Gov. Scott Walker has reversed himself and decided not to ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court to delay a court order that he schedule special elections to fill two legislative vacancies.Wisconsin Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin filed a letter late Wednesday afternoon saying Walker has decided not to seek relief from the Supreme Court at this time.Walker has refused to order elections to fill Rep. Keith Ripp and Sen. Frank Lasee's seats.
He says the elections would confuse voters and waste tax dollars when regular elections are set for fall.A Madison judge last week ordered the Republican governor to schedule the elections by noon on Thursday.
Walker asked the 2nd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday to both review that decision and delay the order to April 6. The appellate court refused to delay the order.
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Gov. Scott Walker plans to ask the state Supreme Court to delay a court order that he schedule special elections to fill two legislative vacancies.
Walker has refused to order elections to fill Rep. Keith Ripp and Sen. Frank Lasee's seats. He says the elections would confuse voters and waste tax dollars when regular elections are set for fall.
A Madison judge last week ordered him to schedule the elections by noon on Thursday. Walker asked the 2nd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday to both review that decision and delay the order to April 6. The appellate court refused to delay the order. State attorneys have alerted the state Supreme Court that they plan to ask the justices to issue an order before noon Thursday delaying the scheduling to April 6.
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A state appeals court has denied Gov. Scott Walker's request to delay a court order that he schedule special elections to fill two legislative vacancies in no uncertain terms.
Walker has refused to order special elections to fill Rep. Keith Ripp and Sen. Frank Lasee's seats. Both quit in December to join Walker's administration, saying the elections would confuse voters and amount to an unnecessary waste of tax dollars when regular elections are set for fall.
State law requires Walker to order special elections to fill vacancies that occur before May of an election year. A Madison judge last week ordered him to order the special elections by noon Thursday.
The state Justice Department asked the 2nd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday morning to give Walker until April 6 to call the elections. The court denied the request Wednesday afternoon, writing that electing representatives is never a waste of tax dollars and Walker is obligated to order special elections.