I think the WI SC did right in refusing to hear the cases.

..............
Katherine Smith

2:07 pm on Monday, April 16, 2012
What a travesty of justice - that Dane County Judges - do not reflect the rest of Wisconsin -

Dear Katherine, You do know the reason why the law was struck down, don;t you?

The Wi constitution specifies who is a legal voter and who is not. The Boter ID is not required by the state constitution

Second, the amount a voter fraud - a person voting fraudulently, is miniscule compared to election fraud. Election fraud includes denying people the right to vote due to lack of voter ID, not providing enough ballots for a poolin station, and actually tampering with the vote, among other thing.

Margaret:

Not having a constitutional requirement for voter ID is not reason to strike it down.

Claiming that voting fraud is miniscule requires a mechanism under which fraudulent voters can be detected and caught. Poll workers cannot check ID to catch people voting under a false identity. Fact is, nobody really knows how many fraudulent votes are being cast...

Cow, why support voter disenfranchisement?

Legitimate voters are disenfranchised when we keeping a system that makes it easy to commit voter fraud.

Get everyone an ID and nobody gets disenfranchised. Rather than challenging the law, perhaps those efforts should be put toward getting IDs for those who fear being disenfranchised by the law.

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin believes the case against Voter ID has no merit. The only people about to be disenfranchised are the busloads of bums shipped from precinct to precinct for a bottle of Muscatel.

This really doesn't bode well for the democrats recall election chances in 50 days.

Amen. It is obvious why Democrats oppose this law. Voter fraud is an important part of their agenda to winning elections.

@John Williams -- It seems that some of us aren't 'citizens' until we can prove it with a birth certificate. Even if we have registered to vote, gotten married, served in the military, obtained social security cards, etc. with a lesser form of proof like a baptismal certificate or an affidavit. They are rapidly vanishing, but there are some people in this country that were not issued birth certificates when they were born.

If the state legislature had allowed amendments to 'grandfather' in previously registered Wisconsin voters who had proved their status under the previous legal standards in operation at the time, this law might have passed constitutional muster.

You are RIGHT! I own a house and I have to prove my residence and eligibility to vote nearly every 4 years. It's a pain but I would rather have it than have someone who can't legally vote decide my destiny!

@Robert Richardson -- Really? You have to re-register every four years? You must move a lot. I registered in my current polling place back in 1971 and haven't had to since.

@Randy1949 -- Your position holds merit for those people. However I am not refering to those individuals. There were a couple people used as examples by the NAACP, one being an older black man who was a disabled veteran, yet he was being made to jump through hoops to get his free ID. First he applied for a social security card, where he was informed that he needed a birth certificate. Then when he got his birth certificate found that it had his birthname (the name his mother gave him) and that he did not choose to use that name (he has been using an alias his whole life!).

At some point he had to have either/both a birth certificate and/or a social security card, otherwise he would not have been able to serve in the military and/or collect disability payments. He does not fall into your rapidly vanishing group.

The other example given was a single mother from Mississippi who could not locate her birth certificate because of fire/flood issues. explain then how she was able to obtain benefits here in wisconsin to support herself and her 7 children, one of which is getting social security disability every month, if she has never had any form of identification in the form of a birth certificate or a social security card?

Im a democrat and a liberal, and I firmly believe in verified ID. Heck I also think everyone should have a DNA sample on file with their prints and current photo! Think how quickly all those non supported babies would have their daddies found!

Denis, none of those examples you cite are protected by the U.S. Constitution. Voting is. This is less about eliminating Voter Fraud (at a cost of $5-$6 million for 15 incidents in 2010-none of which would have been stopped by this legislation), and more about Scott Walker promulgating the ALEC agenda to de-fund the Democratic Party and promote corporate greed.

At least Bren admits dems cheat

Steve, I believe at least some of the voters mistakenly thought they were eligible to vote, etc. I personally have found documentation of 7 errors but accede to others' assertions that there were 15. Out of some 3,000,000 votes cast.

@Bren, I need a driver's license, a criminal background check and a 48 hour waiting period every time I purchase a constitutionally protected firearm.

Surely you've seen the video where a young white guy walks into Eric Holders Washinton DC polling place, claims to be him and they practically fall over each other to hand him the US Attorney Generals ballot?

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/08/DC-Polling-Place-Holder-Ballot

You have no clue how much voter fraud there is because nobody is even trying to stop it let alone begin to quantify the total disenfranchisement.

Just say no to drugs

I thought Prosser was still on medical leave after the choking incident.

Wow....Is this supposed to be sarcastic? Or a parody? Or making fun of how stupid the left is? " I never thought in my life time did I think I would see Alkita strong enough to end voting in wisconsin." Huh? I never did I think I thought that Al-qaeda would be spelled phonetically. I was going to go on....but seriously...this post is a joke, right?

Jerry: I lost the sole on my shoe and took it to Al Kita to be repaired, then took my car to the mechanic to have the axis repaired.
I paid by cheque, and had to show ID, but I didn't have to sell my soul to the devil to pay for it. Thank goodness it wasn't raining that day, as the reign would have ruined my new rug.

What the heck is Alkita? And I see you are a product to the fine public education we pay so much for...lol

I suspect you do your side no good by showing your stupidity.

America United ‏ @Progress2day
Letters: Walker taking WI down the wrong path http://wdhne.ws/IGpjjp #wiunion #p2 #p2b #wiright #teaparty #twisters #tlot #ItsNotWorking

Steve, which "out of state union" are you referring to here? Or Scott Walker (R-ALEC) for that matter? I understand that the issue is not private unions, only our public employee unions? If so, please explain who these "out of state unions" are. Thanks,

Careful Moroninthemist, name calling is school yard bully behavior.

@Bren -

There was a lot of talk of bussing in public sector union sympathizers from Ohio and other states and housing them for the required 28 day residency requirement for the sole purpose of having them vote in our recall elections. Of course, such an act would still constitute a violation of the intent element of our elector qualification statute, but that didn't stop the strategy from being discussed on many leftist facebook pages or county Democratic Party meetings.

If you were 'politically current,' then surely you would have been aware of such situation.

Cheers!

No voter ID bidges!!!! Vote early for Walker vote often for Walker!

Can i join you Steve? He dropped my property taxes 5% last year!

What's a "women children"?

Yes, we know that your dead mother-in-law still can not vote. But there were several programs for people to get IDs and birth certificates, if required. The disenfranchised people you are so desperately trying to create could easily have gotten IDs, if they had wanted. If they now do not have IDs, they choose to not get IDs.

Yes, in the form of acquiring documentation (sometimes from out of state or country) that could be expensive or no longer in existence. Life isn't so tidy for many.

It's quite clear that voter ID law is intended to be "exclusive" not "inclusive." Which is why critics have accused it of being a thinly veiled poll tax.

It is "inclusive" in protecting MY vote. The critics want us to go to extraordinary provisions to get IDs for people that have never come forward. You can't keep making up these fake people, it is really what the voter ID issue is all about. Tidy this up for me and produce some of the people that can not get IDs.

You like to make stuff up don't you. Check under your bed before you go to sleep?

@Keith: Go to any DMV, and look around. FREE signs are everywhere- (you are genetically predisposed to notice a sign that says FREE.)
In smaller type under FREE: photo ID for voters.
The DMV I was at had 5 signs.
If your people feel so disenfrenchfried, tell them to learn to read!

Bren, you need to go through those extraordinary measures for out of state birth certificates to get married in Wisconsin.

What is quite clear is that the Dems fear they cannot win an election without the backing of unions or fraudulent voting. Well, I'm one of the 86% that pays for the 14% and have had enough. Go Walker!!! (Can't wait to see what trick the Dems have up their sleeve when they lose again....)

This is a manufactured crisis. The Commonwealth of Virginia (whose governor is even more radical than Scott Walker) just struck down their voter ID law (thanks ALEC) because of the cost.

Voting is a Constitutionally-protected right. It's un-American to try to take that right from others.

@Bren -

No one is trying to take away anyone's right - we merely want to preserve the integrity of our elections.

You like to assert the premise that a lack of prosecutions conclusively proves that voter fraud doesn't exist, correct? So, how many complaints of disenfranchisement were there during this February's primary elections when Voter ID legislation was in effect? In fact, I can't find a single report of a complaint being made to the GAB claiming disenfranchisement, can you? So, using your own logic, I guess that conclusively proves that Voter ID does not cause voter disenfranchisement. Case closed.

The voting rights of the majority are taken away in a close election by the fraud of the minority.

@JRH -- As far as I know, no cases of disenfranchisement were reported during the February elections (which were local and of low turnout) however, there was one report of two previously registered voters turned away for not having proper ID during the recently primary. This happened at a polling place in western Waukesha County, and if the poll workers are so poorly trained that they haven't been informed of the current injunction on the Voter ID law, then how can we trust that they will be well-trained enough to know which forms of Voter ID are acceptable if it is reinstated?

Interesting...

President Cheney fired Fed DAs for not finding voter fraud. But even if someone took your vote, you obviously don't know how to use it correctly any ways.

George, please provide your evidence to support this hypothesis.

No surprises here - I personally witnessed such voter fraud while attending UW-Whitewater. My reports to the local police were dismissed without investigation.

No convictions.
Just students bragging in 2000. Reminds me of the guy who had his few minutes of fame who claimed he signed the recall petitions 80 times and the TeaGOP constantly brought it up--but the TV station did not follow up and GAB said no one signed the petitions 80 times. Both stores are DEAD!!

Certainly this is PROOF there is no fraud. If there were any voter fraud, Misty would let us know.

Craig, I agree. Morninmist appears to be very current politically.

I also remember all of the fake names that were supposed to have been on the recall petitions--which turned out to be 4. Or the $7 million Capitol cleaning which turned out to be far less ($200,000?). Or that union stripping was needed for "budget repair" until it wasn't. Or now, "fake" Democrats.

Right-wing projection.

Bren your numbers are wrong. It was far more than 4, the GAB may have claimed 4. Locally we have a school board member who signed their name with an alias, and also signed Darlings recall with the same alias ( and did not live in Darling's district )
The GAB did not catch this.

@Bren -

1) The GAB didn't give much scrutiny to the petition signatures because Walker chose not to challenge them. 2) The $7M figure included the cost of additional security that was necessary during the Capitol 'occupation.' 3) Curbs on public sector union privileges were necessary in order to effectuate the promise of assisting local units of government in containing their budgets given reduced state assistance and under the promised and delivered property tax freeze legislation. 4) Running fake candidates is just as legal as these frivolous recalls are, not to mention that such a tactic was heavily used by the Democrats in the past.

But you'd know all this if in fact you were 'politically current,' wouldn't you?

Try again.

Try to focus. The common issue of the links I posted is voter fraud, not Acorn.

Newsbusters. Not a credible information source.

@Bren -

Neither is the Daily Kos, but that hasn't stopped you from citing that propagandist rag time and again here on the Patch. Funny how right-wing blogs are trash, while the left-wing blogs are acceptable sources of information to you.

Your hypocrisy is once again showing.

I hand't noticed it stopped.

Mornin,

Acorn is not gone, just renamed.

I thought Dean was being rather generous, considering.

"With respect to 44 statements that Politifacts examined, Walker was found to have been truthful only on six occasions. The fact that 38 statements were pants-on-fire false, false, mostly false, or half-truths is stark evidence of amorality."

Truly frightening.

@Bren -

Apparently, you missed one of Schmitz's earlier comments over on another board wherein he dismissed Politifact's legitimacy. Your girl Rachel Maddow also has issues with Politifact's rating system.

I'm surprised that you, the purveyor of conducting independent research, would hold in such high regard the assessments conducted by Politifact. I though that you were more independent than that.

Great point!

Kevin Presser, I believe all agree that not everyone should have access to weapons. Would you really open up gun ownership in that way?

@Bren -

Where in the Constitutional right to bear arms does it state that such a right is selective and not privy to all citizens, as I'm having problems finding such language?

Bren: I should have an ID to buy a firearm? What if I need it for protection but can't afford to pay for an ID also? The right to bear arms is a right- just like voting is a right.
Violent felons can not buy a firearm and are not supposed to vote, but we only verify their ID for firearm purchases?

@Kevin Presser -- An American citizen does lose the right to possess a firearm under certain conditions. Purchasing a firearm is akin to registering to vote, at which time you have to prove a number of things, such as age, residence, lack of felony convictions . . .

I have never bought a gun, but does the purchase require a specific form of photo ID where one had to prove US citizenship with a birth certificate?

Again with the dumb arguments over voter ID vs something else. We have abundant proof that gun laws have been violated, and hardly any in regards to voter ID. In fact on that basis, we should even be providing conceal carry.

@dpatric2 -- Here is an interesting list of the proposed amendments to the Voter ID bill, including the reinstatement of vouching and free secondary documents (birth certificates) in addition to the free ID cards.

http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=33534

"Senate Democrats spent over nine hours proposing amendments to the Voter Identification Bill (AB-7) Tuesday, only to have Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) motion to table each amendment. Each motion passed along party lines, and all of the Democrats' amendments were tabled without debate from Senate Republicans."

@Lexi Noble -- I find it a little bit odd that it seems to be easier to register than to actually vote. Presumably when you register you satisfy both the identity and residence requirements at that time. Now, with the requirement of showing a birth certificate to obtain the photo ID, we're asking people to prove US birth yet again.

I will also point out that a birth certificate doesn't really prove you are whom you claim to be, since I have changed greatly in appearance since 1949. An amendment allowing people who have difficulty locating and obtaining a birth certificate to prove their citizenship with alternate means, especially in the case of previously registered voters, would have solved a lot of problems, as would a voter photo ID issued at the time of registration.

As for judges overriding legislation -- that's how our three branches of government work. When our legislators pass laws that contravene our state constitution, it's up to the judiciary to tell them to go back and get it right.

So Lexi, then you are against the US Supreme Court overturning the Affordable Health Care Act or picking George Bush president?

I don't recall any Republican running on passing voter ID.