Posted in Activism, Class Warfare, News, Racism, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Politics

BREAKING: Injunction Issued Against Wisconsin Voter ID Law

   March 6, 2012

BREAKING NEWS!

A Dane County Judge on Tuesday granted a temporary injunction that bars the enforcement of the state photo ID law at polling places during the general election on April 3.

Circuit Judge David Flanagan said that the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP and Voces de la Frontera had demonstrated that their lawsuit against Gov. Scott Walker and the state Government Accountability Board would probably succeed on its merits and had demonstrated the likelihood of irreparable harm if the photo ID law is allowed to stand.

Fantastic!

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63 thoughts on “BREAKING: Injunction Issued Against Wisconsin Voter ID Law”

  1. Let the voter fraud begin, illegals, out of state, the dead. Let’s lie, cheat and steal the election. Yea!! Democracy!!!

    1. The only documented voter fraud has been Republican election officials rigging votes in Indiana. The whole voter fraud thing IS a fraud.

    2. What Phil said, Andy. Over and above that, all I can say is STFU ! Well, that, AND stop frothing at the mouth like a lunatic.

      I thought that you were supposed to be on your way to South Carolina with all the other morons and bigots?

      What’s the hold-up? (*wink*)

      But, seriously, GET OUT !

      (*laughing*)

  2. Got some proof, Andy? I did a piece on voter fraud sometime back and my research discovered — gasp — 13 case of fraud across the ENTIRE nation.

    1. It’s a total smoke screen ginned up by the knuckleheads in the GOP to ensure that undesirable voters don’t go to the polls. By undesirable I mean blacks, hispanics, the elderly, homeless and the disabled.

      Really, the only people the GOP want to show up at the polls are semi-literate anglo Teabaggers with guns, SUVs and a high-school education. The foot-soldiers of the Kochtapus AFP militia.

      🙂

  3. This sounds like a job for the “Honorable” Justice Gableman. I believe this comes under his contingency agreement.

    1. Ultimately, being a voting rights issue, if the Rethuglicans pursue it, it will end up in Federal court with the justice department pushing to overturn the law.

  5. I think it’s important to note that the judge determined that the law was likely to be overturned and that the plaintifs had “demonstrated the likelihood of irreparable harm if the photo ID law is allowed to stand.”

    I do believe that many predicted that this would be the case. It’s the same basic boilerplate ALEC-written legislation that they passed in South Carolina which was also overturned.

    Karma is a bitch, Republicans! Karma is a big, mean, nasty bitch!

  6. Secretary of State Ritchie of Minnesota demonstrated how you can have a voter ID law that doesn’t disenfranchise voters: Ask for an ID at the polls. If the voter does not provide an ID, TAKE A PICTURE of the voter at the polls, and then send him or her an ID in the mail, using the address provided.

    Obviously someone who is intending to commit fraud would not want his picture taken; that would leave a nice paper trail and they would be easily caught.

  7. Just for historical purposes, here is a link to a piece I wrote at my old blog, The Masses about how Progressives might support Voter ID.

    Basically it comes down to some simple rules:

    1. Voter IDs must be free for all
    2. Voter IDs must be ubiquitously available
    3. Voter IDs must be available to acquire at malls, grocery stores, community centers, churches, temples, synagogs, government buildings, etc.
    4. Voter IDs must be available to acquire nights and weekends
    5. Voter IDs must be good for a minimum of 10 years

    I’m sure others have similar ideas, but those were mine.

  8. And Flanagan is a Thompson appointee (09/2000) so they can’t pull out the old liberal-madison-judge defense.

      1. Wisconsin Judicial Code of Conduct:

        Restrictions on the personal conduct of judges cannot, however, be so onerous as to deprive them of fundamental freedoms enjoyed by other citizens. Care must be taken to achieve a balance between the need to maintain the integrity and dignity of the judiciary and the right of judges to conduct their personal lives in accordance with the dictates of their individual consciences.

        In striking this balance the following factors should be considered:
        (a) the degree to which the personal conduct is public or private;
        (b) the degree to which the personal conduct is a protected individual right;
        (c) the potential for the personal conduct to directly harm or offend others;
        (d) the degree to which the personal conduct is indicative of bias or prejudice on the part of the judge;
        (e) the degree to which the personal conduct is indicative of the judge’s lack of respect for the public or the judicial/legal system

        1. Not making the argument that he should be prevented from participating in a recall – that’s clearly a protected right. But doing so – publicly protesting for the removal from office of the governor – expresses a pretty clear bias against him.

          1. It’ll play with the Walkerites (what doesn’t?). But the WisGOP complaint will be laughed out of the room.

            1. I don’t disagree – the initial situations are different. But in both, when presented with a case where a reasonable person would have questions as to the objectivity/bias due to those situations, they should’ve stepped aside.

              1. I disagree. There was no monetary incentive for Flanagan here. You have to trust our judges for the most part to be able to rule according to the law. If we use that logic then what about judges who endorse candidates? or even yet what about Judges who did NOT sign the petitions, can we assume that they are supporters of Walker and thus must also step aside?

                1. So monetary incentive is the only measure for recusal?

                  I’d hold the same position for judges who publicly endorse a candidate and then have the person before them.

                  Absolutely not, you can’t assume that those that didn’t sign support him. If you believe that, then we should save the money and skip the election since he’d win in a landslide. 🙂

                  Judges are allowed personal opinions. They should vote for whomever they choose or do whatever they want in private. But when they take public positions supporting or protesting individuals/companies/organizations then that raises questions of their objectivity in cases where those parties are before them & it should go to who doesn’t have that conflict.

                  1. So would because Gableman recently was the main speaker at the rock county republican dinner with paul ryan he should recuse himself in any issue that would benefit the republicans?

                    Same with David prosser who had brian schimming as his spokeperson throughout his whole campaign?

                  2. “But when they take public positions supporting or protesting individuals/companies/organizations then that raises questions of their objectivity in cases where those parties are before them & it should go to who doesn’t have that conflict.”

                    The Wisconsin Supreme Court revised the Judicial Code of Conduct in 2010 specifically to refute that argument.

                  3. I agree that there are more forms of renumeration than cash that can cause an ethical problem. Justice Gabelman is a case in point for that.

                    But nothing this judge did rises to the level of conflict of interest as defined by the Wisconsin Code of Judicial Ethics. What he did was, in essence, cast a vote.

                    I think this is a big losing point for the GOP.

      3. Well, if it were me, as a judge, I would not have signed, just to preserve a semblance of neutrality.

        1. Yeah. That would’ve placated the “Dane County judges are commies” crowd.

      4. I am curious as to how one individual’s signature (in this case a judge) on a recall petition is equivalent in any fashion, to a different judge accepting multiple tens of thousands of dollars in legal assistance from a law firm who has brought 9 different cases in front of same said second judge for hopefully favorable (to the law firm’s clients) rulings on those cases.

        No one gave the first judge anything (as far as we know) to potentially buy the favor of his one recall signature.

        With a bit more of your personal history, Locke, I might be tempted to use your logic and reasoning to illustrate a clear case for immediate, mass emergency funding for public education in the state.

  9. Note to all villians: freedom will ring.

    I’m very emotional y’all. Driving to Alabama right now to recreate the Selma to Montgomery march; where we fought for voting rights we’re still battling over. This is history, let’s fill the streets & kick these bums out. How many more injustices? The destruction of voting rights. The destruction of access to women’s health and health coverage for the poor. The destruction of the environment. Call someone and share the news, we can all vote in April.

  10. What an absolute insult to blacks, Hispanics, elderly and disabled people! Do you realize what you are saying when you say that this voter ID bill prohibits them from voting? This is probably the most racist thing I’ve heard in a long time. You think because someone is black or Hispanic they are incapable of securing a picture ID….for FREE if need be??

    This bullshit judge signs a recall petition and I’m supposed to think he’s impartial on this ruling. What a joke.

    Anyway, way to go libs. This ruling along with the killing of the mining bill ought to go a long way toward sealing Walker’s re-election. I swear, at this point I bet if Walker supported a bill to raise taxes on Wisconsin’s wealthiest residents, you’d reject that too, simply because it was his idea. More insane, overly zealous, stupid behavior by the left for leftist sake. I have no doubt it will backfire in the recall elections and beyond.

    1. In what Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass Wingnut universe is this premature verbal ejaculation true?

      What an absolute insult to blacks, Hispanics, elderly and disabled people! Do you realize what you are saying when you say that this voter ID bill prohibits them from voting? This is probably the most racist thing I’ve heard in a long time. You think because someone is black or Hispanic they are incapable of securing a picture ID….for FREE if need be??

      Defend it.

      1. I want you to bring me ONE. JUST ONE minority to explain why they couldn’t vote in the last election because they didn’t have a photo ID. ONE.

        3. You might give this paper a read as well.

          Controlling for age, income, and education, we find that immigrant and minority voters are significantly less likely to be able to provide multiple forms of identification, such as a copy of their original birth certificate, or a recent bank statement. In full, we asked respondents about their ability to provide approximately six unique forms of identification, and immigrant and minority voters were consistently less likely to have each form of identification. Because our data reflects the identification trends of actual voters, not just adult citizens, the findings go far to suggest that voter identification laws could immediately disenfranchise many Latino, Asian and African American citizens.

          1. bullshit. only need 3:

            1. social security card
            2. any bill, paystub, bank statement. ANY!
            3. passport, birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization.

            yeah…sounds insurrmountable to me.

            1. What about the elderly who have no birth certificate? My grandmother was born at home on the farm in 1919 – go find her birth certificate, smart ass.

              1. Don’t mind Jimbobobbity-BOO. . .

                He’s “special”, know what I’m saying?

                There’s nothing remotely “smart” about him.

                His disclaimers to the contrary, notwithstanding, he’s just here shilliing for somebody, whether its WMA, ALEC, AFP and/or the Koch[sucker] brothers.

                Why don’t his comments EVER make any sense? Because he’s just here to kick up some rightwing noise. He gets paid in greenbacks for posting whatever he posts. The rest of us “pay” with time spent reading his nonsensical drivel that we’ll never ever be able to get back.

                James has become pretty marginalized around here, L188188, just laughed at and instantly disregarded/forgotten. Around here, he’s become the weird old uncle who everyone ignores at family functions.

                So, just ignore him.

        4. This is a good one too.

          Creating the greatest controversy are a few states that have passed statutes requiring every in-person voter to show a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot. Because these extra-stringent laws have the potential to disenfranchise registered voters lacking proper identification, they have provoked heated partisan debate, spurring a flurry of litigation. In particular, the disproportionate impact that these laws may have on the indigent, elderly, disabled, and minority voters raises great concern regarding the constitutionality and morality of such laws.

          1. Bullshit. If they can get there to vote, they can get in their and get an ID card. Hell, email me at live_wire@charter.net and tell me where to pick you up. I’ll come get you and personally drive your ass to the DMV and help you get it. I’ll even pay for it if it’s not free. Just gather those 3 documents that we all know you have.

              1. OH I get it alright. libs feel that able bodied citizins of this once great country are helpless and purely incapable of doing anything whatsover to take responsibility for themselves, in order to excercise their rights. Minorities literally fought and died for this right. But somehow now you accuse them of being incapable of obtaining an ID card to do so.

                2. Sad, really. He still can’t figure out why people always want to make sure that he’s wearing a helmet whenever he goes outside.

            2. Go read this book, if you can.

              In The Myth of Voter Fraud, Lorraine C. Minnite presents the results of her meticulous search for evidence of voter fraud. She concludes that while voting irregularities produced by the fragmented and complex nature of the electoral process in the United States are common, incidents of deliberate voter fraud are actually quite rare. Based on painstaking research aggregating and sifting through data from a variety of sources, including public records requests to all fifty state governments and the U.S. Justice Department, Minnite contends that voter fraud is in reality a politically constructed myth intended to further complicate the voting process and reduce voter turnout.

              She refutes several high-profile charges of alleged voter fraud, such as the assertion that eight of the 9/11 hijackers were registered to vote, and makes the question of voter fraud more precise by distinguishing fraud from the manifold ways in which electoral democracy can be distorted. Effectively disentangling misunderstandings and deliberate distortions from reality, The Myth of Voter Fraud provides rigorous empirical evidence for those fighting to make the electoral process more efficient, more equitable, and more democratic.

    3. More word, thought and concept salad from James (“Let me, the ultimate white boy, explain to you what racism is”) Booth.

      Jimbobobbity-BOO writes and apparently thinks just like Sarah Palin speaks. Yikes! (*laughing*)

      Here’s hoping that he’ll stop wasting everyone’s time around here with his moronic drivel sometime soon.

    4. Oh look! This story is just in today! This time, it’s an elderly veteran who was disenfranchised. Well done, GOP! Well done!

      AURORA, Ohio – A Portage County World War II veteran was turned away from a polling place this morning because his driver’s license had expired in January and his new Veterans Affairs ID did not include his home address.

      “My beef is that I had to pay a driver to take me up there because I don’t walk so well and have to use this cane and now I can’t even vote,” said Paul Carroll, 86, who has lived in Aurora nearly 40 years, running his own business, Carroll Tire, until 1975.

      “I had to stop driving, but I got the photo ID from the Veterans Affairs instead, just a month or so ago. You would think that would count for something. I went to war for this country, but now I can’t vote in this country.”

      Portage Elections Board Director Faith Lyon said she felt badly for Carroll, but said the law requires an address on even a veteran’s identification card.

      1. more bullshit.

        “A voter who has but declines to provide identification may cast a provisional ballot upon providing a social security number or the last four digits of a social security number. A voter who has neither identification nor a social security number may execute an affidavit to that effect and vote a provisional ballot. A voter who declines to sign the affidavit may still vote a provisional ballot.”

        1. If only the rabid right were as concerned about their constitutionally granted right to vote as they were about their constitutionally granted right to possess a firearm, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

  11. Again with the troll James/Janie…whatever…just ignore…that will only anger her more…hopefully she will find a republican blog to haunt for a while…Walker must be paying overtime…

  12. you libs can’t stay focused long enough to not screw yourselves before the recall elections. Two opposing points about voter ID are both true. First, there are not scads of people disenfranchised by voter ID. Second, there is not scads of voter fraud without it.

    But the following statistic is true:

    At least 66% of Wisconsinites support voter ID

    So good job at continuing to gnaw away on the limited support you had to recall Walker this summer. I predict he will win by at least 8%.

    All this is probably for the best. Otherwise you blue bloggers won’t have anything to bitch about around here.

      2. “you [sic] libs [Jimbobobbity-BOO just LOVES to use that word, doesn’t he? I guess saying “liberals” or “progressives” is just a little too sophisticated for him to manage] can’t stay focused long enough to not screw yourselves before the recall elections. Two opposing points about voter ID are both true. First, there are not scads of people disenfranchised by voter ID. Second, there is not scads of voter fraud without it.”

        I have to admit, I get a kick out of how much Jimbo worries about ALL of the different ways he feels “libs” are throwing away the recall elections.

        Anyway, Jimbobobbity-BOO, no worries. “[We] GOT this.” [h/t to George Lopez]

        Well, at least he admits that there was no reason for the Voter ID law in the first place.

        Ya just gotta love the way Jimbo’s mouth get SO far ahead of his brain.

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