Gov. Scott Walker signaled Tuesday that he was open to signing a bill that would limit early voting, including disallowing it on weekends in the two weeks leading up to an election. The state Senate was expected to pass the bill Tuesday, despite objections from those who say it’s an unconstitutional attempt to make it more difficult for minorities in Wisconsin’s largest cities to vote. Senators were preparing to work into the night voting on more than 50 bills, including more than a dozen that would make substantive and technical changes to election law, as part of an effort to end this year’s session within the next couple weeks.
When asked about the early voting bill following a Wisconsin Bankers Association event, Walker said that it wasn’t on his radar yet but he would “take a look at it” once it clears the Legislature. “We’ve got a whole stack of things to look at when they pass through both houses,” Walker said.
Democrats, along with a coalition of community, voter rights and religious groups that work to expand access to the polls, particularly for minorities, oppose the bill. But Democrats don’t have enough votes in the Senate to stop it.
“Politicians should be focused on freedom and justice, not decreasing the number of people who can vote,” Mike Wilder, co-chair of the African American Roundtable in Milwaukee, said during a Monday news conference opposing the bills.
Full Article: Walker open to bill limiting early voting hours | FOX 11 Online | WLUK-TV.