Organizers of an effort to recall Governor Scott Walker say they have collected more than enough signatures to make it happen. On Tuesday afternoon, over one million recall petition signatures were delivered to the Government Accountability Board. Only 540,208 valid signatures are needed to trigger a recall election.
Also submitted Tuesday were more than 845,000 petition signatures to recall Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and what organizers say is more than enough signatures to recall Republican state Senators Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls), Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), and Van Wanggaard (R-Racine).
Julie Wells of Fort Atkinson, who filed the Walker recall in November, helped deliver the first box. Standing on the back of the moving truck carrying the petitions, Wells said the recall effort shows how “the people of Wisconsin came together to fight back” after “Governor Walker lied to the state.”
In a statement from his campaign, Governor Walker said he looks “forward to talking to the people of Wisconsin about my continued promises to control government spending, balance the budget, and hold the line on taxes. In my first year in office, we did just that by eliminating a $3.6 billion budget deficit without raising taxes; all while the state added thousands of new jobs. Instead of going back to the days of billion dollar budget deficits, double digit tax increases and record job loss, I expect Wisconsin voters will stand with me and keep moving Wisconsin forward.”
Walker opponent carries petitions to the GAB office. (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
The submitted petitions will now be reviewed by the GAB, which will have to scan each page and verify the validity of signatures. Agency officials expect the process to take more than two months, putting the actual date of a recall election likely into the summer.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:03)