7/9/11 – A judge has refused to stop recall elections against nine Wisconsin state senators. Opponents had argued the paperwork involved was filled with issues ranging from fraudulent signatures to improper registration forms. Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess made the ruling Friday, saying the Government Accountability Board had no clear responsibility to invalidate the recall petition efforts. Unless there is an appeal, the recall elections against six Republican and three Democratic senators will move forward over the next month and a half. All of the recalls come from the senators’ positions on Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law, which takes most collective bargaining rights from state workers. Democrats can take control of the Wisconsin Senate if they can hold their Senate seats and pick up three more.
