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Walker recall organizers to submit more than 1 million signatures
Posted: 1/17/2012 1:35:37 PM
Organizers of the Scott Fitzgerald recall drive turn in their signatures earlier in the day. Wisconsin State AFL-CIO photo.
United Wisconsin, the organizers of the petition campaign to recall Governor Walker, announced this afternoon that they have collected more than 1 million signatures, almost twice the number needed to force a recall election.
This is a number even the most optimistic supporters of the recall only dreamed of when the recall petition drive began just 60 days ago and is a sign of massive discontent with the governor's policies. Just over 540,000 signatures were required to force the recall election.
The recall petitions were submitted to the Government Accountability Board, which will review them before it schedules a recall election. Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said the GAB should move quickly to certify the petitions despite efforts by Republicans to slow the process down. He said the election should move forward as soon as the required 540,208 signatures are certified.
In addition to the Walker recall petitions, organizers of separate campaigns reportedly well exceeded the required signatures to force recalls of Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican state senators. The reported signature count is:
- More than 845,000 to recall Kleefisch
- More than 21,000 to recall Sen. Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls.
- More than 21,000 to recall Sen. Pam Galloway of Wausau.
- More than 24,000 to recall Sen. Van Wanggaard of Racine.
- More than 20,600 to recall Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald.
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| NEA Director Kay Hansen of the Denmark School District drops off recall signatures at the Government Accountability Board office on Tuesday. |
In response to the massive number of signatures submitted in the Walker recall effort, WEAC President Mary Bell said:
“Today’s announcement is resounding proof that residents from every part of the state intend to stand up for Wisconsin values by recalling Governor Walker. We are proud of our members and leaders who volunteered their nights and weekends to help contribute to the success of this grassroots effort. It’s been amazing to witness the energy and excitement coming from many individuals who have never been politically active before, but who want to take action to help reclaim Wisconsin.”
In an email alert, Tate said:
"This is a historic moment. By helping us gather more than a million signatures over the course of the last two months, you've joined the most-participated-in recall effort in American history. But Scott Walker and his Koch-backed friends said you would fail. Walker himself belittled you. He said our people-powered movement was nothing more than a "small minority." You faced intimidation. You stood up to name-calling, to foul behavior, to threats of violence. You stood in the cold, you worked through a holiday season, you gave of your time, you gave of your passion for truth and fairness and for Wisconsin."
The 1 million-plus signatures represent nearly as many as the total votes cast for Walker in November 2010.
The next steps to success: Recall Workshops
Please join us for a workshop that will cover our union’s plans to achieve electoral success and recall Scott Walker. Workshops will he held regionally across the state—with multiple dates and locations. Members and retirees interested in leading local union efforts around the recall are encouraged to attend.
Highlights of this workshop include:
- our union’s plan to win,
- the next phases of the 4x10 initiative,
- talking to colleagues, families and friends about the recall,
- creating and implementing local union plans,
- legal dos and don’ts, and
- related topics
Did you know?
- Only two governors have ever been recalled prior to Scott Walker. They are Grey Davis of California in 2003 and North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier in 1921.
- The signatures submitted for the recall of Scott Walker far exceed the signatures submitted to recall those governors, as a percentage of total voters, meaning that never before have voters in any state been this motivated and determined to recall their governor.
- The weight of all of the signatures collected is 3,000 pounds. That’s two of the heaviest Wisconsin Dairy (Holstein) Cows, or 158 of the heaviest Badgers.
- 300,000 pages at 14" each laid end to end is 66.3 miles. This is the distance from Green Bay to Oshkosh, La Crosse to Tomah.
From the Democratic Party of Wisconsin:
This is an 11.29 communication with WEAC members.
