Nov 18, 2024
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in a lawsuit that could determine the future of Wisconsins top elections official.The Wisconsin Elections Commission filed the lawsuit last year after Republican lawmakers tried to oust Meagan Wolfe, the commissions nonpartisan administrator. GOP leaders want Wolfe gone because of concerns about how she ran the 2020 presidential election.Republicans who control the state Senate had promised to reject Wolfe last year when she was up for reappointment. However, Democrats on the bipartisan commission blocked her nomination from going before lawmakers by abstaining from the vote.Senate Republicans took up the matter anyways, voting in September to fire Wolfe. The following month, Republican leaders admitted that their vote had no legal effect, since Wolfes nomination was not properly before them.Attorneys for the elections commission argue that Wolfe can stay in office indefinitely as a holdover. Their argument stems from a ruling made by a then-conservative majority on the state Supreme Court in 2022. That decision maintained conservative control of the Natural Resources Board by allowing a board member to remain in office after the expiration of his term.Watch: Supreme Court hears lawsuit over attempt to fire top elections official Wisconsin Supreme Court hears lawsuit over GOP attempt to fire the state's top elections officialThe Supreme Court flipped to liberal control last year for the first time in more than a decade.This is a case of careful what you wish for, isnt it? Justice Jill Karofksy said. It seems to me that this has little to do with what the law actually says and far more to do with who is in these positions. If the Legislature favors someone, they stay. If they dont, they must go. Does that sound like the rule of law to you?Republican lawmakers argue that elections commissioners are required by law to make an appointment for the Senate to vote on. Misha Tseytlin, the Legislatures attorney, said commissioners are currently using an absurd loophole that essentially keeps the peoples representatives from ever having a voice.In a statement Monday, Wolfe said that the only reason she is still in office is because its what the bipartisan elections commission wants.While they disagreed on the mechanism for making my appointment, the commissioners have always supported me staying in this role, she said. If they didnt, they always had the ability to terminate my appointment and select someone new.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error
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