, compensation and fringe benefits of public employees, the state civil service system, the Medical Assistance program, sale of certain facilities, granting bonding authority, and making an appropriation.
Special Session Bill 11 contains a fiscal note in excess of $10,000. Accordingly and pursuant to Wis. Stat. 16.47(2), I consider this bill an emergency bill, and I recommend that its passage be permitted prior to the passage of the budget bill.
Thank you for your attention on this matter.
Sincerely,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor

Article VIII, §8
Vote on fiscal bills; quorum. Section 8. On the passage in either house of the legislature of any law which[/b] imposes, continues or renews a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, continues or renews an appropriation of public or trust money, or releases, discharges or commutes a claim or demand of the state, the question shall be taken by yeas and nays, which shall be duly entered on the journal; and three-fifths of all the members elected to such house shall in all such cases be required to constitute a quorum therein.

16.47(2)
(2) No bill containing an appropriation or increasing the cost of state government or decreasing state revenues in an annual amount exceeding $10,000 shall be passed by either house until the budget bill has passed both houses; except that the governor or the joint committee on finance may recommend such bills to the presiding officer of either house, in writing, for passage and the legislature may enact them, and except that the senate or assembly committee on organization may recommend to the presiding officer of its respective house any such bill not affecting state finances by more than $100,000 biennially. Such bills shall be accompanied by a statement to the effect that they are emergency bills recommended by the governor, the joint committee on finance, or the senate or assembly committee on organization. Such statement by the governor or joint committee on finance shall be sufficient to permit passage prior to the budget bill. Such statement by the senate or assembly committee on organization shall be effective only to permit passage by its respective house.

Restructuring of principal payments on general obligation bonds will increase debt service costs by $7.4
million in FY12 and $22.1 million in FY13 through FY21.

LRB 1383/2 adjusts fiscal year 2010-11 appropriations to address immediate shortfalls. The bill increases
appropriations to the Departments of Corrections ($21.5 million) and Health Services ($156.1 million).
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funding is allocated under the bill to fund the
state's earned income tax credit ($37 million PR-F / PR-S), resulting in a commensurate reduction in GPR
funding for that program.

03.18.11 -- 11:40AM
Back to Wisconsin

We've just gotten breaking news that a judge in Wisconsin has issued a temporary restraining order halting implementation of Gov. Walker's union-busting bill. The ruling is not on the merits of the bill but based on the Republicans cutting corners getting it to a vote.

It would appear they can still go through the motions again and pass the bill without cutting the corners.

More details shortly.

--Josh Marshall

If you restructure existing debt so the payments are higher can anyone logically argue that isn't creating debt?

Madison — Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order Friday, halting Gov. Scott Walker's law that would sharply curtail collective bargaining for public employees.

Sumi's order will prevent Secretary of State Doug La Follette from publishing the law - and allowing it to take effect - until she can rule on the merits of the case. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, a Democrat, is seeking to block the law because he says a legislative committee violated the state's open meetings law in passing the measure, which Walker signed on Friday.

Sumi, who was appointed to the bench by former GOP Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, said Ozanne was likely to succeed on the merits.

"It seems to me the public policy behind effective enforcement of the open meeting law is so strong that it does outweigh the interest, at least at this time, which may exist in favor of sustaining the validity of the (law)," she said.

The judge's finding - at least for now - is a setback to Walker, a Republican, and a victory for opponents, who have spent weeks in the Capitol to protest the bill. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the governor's side will ultimately prevail in court.

Assistant Attorney General Steven Means, who was part of the state's legal team, said after the ruling that "we disagree with it."

"And the reason they have appellate courts is because circuit court judges make errors, and they have in this case."

Means said that the state will ask the state Appeals Court to overturn the temporary restraining order Friday or early next week. He said that the Appeals Court is not required to hear an appeal because a final decision has not been reached in the case.

Means said the state was prepared for Sumi's decision. He said the state had a chance to substitute judges, but decided not to do so.

Sumi said that, if the Legislature wanted to come back to re-enact the bill, they would have the right to do that.

Spokesmen for Walker and GOP legislative leaders had no immediate comment on whether their bosses would consider passing the same legislation a second time.

Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) said he agreed with the judge's ruling.

"I am very pleased with her action," Barca said. "We felt from the beginning this was a violation of the open meetings law. And now we go on from here."

Amanda Todd, a spokeswoman for the state courts system, said that no appeal had been filed yet and that it was premature to say how quickly a possible appeal might be taken up by a higher court.

"If something is filed, then we'll answer questions about process and potential timetables," she said.

Republicans deny they violated the meetings law and say they passed the law properly.

The state constitution protects legislators from lawsuits during the legislative session. Lawmakers are expected to vote on bills through May 2012, but the session technically runs through Jan. 7, 2013 - the same day the next session begins.

Nonetheless, Sumi said Friday that the courts had the authority to hold up the law, based on past rulings.

The bill to curtail collective bargaining for public employee unions has drawn protesters to the Capitol for more than a month, with crowds swelling to tens of thousands of people on some days. Opponents now see the court cases as their only shot at stopping the law, though they are also pursuing recalls to win back Democratic control of the state Senate.

Republicans created a conference committee late March 9, and the committee met shortly thereafter to make changes to Walker's bill, setting up passage by the state Senate later that night. Passage by the committee was key to getting the bill to Walker's desk two days later.

The open meetings law requires 24 hours' public notice of meetings, or two hours in emergencies. Ozanne's suit argues the emergency standard did not apply and that even if it did, the meeting didn't follow the law because the committee met with less than two hours' notice.

Ozanne argues the meeting also violated the law because people had difficulty getting into the Capitol amid tight security and because it was held in a small room that could not accommodate the large crowd trying to get in.

Ozanne's complaint was against four Republican legislative leaders who were on the committee - Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, Senate President Mike Ellis of Neenah, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon and Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder of Abbotsford.

Named in both suits is Secretary of State Doug La Follette, a Democrat charged with publishing the new law. La Follette has said unless ordered otherwise, he will publish it March 25 and the law will take effect the next day.

It's time to recall this liberal hack of a County Circuit Judge: Maryann Sumi.

Interesting as if they wait until this issue is settle in the courts there is a good likelihood that they will no longer have the votes to re-passed it assuming the courts reject the law.

If they do not wait and once more ram it through then they are pouring even more fuel on the recalls drives.

I almost feel sorry for the SOBs.

Interesting as if they wait until this issue is settle in the courts there is a good likelihood that they will no longer have the votes to re-passed it assuming the courts reject the law.