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Elections Commission deadlocks on investigating Dane and Milwaukee County clerks

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The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Sunday deadlocked on whether or not  to investigate two county clerks over election comments.  The commission’s 3-3 vote came during a special meeting called after Wisconsin Republicans complained that the Dane and Milwaukee County clerks both offered advice that could get around voter ID requirements.

The clerks had told voters in their counties that the Safer At Home order meant they didn’t need to provide photo ID to request a mail-in ballot. If someone is ‘indefinitely confined’ to their home, state law allows them to skip providing photo ID to get an absentee ballot. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said that advice violates state statute.

Wisconsin Elections Commission issues urgent appeal for poll workers

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Even with thousands of absentee ballots being requested and mailed in, it appears there will be in-person voting for Wisconsin’s April 7 elections. But many poll workers are older adults at higher risk for COVD-19.

“We need poll workers. If you are a teacher who’s home because the schools are closed, or if you’re a student, college or high school, or your somebody else who just wants to work, contact your muncipal clerk or county clerk and volunteer to become a poll worker. You can get paid for it. We need you.”

Reid Magney with the Elections Commission said Thursday they’re in the process of putting together guidelines to help local clerks, including offering options like drive-thru voting.

“We’re in the process of putting together guidelines for clerks on ways to do it, so you don’t have everybody huddled around the same table. There are many places around the state that are setting up drive-thru voting. They’re setting up a big tent or they’re going to use their town garage, and just have people drive right in.”

Magney said they’re doing everything possible to make that a safe process.

“We’re finding ways to be creative so people can either vote from their cars, or setting up polling places so that they’re big enough, and we can establish procedures to have the proper social distancing. The National Guard is in the process of distributing hand sanitizer and other sanitary supplies to polling places.”

Again,many older poll workers at higher risk for COVD-19 have bowed out, so volunteers are urgently needed. Contact your local clerk to do that.

State Senator Fred Risser announces retirement

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The nation’s longest serving state legislator will not be a candidate for re-election this fall.  State Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) broke the news in a press release Friday afternoon.

Risser is 92, and in his 64th year as a Wisconsin legislator, the release said. He is the longest serving state or national legislator in the nation’s history, and the last World War II veteran serving in either the state or nation’s legislatures.

Risser was elected to the Assembly in 1956 and to the Senate in 1962. He has served as Senate Minority Leader and 25 years as Senate President.

Risser has worked with 13 different governors – 7 Democrats and 6 Republicans – and has never missed a legislative roll call.

Risser’s announcement opens the way for a wide-open primary in the heavily Democratic 26th Senate District. Also on Friday, state Representative Chris Taylor (D-Madison) announced she won’t seek reelection after a decade of service in the Assembly.

Adjudant General explains National Guard role in state’s COVID-19 response

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Forget the rumors you’ve heard about the National Guard’s role during the coronavirus outbreak. A Milwaukee radio host got the ball rolling rumor-wise last week, claiming the Guard would enforce Governor Evers’ orders. The claim was quickly walked back, but just as quickly circulated.

Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant General Paul Knapp, in charge of Emergency Management, says the Guard’s Citizen Soldiers are here to help support the state’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, and asks us to do the same.

“We need you to adhere to the recommended guidelines,” Knapp said in a brief video shared to Twitter on Wednesday. “This includes social distancing, proper hand washing, and most importantly, temporarily eliminating discretionary travel.”

“So when you see us out there, don’t be concerned or frightened. This is an all of Wisconsin effort, and we’re all working together,” Knapp said.

The Guard detailed the work being done in a press release last week:

The Wisconsin National Guard continues to work closely with partner state agencies to anticipate other needs and potential requests for assistance. The more than 300 Wisconsin National Guard troops mobilized to state active duty are currently preparing for potential missions that could include specimen collection at mobile testing sites, transporting supplies or equipment, logistics support, and additional medical support to communities.

Rumors that the Guard is enforcing Evers’ “Safer at Home” order or doing things like blocking entrances to grocery stores are just that — rumors.

GOP legislative leaders generally supportive of Evers ‘Safer At Home’ order

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Speaker Robin Vos, Senator Scott Fitzgerald (File photo: WRN)

Republican legislative leaders say Wednesday that they’re okay with Governor Tony Evers’ Safer At Home order, but wish they’d been in the loop.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the governor needed to be more specific with people before giving the order.

“There are still unanswered questions as to what businesses are allowed to be open and what aren’t so I think those are the kind of things people are more frustrated with.”

Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald held a media teleconference Wednesday. The order to close businesses and ban non essential travel will last though most of April. Fitzgerald said businesses face a lot of uncertainty, and that he and Vos should have been brought into the discussion on the order.

“I’ve got a number of phone calls in the office, been talking with a number of constituents, business people that are still trying to exactly feel feel their way through this to see you know what impact it might have on their business,” Fitzgerald said.

“I think it would have been much better for everyone involved if those issues would have been brought up, discussed publicly, and then ultimately the order would be crafted around that.”

Both men said their hoping that businesses will be able to get back to normal when the end of the order comes in April, and that a federal aid package will help keep businesses afloat in the meantime.

 

 

Wisconsin state Capitol closes to public

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The Wisconsin state Capitol is now closed to the public, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A press release from the state Department of Administration sent Wednesday evening said the closure is effective at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning and will continue “until further notice.”

“The State Capitol building is a symbol of the strength and determination of the Wisconsin spirit, as well as a physical reminder of the generations before us who have also faced the need to make challenging decisions in periods of uncertainty,” said Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan. “Although the decision to close the building was difficult, the health of our communities and loved ones is the priority we must all be focused on.”

The DOA release said if the Legislature or Supreme Court convenes, the Capitol will reopen to the public.

Online voter registration extended until March 30 at ‘MyVote.WI.gov’

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Wisconsin residents who still need to register to vote for the April 7 Election can now do so online until March 30. Voters must be registered before they can request an absentee ballot, so reopening online registration was ordered by a federal court in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said anyone not currently registered who wants to vote absentee for April 7 must act immediately.

The absolute deadline for most voters to request an absentee ballot is Thursday, April 2, and the Postal Service recommends giving yourself at least a week to return your ballot by mail.

Register online, and request an absentee ballot, at MyVote.WI.gov.

When requesting an absentee ballot through MyVote, if you have not previously submitted a copy of your photo ID, you will need to submit a copy of your photo ID electronically through the site.

Evers administration grapples with evictions amid ‘Safer at Home’ order

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Now would be a terrible time to be evicted from your home, and Ryan Nilsestuen, chief legal counsel for Governor Tony Evers, says it’s an issue they’re working on.

“Obviously, due to the public health situation, having someone be evicted from their home while at the same time issuing an order telling people that it’s safer to be at home is problematic,” Nilsestuen said during a media conference call on Tuesday.

Ine the state’s two most populous counties, Dane and Milwaukee, judge’s orders have already suspended evictions for the time being. A legal brief filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week by Legal Action of Wisconsin asked for the same thing statewide.

Nilsestuen said the issue is something the Evers administration is “taking a very hard look at, to see what steps can be taken, to ensure that people do have a safe place to be during the public health emergency.”

Green Bay files lawsuit to move April 7 election and make it vote-by-mail

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Uncertainty over next month’s election in Wisconsin is headed for court. The city of Green Bay on Tuesday filed a lawsuit to move the April 7th election and make it vote-by-mail only.

The city contends that moving ahead with the election will put people at risk, and wants a judge to move the deadline for voter registration to May 1st. The lawsuit asks to give local election managers til June 2nd to count the ballots.

Governor Tony Evers said Tuesday he is still looking at what to do about the election. But he continues to say voting early or voting by mail is the best bet.

WTAQ

DHS Secretary Palm spells out consequences of not adopting ‘Safer at Home’ order

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The need for Governor Tony Evers “Safer at Home” order to slow the spread of COVID-19 was spelled in the starkest possible terms Tuesday, by Department of Health Services Secretary. Andrea Palm.

“If we continue on our current path, without implementing Safer at Home to flatten the curve, the models show us that we would likely have 22,000 Wisconsinites who are positive for COVID-19 by April 8, and an estimated 440 to 1,500 deaths,” Palm said. “This means thousands of Wisconsinites would need hospitalization, and we would exceed our current hospital bed capacity.”

AUDIO: DHS Secretary Palm :37

Palm made the remarks early in a more than hour long conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

Evers “Safer at Home” order closing all non-essential businesses goes into effect at 8:00 am Wednesday. DHS reported Tuesday afternoon that there have now been 457 positive COVID-19 tests in the state. There have been five deaths.