Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
One Wisconsin Now (blogger Scott Ross) states:
"Lazich voted for to kill notary requirement she now wants for Walker recall When it comes to sheer partisan hackery, there is no substitute for GOP Sen. Mary Lazich of New Berlin. Lazich, an author of the Jim Crow-era voter suppression ID bill, has now dumped a slew of sleazy legislations to try and save Gov. Scott Walker and the razor-thin Republican Senate majority. And now it's requiring her to vote against bill she voted for previously.
Check out Lazich's sudden call Friday to require recall petitions to be notarized. Make no mistake, this is a 100 percent to try and thwart the coming recall of Scott Walker as well as a number of her fellow Republican senators. But if you look at her legislative voting record, you will see that Lazich voted for AB700 in 2000, which took away the requirement of notarized nomination papers. For Lazich to make this flip flop is just another example of the desperation and duplicity of Walker's soldiers run the GOP legislative majority.
It's not job creation, it's not giving corporations the "tools to succeed," Lazich's schemes are about subverting democracy and rigging elections to her bend. In short, Lazich believes only Republican voters should have the right to cast their ballot. Welcome to Walker's Wisconsin."
According to the Journal Sentinel: Lazich's bill would "require those who circulate recall petitions to submit notarized affidavits. That would confirm the identity of those who circulate recall petitions, Lazich said. Democrats said the bill would do nothing to prevent fraud and was a further attempt by Republicans to put up hurdles to conducting recalls. The notarization requirement would be in effect for recall petitions, but not the nomination petitions that those running for office must circulate to get on the ballot."
The Political Environment blog conveys that Sen. Lazich is “ trying to quickly change the rules and laws at the 11-th hour that govern recall petition drives - - the process that, unfettered by the restrictions Lazich now proposes, enabled now-Gov. Scott Walker to oust Milwaukee County Executive Tom Ament in 2002 - - by hamstringing petition circulators with new, cumbersome notarization requirements.”
The Wisconsin State Journal Oct 31 article Recall district change stalls with GOP Sen. Schultz’s opposition contains references to two controversial bills (including the notary requirement one) recently introduced by Republican Sen. Lazich that would make it harder to recall GOP incumbent lawmakers.
For more on this topic, consult the Journal Sentinel Oct 31 news report GOP redistricting bill faltering.
State Sen. Chris Larson contends:
" It is telling that the "Special Session on Jobs" is focused more on special bills to protect Republicans' jobs than on those in need of jobs"
“Not only is this effort by Republicans to save their own jobs unethical, but it is also unconstitutional. Article XIII, Section 12 of the Wisconsin Constitution states that laws may be created to facilitate the operation of recalling elective officers, but no law shall be enacted to hamper, restrict or impair the right of recall. The recall process was codified in our state’s constitution not to protect the rights of elected officials, but rather to protect the rights of the electorate to be properly represented. I will continue fighting to protect the rights of people across Wisconsin by upholding our state’s constitution and its provisions related to recall elections.”
-------------
Update Tuesday, 11/1-----
Per the Journal Sentinel:
A Senate committee indefinitely delayed its vote Tuesday on a bill that would make it harder to recall Republican state lawmakers, assuring the controversial measure will not pass in the short term.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections was to vote Tuesday on that bill and one that would require any recall petitions that are submitted to be notarized. But Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), author of the bills and chairwoman of the committee, canceled holding votes on them.
As a result, the Republican-controlled Senate will not take up the bills when it meets Wednesday, the last day senators are slated to meet until January. That means Democrats who hope to launch recalls against Gov. Scott Walker and other Republicans later this month will likely do so under existing recall rules.
On Tuesday morning, Lazich said she was delaying the committee's vote by a day. But after meeting behind closed doors with members of her party, she canceled Wednesday's committee meeting.
