The Government Accountability Board certified the recalll petitions against Republican state Senators Shelia Harsdorf, Alberta Darling and Robert Cowles, who now join fellow Republican Senators Dan Kapanke, Luther Olsen and Randy Hopper on the certified recall list, while leaving the fate of the recall petitions against Democrat Senators Jim Holperin, Bob Wirch and Dave Hansen undecided. The GAB bad been under a Friday deadline to determine sufficiency of all 9 petitions and, if they were sufficient, order recall elections.
Yesterday, the GAB asked for a 1-week extension for the 3 Dem petitions. That hearing will be held at 1:30 pm on Friday. Further, the GAB plans on meeting sometime during that week to decide the fate of the petitions against the Democrats.
The court petition, available on WisPolitics, has a couple of interesting items in it. First, the GAB claims it did all the recalls against Republicans first because the challenges were similar, even though the ones against Darling and Cowles were filed after the petitions against the Democrats.
Second, none of the elections against the Republicans were ordered as of Wednesday morning. This may yet result in all 9 happening on the same day, specifically July 19, the date the 6 against the Republicans will occur, as the 6-week (plus the days to the follilowing Tuesday if it isn’t already Tuesday) clock starts on the day the election is ordered, not when the petition is certified. If the GAB meets on either Monday or Tuesday, that 1-day “Mega-Recall” (or at least primaries) is still possible.
Also from the WisPolitics story, attorneys for Kapanke, Olsen and Cowlea filed challenges to the certifications. I doubt they’ll go anywhere even if the court ignores the lateness; they had 7 days starting on 5/24 to file the challenge, which would have been Memorial Day.
As for the net result, I still don’t see more than 2 Republicams losing their seats, which would not be enough to give the Democrats the majority. If the recalls against the Democrats proceed, I expect at least 2 of them to also lose. If they end up held on different days, I agree with AP that conservative anger will cause all 3 Democrats to lose.
The Republicans would get the 20-13 supermajority needed to move on fiscal issues without a single Democrat present if they havea net gain of 1, while the Democrats need a net gain of 3 to take control of the Senate until at least thia time nexr year.
One more thing; whoever survivea the recall election cannot be recalled again until January 2014 assuming he/she is reelected in 2012.
See you Saturday.
