MADISON — Democrats blasted Republicans on Tuesday for hastily convening a hearing on how state election officials plan to handle photo identification requirements for student voters and online recall petitions, accusing the GOP of using the process to put the decisions directly in Gov. Scott Walker's hands.
The Republican-controlled Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules called a hearing on barely 24 hours' notice to discuss the Government Accountability Board's new policies on student IDs and downloadable recall petitions with an eye toward directing the board to adopt rules to its liking. The committee ultimately adjourned without taking any action.
Democrats on the committee questioned why the panel was even meeting and suggested Republicans who control it wanted to give Walker, a Republican who faces a potential recall push next year, the ability to make collecting signatures against him more difficult and suppress the student vote.
A law Republicans passed earlier this year gave the governor oversight of state agency rule-making. If the rules committee ordered GAB to make changes, Walker would be able to approve or nix them.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110927/GPG0101/110927145/State-Democrats-rip-GOP-voter-ID-hearing-short-notice