Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman struck down Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which was known as one of the most stringent of its kind.
I’m just going through the lengthy decision now, and I’ll have more details about Adelman’s argument in a bit.
That said, Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen already released a statement saying that he would appeal the decision.
Why not? The Republicans can only gain from an appeal. Worst-case scenario they will lose again. Best case: they win and can suppress the vote this fall.
More interesting questions: Will Adelman’s decision set a precedent for other challenges around the country? If this ends up in the U.S. Supreme Court, will the conservative majority continue to whittle away at voter protections?
And, one that’s closer to home: Will Republican Gov. Scott Walker call a special session of the Legislature so that the GOP leadership can ram through another voter ID law, one that still suppresses the vote but somehow manages to comply with Adelman’s decision? Remember: Walker won’t benefit from the massive gerrymandering in Wisconsin, because he’s running a statewide campaign. He increases his odds of winning if he can make voting difficult for students, minority voters, seniors and irregular voters.
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Stay tuned.
