Wisconsin Democrats are ready to file recall signatures against yet another Republican state Senator, in the battle over Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-public employee union bill, with petitions targeting state Sen. Rob Cowles.
The Appleton Post Crescent reports:
The Committee to Recall Cowles has enough signatures to initiate the next phase of the process and will file them with the Government Accountability Board on Thursday, Graeme Zielinski, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said Monday.
The state Senate currently has a 19-14 Republican majority, with Democrats hoping to pick up three seats in recall elections and win a majority. They have been collecting signatures in all eight Republican-held districts that are eligible. Under Wisconsin’s recall law, elected officials must have served at least one year of their term before being recalled — thus exempting the half of the Senate that was just elected in 2010.
Democrats have already filed recall signatures against five Republicans: Dan Kapanke, Randy Hopper, Luther Olsen, Sheila Harsdorf and Alberta Darling. Republicans have filed recall signatures against three Democrats: Dave Hansen, Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch.
In order to initiate a recall, signatures of at least 25 percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election, within the targeted district, must be collected in a 60-day window.
In addition, Dems have also declared their intention to recall Walker himself next year, when the one-year exemption runs out.
