Plans to appeal the controversial injunction a Dane County circuit judge placed on the voter ID law have been announced in the days following his decision. Department of Justice spokesperson Dana Brueck said in an email to The Badger Herald that the DOJ plans to appeal Circuit Judge David Flanagan’s decision on grounds the law is constitutional. “Illegal and fraudulent votes dilute and diminish the legitimate votes of qualified electors,” Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a statement. “It is proper and legal for the state to require a person appearing at the polls to prove that he or she is, in fact, the eligible, registered elector whose vote is to be cast.”
To combat the decision, the Republican Party filed a report Wednesday to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, requesting it investigate Flanagan for allegations that he signed the recall petition against Gov. Scott Walker. Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Ben Sparks said 31 states currently require a form of photo identification to vote, and the law is for the protection of voters. Sparks also said the decision made by Flanagan was a highly partisan one.
“This was simply another instance of a Dane County liberal judge trying to legislate from the bench,” Sparks said. “[Flanagan] signed the recall petition against Gov. Walker, so this represents a clear bias and a blatant conflict of interest. He goes and makes public his political opposition to a defendant over a case which he is presiding.”
Full Article: The Badger Herald: DOJ plans to appeal controversial voter ID decision.