Wisconsin Republicans Push to Take Over the State's Elections

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times

Wisconsin Republicans Push to Take Over the State's Elections

Led by Senator Ron Johnson, G.O.P. officials want to eliminate a bipartisan elections agency -- and maybe send its members to jail.

By Reid J. Epstein
Nov. 19, 2021
Updated 7:17 a.m. ET

Republicans in Wisconsin are engaged in an all-out assault on the state's election system, building off their attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential race by pressing to give themselves full control over voting in the state.

The Republican effort -- broader and more forceful than that in any other state where allies of former President Donald J. Trump are trying to overhaul elections -- takes direct aim at the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, an agency Republicans created half a decade ago that has been under attack since the chaotic aftermath of last year's election. (1)

The firestorm picked up late last month after a long-awaited report on the 2020 results that was ordered by Republican state legislators found no evidence of fraud but made dozens of suggestions for the election commission and the G.O.P.-led Legislature, turbocharging Republican demands for more control of elections. (2), (3)

Then the Trump-aligned sheriff of Racine County, the state's fifth most populous county, recommended felony charges against five of the six members of the election commission for guidance they had given to municipal clerks early in the pandemic. (4) The Republican majority leader of the State Senate later seemed to give a green light to that proposal, saying that "prosecutors around the state" should determine whether to bring charges. (5)

And last week, Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican, said that G.O.P. state lawmakers should unilaterally assert control of federal elections, claiming that they had the authority to do so even if Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, stood in their way -- an extraordinary legal argument debunked by a 1932 Supreme Court decision and a 1964 ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. (6), (7), (8) His suggestion was nonetheless echoed by Michael Gableman, a conservative former State Supreme Court justice who is conducting the Legislature's election inquiry. (9)

Republican control of Wisconsin elections is necessary, Mr. Johnson said in an interview on Wednesday, because he believes Democrats cheat.

“Do I expect Democrats to follow the rules?” said the senator, who over the past year has promoted fringe theories on topics like the Capitol riot and Covid vaccines. (10) “Unfortunately, I probably don’t expect them to follow the rules. And other people don’t either, and that’s the problem.”

{snip}

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/us/politics/republican-states.html

(2) https://legis.wisconsin.gov/lab/eSummary21-19

(3) https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wisconsin-lawsuits-elections-election-recounts-5b0fc57d521eb6e53ff1f78a695188b5

(4) https://www.wisn.com/article/racine-co-sheriff-recommends-criminal-charges-against-5-state-election-commissioners/38152075

(5) https://www.wisn.com/article/upfront-republican-leader-not-sure-legislature-could-take-over-wisconsins-federal-elections/38243026

(6) https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/11/10/ron-johnson-calls-gop-wisconsin-lawmakers-take-over-elections/6376079001/

(7) https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/285/355/

(8) https://law.justia.com/cases/wisconsin/supreme-court/1964/22-wis-2d-544-6.html

(9) https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/211110Interim.pdf

(10) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/21/us/politics/ron-johnson-wisconsin-misinformation.html

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/19/us/politics/wisconsin-republicans-decertify-election.html

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Kevin M. Kruse Retweeted

https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse

Wisconsin Republicans Push to Take Over the State's Elections

"Led by Senator Ron Johnson, G.O.P. officials want to eliminate a bipartisan elections agency -- and maybe send its members to jail..."

Link to tweet

[machoneman]

1. RonJon: voted dumbest Republican by many Democrats!

Yes, he's without a doubt the least intelligent Senator currently serving WI. I'm amazed that thoughtful R voters still re-elect him since there are many better individuals who could run against him. Ah, but it does seem that virtually all the R voters in WI at least have totally lost their minds to Trumpy. Sad but true!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Johnson's tourists didn't follow the rules & killed 5 people, but he's unconcerned about that. . .nt

[olegramps]

3. Will Americans wakeup to the fact their freedoms are in serious jeopardy?

We are witnessing a dramatic replay of the events that took place in Germany that led to the establishment of the NAZI regime. Most Germans were solid law abiding citizens who could not comprehend that their country was being taken over by demagogues and did not recognize the depth of the of threat. The communist authoritarian governments are joyfully watching as country after country are steadily moving toward the establishment of authoritarian regimes. They are winning the war without a shot being fired.

Who is really behind this movement? Just as like Germany and Italy it is the major wealth industrialists who were intent on creating a Plutocracy. Hitler and Mussolini were just their deranged puppets. They believe that they should be in control and know what is best for the nation. Who has financed the takeover of hundreds of broadcast stations that are now dominated by their propagandists? The story is different by the tactics are the same. Demonize the opposition and assure their supporters that they are the Real Patriotic Americans and anyone who opposes them are enemies. Millions have bought the lies. Even to the extent that they were convinced that the election was fraudulent and were encouraged to attack the Congress. They are their useful idiots to be used and discarded when they no longer serve their purposes.

[cstanleytech]

8. To be honest I fear we are looking at a pre-WWII Germany situation with similar type of people

that supported the Nazi regimes rise to power but now its called the Republican party.

[Rebl2]

9. Unfortunately

probably not until after republicans possibly take over the house in 2023.

[Lonestarblue]

10. I don't think most Americans have a clue what is going on.

There ate the Fatuous Fox Fanatics who believe every conspiracy theory and lie pushed by their hosts and who gave up any notion of reality ages ago. Then there are the right-wing evangelicals (some of whom fall in the Fox stew) who don’t care what’s going on and don’t really bother finding out because they’re single-issue voters who vote for Republicans because they are about to be rewarded for their votes with overturning Roe and hopefully in the future reversing LGBTQ rights and passing state laws to criminalize same-sex relationships and force them back to secrecy.

Then there are the younger generations who are working long hours to pay off college loans and get most of their news from social media that at best contains a mixture of truth and falsehoods. Is it any wonder that we have millions who not only do not spend the time to learn the facts but also do not vote because they can’t be bothered or they think all politicians are the same and it doesn’t matter who gets elected!

[CrispyQ]

13. Too many on our side suffer from the most dangerous type of American exceptionalism--

that fascism can't happen here. I have friends who think now that Trump is out of office things are going to be fine. 2020 was just one battle.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

18. I've concluded they don't care

White America is determined to hold onto power and America's business leaders, although they won't come right out and say so, seem to want -- if not authoritarianism -- fewer people being allowed to give input.

[blm]

4. Showing their intention to assert their will over the vote.

Sounds honest and trustworthy. 😏

[turbinetree]

5. There are two bills presently in the senate waiting to end this shit.....

because two senators don't realize that these fascist are going down the path to pass laws to just plain replace them and anyone else that doesn't act like them....with their dictatorial powers they are making for themselves....wake up and smell the coffee....

[Pobeka]

6. +1000. And those 2 senators will also face harder re-elections if they don't act for fairness fast.

[Lonestarblue]

11. I predict that neither will run in 2024.

Manchin is 74 now and will be 77 if he runs again. He barely won his election in 2918. If Republicans take the Senate majority in 2022, he may well decide to bag a job where he will have no influence whatsoever, especially after being the power player able to force others to his will for a couple of years.

Sinema will be primaried and would likely lose, or she might skip any campaign and go to a lobbying firm.

[mahina]

17. I agree with one revision

Sinema already went to work for the lobbyists. Like Tulsi, for her it’s a no-show job except if there are cameras around.

[KPN]

12. Hard for me to believe Manchin and Sinema don't realize that. In which case ...

you/others can fill in the blank.

[certainot]

7. wisconsonites can protest this at the the university of wisconsin which supports 3 RW radio stations

those stations help create the pretext and sold the lies that republicans are using to sell this crap

johnson and most republican politicians are heavily dependent on stations like that and if the school was forced into a public discussion on why they continue to broadcast sports on radio stations that deny global warming, push the big lie, excuse racism etc, advertisers on those and other wisc RW stations will head for the hills. and people will start thinking of them as propaganda operations as opposed to 'free speech' forums. the GOP cannot survive without RW radio

WISCONSIN 3 Wisconsin 3

[dalton99a]

14. Johnson is a fast learner

[Bayard]

15. How can this be legal?

And sending the current elections officials to jail?

Every time you think they can't do anything more outrageous, they top themselves. And Wisconsin? I'd expect this more in TX or FL.

[onetexan]

16. Paging Merrick Garland..DOJ step in time

[Algernon Moncrieff]

19. You saw the Rittenhouse verdict

Wisconsin outside the big towns has moved very far right. Like Iowa apart from Des Moines.

[rkleinberger]

20. This seems extremely dangerous if allowed to proceed.

Why aren't the Dems pursuing an attack against this. Go after the Sherriff and the Judge if you have to. They see no consequences in their actions. The inaction of the DOJ in many respects have given these fascists the "Squid Games" they want.

[Aristus]

21. Wisconsin was never at the top of my must-visit list.

But it is rapidly heading to the bottom of it.

[dchill]

22. I'm beginning to think that the term "Cheeseheads..."

...never had anything to do with dairy products.

[Aristus]

23. Cheesedicks, more like it...

Jesus, what a fucked up state...

[ck4829]

24. Kick