Opponents of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker have outdone themselves. United Wisconsin, a group that organized the effort along with the Democratic Party, submitted a million signatures today, nearly twice as many needed to force a recall election.
Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board needed at least 540,208 people to sign off, or rather, one-fourth the number of voters for governor in 2010.
Walker seems to be unafraid of losing his position. In a statement issued today, he said, “I look forward to talking to the people of Wisconsin about my continued promises to control government spending, balance the budget, and hold the line on taxes.”
The public outcry against the Republican governor began last year over his push to end collective bargaining rights for state workers. Protesters have been biding their time until now, as a formal request to recall the governor couldn’t be filed until after he served one full year in office.
The Government Accountability Board estimated its verification process of signatures would take 60 days or more. But the Republicans aren’t going down without a fight. They created a website in support of the governor’s accomplishments to rally support. Recalls have become a regular drill in Wisconsin. Last year, six Republican state senators went through it. Two of them lost, which put the GOP party with a one-vote majority in the Senate. Three Dems also faced recall elections.
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