Wis. attorney general to appeal voter ID ruling

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s attorney general on Wednesday said he will appeal a judge’s ruling to stop the state’s new voter identification law from being in effect for the April 3 presidential primary.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he and his staff will move quickly to bring the ruling before an appellate court. He issued a statement shortly after the state’s Republican Party filed a formal complaint against the judge who ruled in the case.

Van Hollen defended the law for its aim to stop illegal and fraudulent voting. He said he is confident the law will be upheld. He also said a majority of eligible Wisconsin voters either have a qualifying photo ID or can obtain one without significant burdens. He said there are accommodations for the rest.

Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan granted a temporary injunction on Tuesday. It comes from a lawsuit brought on by the NAACP’s Milwaukee branch and immigration rights group Voces de la Frontera. The injunction stops the contentious law from being in effect for the state’s April 3 presidential primary election.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a formal complaint with the state’s Judicial Commission to investigate Flanagan for signing a petition in November to recall GOP Gov. Scott Walker. They say Flanagan failed to maintain impartiality.

A phone message left Wednesday at Flanagan’s office was not immediately returned.

NAACP attorney Richard Saks defended Flanagan shortly after the ruling, and said his signature had no bearing on his decision in the case. He said Flanagan has a right to participate in the political process.

But Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who is being targeted for recall, said Flanagan’s signing the petition and then hearing the voter ID case and ruling against Walker was a “clear conflict of interest.” Fitzgerald called Flanagan’s order “over the top,” but said he wasn’t surprised the judge had signed the petition. Signing it was a better political move for Flanagan, who is a judge in the traditionally liberal Dane County, Fitzgerald said.

Voter ID continues to be a contentious issue across the country, especially in a presidential election year. Wisconsin passed its law last spring, and several critics call it one of the strictest in the nation. Voters must show either a state-issued ID card, valid driver’s license, U.S. passport, a student ID that expires within two years, or a military ID.

There are four lawsuits against the law, including two federal suits. All are pending.

Supporters say voter ID laws help prevent fraud, though opponents counter there are few documented cases. They argue minority groups are most likely to face roadblocks in obtaining a valid ID.