Posted on 04/01/2011 4:03:30 PM PDT by MissesBush
Democrats in Wisconsin are saying they now have enough signatures to trigger a recall election of state Sen. Dan Kapanke (R) and will file petitions Friday, the La Crosse Tribune reports.
The recall petition against Kapanke -- who has been targeted because of his vote to pare down collective bargaining rights for public employees - would be the first filed against a Wisconsin legislator following the much-publicized collective bargaining dispute in the state.
Recall organizer Pat Scheller said volunteers have gathered more than the 15,588 signatures needed and that they plan to take them to Madison after a noon rally today at La Crosse City Hall, the Tribune reports.
Every Wisconsin state senator eligible for a recall this year (those who have been in office more than one year) is being targeted by recall efforts. Eight GOP state senators (including Kapanke) have been targeted, while eight Democratic senators are being targeted for having previously left the state to avoid a vote on the collective bargaining measure.
Kapanke has defended his vote for the collective bargaining measure and while he did not return messages from the Tribune Thursday, he has said the recall is "part of the process."
The Tribune reports the next steps in the process following today's filing will be a 31-day review period during which the signatures will be looked at to determine if they are sufficient. Kapanke can challenge signatures during the first 10 days and either party can petition a judge for an extension.
According to the state Government Accountability Board's manual on recall elections, "if the filing officer finds that the petition is sufficient," the filing officer will call a recall election -- akin to a special election for an open seat.
The Tribune notes that once an election is ordered, challengers can begin circulating petitions to get their names on the ballot and would have 10 days to collect 400 signatures.
Meanwhile, The La Crosse County Republican Party is already preparing for a recall election to oust Kapanke, and county chair has said he thinks it's a "foregone conclusion that they're going to get the signatures that they need."
Regardless, this is beyond absurd--a few Democratic union puppets and malcontents seeking to overturn the results of a free and fair election because the man voted his conscience--and probably the way he promised he would vote when he campaigned for the job. The Dems are always keen to tell us with Obama's never ending raft of sh-t that "elections have consequences," but then can't swallow that same medicine themselves.
The Dems who fled the state for over a month deserve recalls for their dereliction of duty, but not a man for simply voting in a way the Democratic Stalinists didn't like
How ‘bout the GOP? How close are they to having enough signatures to recall the commie ‘RAT fleebaggers?
How many of the signatures are actually from Wisconsin residents?
Or is it the same tough non-existent restrictions they have in the general election that gets them more votes than voters every time?
This is going to be fun when the thugs learn that the disqualified signature rate is well over 10% (my estimate.)
Getting enough signatures to have a recall election is nowhere near “close to recalling.”
Dum Basses.
The Republican defenders had better be extremely diligent and courageous in challenging any signatures that are not from residents. The signatures must also be validly dated, during the time period approved for the petition.
Kapanke is my State Senator. He has an awful lot of quiet support. I’ll be surprised if he is beaten in his recall election, even though all the Wisconsin counties along the
Mississippi River lean Dem. He’s from LaCrosse, right on the river, and a college and union town. Check and see how Judge Prosser does in those river counties in next Tuesday’s Supreme Court election. That will certainly be the tip-off as to how Kapanke will do.
I’ve collected signatures for ballot access and petitions and the rule of thumb that anyone involved in such a drive adheres to is collect twice the number of signatures that you need. Double is almost always enough of a margin.
Kos says they collected TWICE as many sigs as required. The Bold Progressives have also raised $226,000 for ads supporting the recall efforts. WTF is OUR side doing?
Obama has placed himself squarely behind this
Nothing like interfering with the states
Double would be half the number of people who voted in the past governors election. Quite a hurdle.
Another question. If the spoilage rate of a sampling of signatures is so high that an invalid petition drive can be extrapolated, can the recall petition be trashed, or will it just warrant inspecting every single signature for validity?
These communists will not stop until they destroy America. A civil war is in the horizon and they will lose.
Likely all sides will be represented in counting, like the “hanging chad” counters of the 2000 election. Signatures are easy to challenge and are usually tossed if there is a valid question, that’s why the overage has to be so high.
In LaCrosse, it’s likely that the signatures are good.
I would focus on the Milwaukee-area recalls for challenges. Because the districts are tight together, it is very likely that many of the signatures come from people who bounce between districts during their daily travels and don’t realize it when signing at roadside and storefront signature drives.
Is it possible to see who has signed the petition? Did Katherine Windels sign it?
Here’s the latest on the recall business.
I would like to hear the governor of Wisconsin just come out and say “folks, we’re broke. We can’t pay anymore salaries to government workers on down to teachers. Go home, have a nice day”
I don’t know WI election law, but the signatures should be only those of registered voters in the district he represents. It’d be all too easy to stand on a street corner in Madison to collect the required # of signatures, so I would imagine it’s restricted to his district.
The good thing in his favor is that the college kids will be gone for the summer and others may be on vacation, drunk, so the libs may not get the turnout or the anger they hope for.
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