Judge: WI Recall Elections in July

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

Recall elections of up to eight state senators will likely be held July 12.

A Dane County judge agreed Friday to a schedule that would put the elections on that date if the Government Accountability Board finds petitions to recall them were filed properly. However, the elections could be delayed by a court if there are legal challenges to the board's findings.

Republicans are being targeted for recall because of a bill they passed to limit collective bargaining for public workers. Democrats are being singled out for recall because they left the state for three weeks to try to prevent passage of the measure.

Signatures were filed against senators starting April 1, and under tight timelines in the statutes, the first election could have been scheduled in mid-June. But Dane County Judge John W. Markson agreed to give the accountability board more time to evaluate the petitions and schedule the elections.

He agreed the board needed more time because of the unprecedented demands on evaluating tens of thousands of signatures for each recall attempt. He also noted the board is bogged down by a statewide recount in the April 5 election for state Supreme Court.