Tuesday, March 13, 2012
5:21 PM
Recall committees, targets, GAB agree on extension to finish reviewing recall petitions
The recall committees, their targets and the GAB are all in agreement that an extension should be granted to finish reviewing the petitions against Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, according to a court filing.
The state Department of Justice filed a formal request with a Dane County judge today seeking to push back the deadline for the GAB to certify the recalls to March 30. Judge Richard Niess, who will consider the request at a hearing tomorrow, originally granted the agency an extension to March 19 to finish the work.
But the filing argues the GAB won't be finished by that deadline. It has completed the reviews of the recall petitions filed against four GOP state senators and has done everything on the Walker and Kleefisch petitions except its check for duplicate signatures.
The agency says it will be able to finish a “sufficient portion” of those checks in time to be able to decide by March 30 whether recall elections should proceed against Walker and Kleefisch.
The filing also argues it’s in the public interest to hold all six elections -- if certified -- on the same day and that a delay also be granted to avoid holding a general election the day after Memorial Day, which the current deadline would require.
Granting the requested 11-day extension would push the primary back to May 8 with a general election June 5.
Some Dems had complained about the request following yesterday’s meeting. But the attorney representing the recall committees signed today’s stipulation.
Attorney Jeremy Levinson, who represents the recall committees, said Dems want the elections held as soon as possible, but are satisfied with the projected date of June 5 for a general election if the extension is granted.
"At this point, we're banking on certainly and avoiding going even deeper into June," he said.
-- By JR Ross
Election Blog site feed