Wisconsin State Senate to be split BEFORE recall elections

[SWTORFanatic]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison - State Sen. Pam Galloway, who faces a recall election this summer, plans to resign from the Senate shortly, leaving an even split between Republicans and Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) confirmed her plans Friday and said he believed Galloway would make an announcement later in the day.

Fitzgerald said Galloway was resigning because of health issues in her family. He said he was confident she could have won the recall election.

Her resignation would cause the Republicans to lose their majority. Republicans would hold 16 seats and Democrats would hold 16 seats.

That could change in May or June, when recall elections are expected to be held for Fitzgerald and two other senators.

Rep. Donna Seidel (D-Wausau) had planned to run against Galloway.

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/state-sen-galloway-to-resign-4c4jk6e-142927885.html

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As many of you know, in addition to the recall of Gov Scott Walker and Lt Gov Kleefisch, there are 4 Wisconsin State Senators up for recall (all republicans). Soon there will be an announcement that one, Pam Galloway, is stepping down already! This will leave the WI State Senate at 16 dems, 16 republicans (and one of those republicans is a true moderate - he opposed the collective bargaining bill and more recently the ALEC written iron mine).

This is very good news at putting the brakes on Fitzwalkerstan early!

[crazylikafox]

1. Will there be an election to replace her, or can Walker appoint her successor

[SWTORFanatic]

2. The recall election will still go forward, it will just be dem vs non-incumbent or dem unopposed.

[crazylikafox]

3. great news! Thanks

[AleksS]

5. Are you sure?

Expect an "official ruling" by AG Van Hollen (R-Koch) saying Walker can appoint her successor who of course is then immune from recall, not having served a full year yet.

It would be the kind of dirty trick these repugs love to play.

[AllyCat]

6. That's what worries me about all of this! Even Walker who I think will be indicted

and then they put Kleefisch in...we didn't recall her for Governor, just Lt. Gov.

I don't know what kind of laws we have regarding this. It's all so new, but they are not going to give up their dictatorship easily, even if the Wisconsin people want their state back.

[joeglow3]

9. Interesting. Could Walker "resign" the day before the recall?

That way, his Lt. Gov. would just step in. Sometimes, politics suck.

[sybylla]

7. In WI, we do not allow our Gov. to appoint anyone.

The recall will go forward or there will be a special election later in the summer.

If the senate is now evenly split, Walker has even less cause to delay letting the election go forward. He would be a fool to fight the recall and instead press to set a special election date later in the summer.

Besides, I'm sure there are good Republicans who want a chance to fight that seat. Rumor is that Assembly Majority Leader, Scott Suder, whose mommy lives in the district (and whose address he used when he got a speeding ticket last year) wants a senate seat more than he wants a reach-around from ALEC.

[ewagner]

16. I was wondering about that

I heard that the speeding ticket address was Athens (or At hens as known locally) and so I checked out the Marathon County 2011-2012 directory and found Suder still listed at the Abbotsford address....but I'm pretty sure he'll find some way of running there.

s

[sybylla]

22. I ran into one of Suder's neighbors in January

They were telling me that Suder is never there. In the summer, his mom comes to mow his lawn. All winter, his sidewalk and driveway were never plowed/shoveled. There was no sign anyone was ever there.

If he goes home somewhere outside of Madison, he's either at his boyfriend's house or at his mommy's.

[ewagner]

25. been hearing a bit about that.....

strange...rumors of closeting and a police record of "woman troubles"....

[SWTORFanatic]

10. It's not allowed in the WI state constitution. Recall or special election - which is the

same outcome: dem vs non-incumbent rep.

Walker can't appoint state senators (though it wouldn't surprise me if he tried).

[socialindependocrat]

4. Is she resigning to avoid prosecution?

[SWTORFanatic]

11. AFAIK, no. Her district is not in or near Milwaukee (where Walker was county exec) and she's not

particularly close to Walker.

[sybylla]

24. More like Half-Term Palin - she's leaving after serving only 14 months of a 48 month term.

She's not the brightest bulb. Most likely found herself in over her head and facing a recall in a district that is strongly Dem. (She won only because the unethical, self-centered Dem who had it before refused to give the seat up even though he had a slim chance of winning.)

OTOH, I wouldn't be surprised if the puke leadership didn't press her to do this, so they could run a stronger puke candidate from the Assembly in the seat and stand a better chance of keeping it.

[Iliyah]

8. Dirty tactics

warrants clean solutions. Heil Walker and the rest of the gopper cronies in other states will hopefully feel the wrath of the American people who are the true heroes in this bullshit situation. Most of these crazed governors preyed on their citizens by bold face lying which is one of the 10 deadly sins.

[Demit]

13. Deadly sin inflation? Didn't there used to be seven?

[Lifelong Protester]

12. This is good news, I think

and I certainly thank all of you who know more than I about WI procedures (I live here, and have not had this much of an education about WI Constitution and Laws in the last 30 years of living here as I have in the last year).

[sybylla]

23. No kidding. We're all learning so much about things we never thought we'd need to know.

What the Republicans don't realize is that that knowledge won't go away for a very long time. We've done it. We know how to do it again. We've got the "tools" and the motivation, thanks to Wanker.

With any luck, this state will be more blue than purple when we get done with these effing bastids.

[freshwest]

14. The tide is turning!

[Ellipsis]

15. Coolness

[Tx4obama]

17. Update: She has officially resigned

Senator Pam Galloway Resigns Seat On Wisconsin Legislature, GOP Loses Senate Control

A Wisconsin state senator facing a June primary election abruptly resigned Friday, plunging the Senate into a tie and shaking up the state's political landscape.

Sen. Pam Galloway (R-Wausau) announced she would be resigning effective Saturday from the seat she has held since her November 2010 election. In a statement on her website and Facebook page, Galloway said that she was resigning in order to deal with family issues.

"Today I am announcing my retirement from the Wisconsin State Senate. After a great deal of thought and consideration, I've decided to put the needs of my family first," Galloway said. "My family has experienced multiple, sudden and serious health issues, which require my full attention. Unfortunately, this situation is not compatible with fulfilling my obligations as state senator or running for re-election at this time."

<SNIP>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/pam-galloway-wisconsin-recall-election-resign-senate_n_1354268.html

[SWTORFanatic]

18. Senate MINORITY leader Scott Fitzgerald? ;)

[WillyT]

19. Woo Hoo !!! - K & R !!!

[Scuba]

20. And they said we "lost" in the recalls last summer because we only recalled two of the three...

... Republican Senators needed to flip the Senate.


Those two wins were huge with Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) voting as something other than an ALEC stooge. Now they're even bigger.

[underpants]

21. This was my second jaw dropping headline this morning - the other being Lehigh beating Duke

and I LOVE both of these stories