DPW Statement on Republicans’ Latest Attempt to Eviscerate Checks and Balances
"Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald want to put their thumbs on the scale and manipulate an election that won't happen for over a year."
Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald.
MADISON – The following is a statement from Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Martha Laning on news that legislative Republicans are considering passing legislation during their lame-duck session to reschedule the state Supreme Court election in 2020. This move would benefit future conservative candidates and potentially cost Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars.
“Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald want to put their thumbs on the scale and manipulate an election that won’t happen for over a year. This is exactly the kind of calculating, divide-and-conquer politics Wisconsinites voted out last week. Vos and Fitzgerald would be wise to listen to the will of the people and respect our system of checks and balances.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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Voss and Fitzgerald could make history as among the most craven of evil twins in political history if they succeed in their ill-willed legislating.
These changes will no doubt pass the gerrymandered legislature and then be signed into law by lame duck Gov. Walker.
What’s forgotten is that eight years ago, then-lame duck Gov. Doyle had a chance to do something similar with the Madison train extension, but refused. Back then Doyle had full legislative authority to accept $800 million in truly free federal money (no local match required) to rebuild train tracks allowing the Chicago–Milwaukee trains to be extended to Madison.
Immediately after he lost his re-election bid, Doyle issued a stop-work order on the project. It would have been entirely legal (and, I would argue, in Wisconsin’s best interest) for him to continue the project full-throttle through his last day in office, accepting and spending as much free federal money as possible. Walker then would have been forced to choose between seeing the project through to completion or repaying the feds for all the money (potentially hundreds of millions) spent to date.
Doyle respected the voters’ decision. Walker does not.