Federal Judge: Some Wis. Election Laws Unconstitutional
July 29, 2016MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday threw out as unconstitutional a host of Wisconsin election laws passed in recent years, saying they unfairly benefited Republicans who had enacted them and made it more difficult for Democrats to vote.
U.S. District Judge James Peterson’s ruling keeps in place the state’s voter identification law, unlike recent rulings in North Carolina and Texas, but he ordered broad changes. The sweeping ruling was a defeat for Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature. It will not affect Wisconsin’s upcoming Aug 9 primary, but will take effect for the Nov. 8 presidential election unless overturned on appeal.
A spokesman for the state Department of Justice, which defended the laws, said the agency plans to appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, though attorneys were still reviewing the 120-page decision Friday evening. Walker’s spokesman Tom Evenson said the ruling — issued at 5 p.m. Friday — was still being reviewed and the governor would comment later.-
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