The summer of 2011 may go down in Wisconsin history as the summer of the recall. Nine state lawmakers are up for recall. These lawmakers represent people who supported Wisconsin’s controversial governor, Scott Walker. These recalls are significant, not because of how many there are, or even because they may signal the future for Wisconsin’s governor. These recalls can also be seen as a referendum on economic approaches that a number of Republican governors are taking in regards to their own state activities.
The political activists who have organized these recall drives may be fighting political battles well into 2012.
Reasons for the Recalls
The recalls were the eventual outgrowth of protests over several state budget bill items proposed by Walker. Protesters filled the Capitol Square in Madison in early 2011 to especially protest a measure designed to gut Wisconsin’s over-fifty year old tradition of public employee unions. This was proposed as a cost saving measure by Walker. But protesters saw it as part of a radical right-wing agenda. After the protests died down, activists opposed to this measure turned their attention to other tactics, such as court challenges. An injunction against this measure was struck down by the state supreme court.
Six of the senators facing recall are Republicans who supported Walker’s agenda. Three are Democrats and members of the so-called “Wisconsin 14” who held up a vote on the budget by fleeing to Illinois. One of the Democrats in this group, Dave Hansen of Green Bay, told the multitude gathered for their return, “We did it for the right reasons. We stood up for our working men and women in the state.”
The bill taking away collective bargaining rights for the state workers passed, and almost immediately partisan in both parties started recall petitions against members of the “Wisconsin 14” and Republican supporters of Walker.
Consequences of the Recall
A sweep by the Democratic recall supporters could give the Democrats a slight margin in the senate. It could also invigorate a move to recall Walker which cannot begin until early 2012.
Because some of the sides on the recall ballots have more than one contender, there will be multiple elections in Wisconsin in the summer of 2011. Here’s the breakdown:
July 12: Primary elections for 6 Republican recalls
July 19: Two primary elections for Democratic recalls, one general election
August 9: General elections for 6 Republican recalls
August 16: General elections for 2 remaining Democratic recalls
With an election schedule like this, Wisconsin’s partisan activists are turning the summer of 2011 into a torrid political season.
Jon Pike - Pike is a Ph.D. in communication and writes about activism and popular culture topics for Suite101.
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