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Wednesday, April 30 , 2014
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Voter ID law struck down Federal judge rules against voter ID law, policymakers react to decision By Andrew Hahn THE DAILY CARDINAL
A federal judge struck down Wisconsin’s voter ID law Tuesday, which required voters to show photo identification at the polls on the grounds it would hinder minority citizens’ right to vote. U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Adelman’s decision ruled on two combined legal challenges filed by multiple minorityrights groups and the American Civil Liberties Union. Adelman said in his decision the law did not address concerns for electoral integrity because “virtually no voter fraud occurs in Wisconsin and it is exceedingly unlikely that voter impersonation will become a problem in Wisconsin in the foreseeable future.” In the opinion Adelman said the state did not adequately demonstrate a single instance of voter fraud during the hearings. “Moreover, if voter impersonation is occurring often enough to threaten the integrity of the electoral process, then we should be able to find more evidence that it is occurring than
Voter Identification Laws in Effect in 2014 Strict Photo ID
Strict Non-Photo ID
Photo ID requested
ID requested; photo not required
No document required to vote
WIL GIBB/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin’s voter identification law passed in 2011 and injunctions were filed by two Dane County judges in 2012.
THE DAILY CARDINAL
State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, joined many of his Republican colleagues in denouncing the decision. “Judge Adelman is a known activist judge, and I expected him to use flawed logic and a twisted misunderstanding of the U.S. Constitution to strike down a law that he personally disagrees with,” Grothman said in a statement. In March, Walker said he would convene a special session of the legislature if the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the law in another lawsuit regard-
voter page 3
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GRAPHIC BY MIKAELA ALBRIGHT
The above graphic represents the states that have voter identification laws currently in effect. on Wisconsin’s law could set legal precedent for the rest of the nation. “There were a bunch of states that adopted voter ID laws in the last two and a half to four years, and Wisconsin’s was one of the strictest laws,” Burden said. “Maybe the strictest in the country, or pretty close.” Legal challenges to voter ID laws have become common across the country, but Burden said Wisconsin’s is the first such law to be invalidated on the grounds that it disproportionately limits racial minorities’ ability to vote. “This is the first time that a voter ID law has been struck down in any state under section two of the Voting Rights Act,” Burden said. “Wisconsin is a test case.” Peter Balogun, co-president of the UW-Madison Wisconsin Association of Black Men, said his organization was happy to see a court dismiss a law that he said would have disadvantaged minority students at the polls. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and Gov. Scott Walker both said in statements they believe the law to be consti-
By Patricia Johnson and Dana Kampa Madison’s city Council approved an ordinance to allow alcohol consumption on downtown commercial quadricycles and renewed a contract with Judge Doyle Square project directors to continue its negotiation process. Quadricycles are typically seen rolling along State Street as fourwheeled vehicles that can seat up to 12 passengers. Wisconsin state legislatures recently passed a bill that permits the consumption of “fermented malt beverages” while operating pedal-pubs. Passengers power the quadricycle through pedals attached to their seats but an operator has control over steering and braking the machinery who is not permitted to consume any alcoholic beverages while driving, according to the state law. The city ordinance permits passengers to carry a maximum of 24 oz. of fermented malt beverages, which would still allow passengers to drive home with a legal blood alcohol content. City Council members also approved a city contract with AVA Civic Enterprises Inc. that would allow the current project director for the Judge Doyle Square project to continue negotiations. The city chose George Austin from AVA Civic Enterprises Inc. as the project director for the first time in 2011. The new contract would extend his services until April 30, 2015. The contract will reward Austin “no more than $48,000.” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the project has been the result of “over four years worth of effort.” Despite opposition from various outside parties such as Progressive Dane and Citizens Against Subsidized Hotels, Verveer believes the project will be an asset to the city.
Data courtesy of National Convention of State Legislatures
we do,” Adelman added. University of WisconsinMadison political science professor Barry Burden, who testified in the lawsuit, said Tuesday’s ruling
City grants beer permit for local pedal-pubs
tutional and necessary.
“This is the first time the voter ID law has been struck down in any state under section two of the Voting Rights Act.” Barry Burden professor Political Science, UW-Madison
Student Judiciary favors College Republicans in office space appeal The Student Judiciary ruled Monday that College Republicans did not receive due process in its April 23 appeal for a larger office space in the Student Activities Center and should receive a reapplication hearing. Following the College Republicans’ appeal for the SAC Governing Board to reconsider, the group filed a com-
plaint that the SACGB did not give it fair consideration. The original application’s meeting calendar lacked the number of people to occupy the office. Since the application was incomplete, the Student Judiciary ruled SACGB did not give College Republicans due process, according to a statement. College Republicans Chair Charlie Hoffmann said he
is pleased with the Student Judiciary’s decision. “I think we kind of got screwed over in the application process, and we believe the SAC is not taking into account what we use the office for and how effective [the larger office space] is to our organization,” Hoffmann said. College Republicans previously operated in a “small” office
space but moved to a “medium” office for this academic year. However, the SACGB again allocated a small office to College Republicans for 2014-’15. “We’ve been able to reach out to a lot more students,” Hoffmann said. “We have a place on campus where kids can congregate and know they can come to talk to us about any issues.
Hoffman also said the small office space is only big enough for storage and the lack of closed doors prevents discussing private finances or political agendas. Although College Republicans also charged the board with violating viewpoint neutrality, Student Judiciary found the board did not. —Dana Kampa
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