- GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER HAS DECLINED TO WALL A SPECIAL
ELECTION IN TWO DISTRICTS WHOSE LEGISLATORS LEFT OFFICE
LATE LAST YEAR FOR JOBS IN THE GOVERNOR'S ADMINISTRATION
DISTRICTS 1 AND 42 WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR
TO FILL THE SEATS.
WHOEVER WINS WON'T BE SWORN IN UNTIL JANUARY.
IN TONIGHT'S WISCONTEXT REPORTING THAT LOOKS BACK OVER
NEARLY 50 YEARS OF 105 SPECIAL ELECTIONS IN WISCONSIN, FINDS
SCOTT WALKER'S DECISION IS UNPRECEDENTED.
REPORTER SCOTT GORDON IS HERE.
THANKS A LOT FOR BEING HERE.
- THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
- SO IN YOUR REPORTING, YOU SAY IT'S NORMAL FOR GOVERNORS TO
CALL SPECIAL ELECTIONS QUICKLY.
IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE HE'S NOT JUST CHALLENGING THAT NORM.
HE HAS SET A NEW RECORD IN THIS REGARD.
DESCRIBE HOW.
- WELL, THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE BASED ON ALL THE DATA THAT
WE COULD PULL TOGETHER ON WHEN LEGISLATIVE SEATS HAVE BEEN
VACATED AND WHEN GOVERNORS HAVE DECIDED TO CALL AN ELECTION OR
NOT TO FILL IT.
TYPICALLY SPEAKING, GOING BACK TO THE EARLY 1970s, PEOPLE HAVE
ACTED PRETTY QUICKLY ABOUT THIS.
THE GOVERNOR HAS SOME DISCRETION UNDER STATE LAW, BUT GENERALLY
THEY'VE DONE THIS REALLY FAST, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A FEW WEEKS,
SOMETIMES CALLING IT, YOU KNOW, THE DAY ON OR BEFORE A
LEGISLATOR'S RESIGNATION BECOMES EFFECTIVE
IF THEY'VE HAD ADVANCE NOTICE OF THAT.
SO LEAVING A LEGISLATIVE SEAT OPEN FOR EFFECTIVELY MORE THAN A
YEAR, WE COULDN'T FIND AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
AND WE ALSO ASKED THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IF THEY KNEW OF A
PRECEDENT OF THAT AND THEY DECLINED TO OFFER ONE.
- WHAT DID THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE SAY WAS THE RATIONALE FOR
NOT CALLING THESE TWO SPECIAL ELECTIONS
IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION?
- WELL, THEY'VE GOT A FEW TALKING POINTS THAT THEY'VE
STUCK TO PRETTY CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THIS STORY AS IT'S
PLAYED OUT IN DIFFERENT OUTLETS.
ONE IS THAT TECHNICALLY THEY BELIEVE THE STATE STATUTE
GOVERNING SPECIAL ELECTIONS ALLOWS THEM TO DO THAT AND
THAT'S HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON HOW YOU INTERPRET THE WORDING OF THE
STATUTE.
THEY ALSO ARGUE THAT THEY CAN'T JUSTIFY SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS ON
HAVING SPECIAL ELECTIONS.
AND THEY'VE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE LEGISLATIVE STAFF WILL
STILL BE WORKING IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
- ONE THING THAT BRINGS TO MIND IS HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT TO DO A
SPECIAL ELECTION?
- WELL, THE THING IS WE COULDN'T FIND A REALLY GOOD,
SOLID FIGURE ON THAT BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE WISCONSIN
ELECTIONS COMMISSION, IT TURNS INTO A VERY APPLES AND ORANGES
THING DEPENDING ON THE TURNOUT AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF AN
ELECTION.
WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD CERTAINLY IT COST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS,
BUT IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON WHERE THAT IS AND THE STATE
DOESN'T ALWAYS GATHER THAT DATA.
- SO THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TELLS YOU.
WHAT ARE OTHER PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT WHY THE GOVERNOR MIGHT NOT
HAVE CALLED FOR THESE SPECIAL ELECTIONS?
- WELL, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT ARE THE
REPUBLICANS WORRIED ABOUT A DEMOCRAT COMING IN AND FLIPPING
EITHER OF THESE SEATS, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH DISTRICT 10
JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH.
AND SO THERE'S -- YEAH.
THERE'S THE CONCERN THAT IT'S BASED MORE ON PARTISAN POLITICS
THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
- AND YET THAT SENATE ELECTION IN DISTRICT 10 HAPPENED AFTER
THIS, RIGHT?
HAPPENED AFTER HIS DECISION TO ALLOW THIS TO GO UNTIL THE
NOVEMBER 6 ELECTION.
- RIGHT, THEY HAD STAKED OUT THEIR POSITION ON THIS
BEFORE THAT ELECTION HAPPENED.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IN OTHER STATES THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIGNS
THAT IT'S A POLITICAL CLIMATE WHERE THESE UPSETS CAN HAPPEN.
- LIKE VIRGINIA. - YEAH.
CAN'T TELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IN THE ATMOSPHERE THERE.
- IN YOUR HISTORICAL LOOK BACK, YOU DID FIND THREE OTHER
EXAMPLES WHERE SEATS WERE HELD VACANT IN THE 200-DAY RANGE.
DID YOU FIND A POLITICAL COMPONENT TO THOSE?
- I WASN'T REALLY SURE.
SOME OF THEM SEEMED LIKE INSTANCES WHERE THE LEGISLATIVE
SEASON WOULD HAVE BEEN WRAPPING UP BY THE TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO
GET A NEW PERSON IN OFFICE.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER JUSTIFICATION THAT'S BEEN OFFERED IN THIS CASE
AS WELL.
MOST OF THE ACTUAL VOTING AND STUFF WILL BE OVER FOR THE YEAR
BEFORE YOU COULD LEGALLY ELECT AND SEAT NEW PEOPLE IN THESE
DISTRICTS NO MATTER HOW YOU DID IT.
BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO DELVE TOO MUCH INTO
WHAT THE MOTIVATIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THOSE PARTICULAR CASES.
BUT THOSE WERE OUTLIERS, AND THE VACANCY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
NOW IN THESE TWO SEATS IS AN OUTLIER TO THOSE.
- RIGHT.
IN DISTRICTS 1 AND 42, THEY'RE VACANT UNTIL JANUARY OF 2019.
WHO'S REPRESENTING THE VOTERS' INTEREST IN THOSE?
- FOR THE PEOPLE WHO FAVOR LEAVING THOSE SEATS OPEN
FOR THE TIME BEING,
THE LINE IS THAT LEGISLATIVE STAFF ARE TAKING
CARE OF THAT.
OF COURSE, LEGISLATIVE STAFF ARE OFTEN VERY CAPABLE, BUT IT'S NOT
THE SAME AS HAVING AN ACTUAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE.
- ALL RIGHT.
AND YOU HAVE A LITTLE COMPANION REPORTING ON THIS, KIND OF
BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF HOW YOU GATHERED ALL THIS INFORMATION.
- THAT'S CORRECT.
- AND PEOPLE CAN LOOK FOR THAT AT WisContext.
org.
LOOK FOR SCOTT'S COMPLETE REPORT AT WisContext.