July 31, 2014

The Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds the photo ID law.

Like the Act 10 case (discussed 2 posts down), this was a 5-2 decision with Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Justice Ann Walsh Bradley dissenting.

Writing for the majority, Justice Patience Roggensack said "the burdens of time and inconvenience associated with obtaining Act 23-acceptable photo identification are not severe burdens on the right to vote."

The dissenting Chief Justice said:
"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

82 comments:

John said...

Sure it is a slow process but day by day, sanity spreads even in Wisconsin.

Unknown said...

So the Chief no longer tries to be anything but a robed politician.

Ambrose said...

Justice Patience has a great name for her job.

NCMoss said...

Of course forcing citizens to spend hours on a broken web site to purchase health insurance more costly and less effective is no burden whatsoever.

hawkeyedjb said...

So, according to the Chief Justice, minorities are incapable of even the most rudimentary tasks relating to civic participation?

Progs have nothing left but insults and race-baiting.

Mark Jones said...

This is exactly the right decision. Given the absurd number of infringements (picture ID, background checks, weapon registration in some states) required to exercise a 2nd amendment right--all of which seem somehow to pass constitutional muster--requiring photo ID to vote is hardly unreasonable. What else can you do that involves interacting with the government that DOESN'T require an ID? Resistance to voter ID is always couched in terms of defending the downtrodded, but that's a load of rubbish. It's about making voter fraud as easy as possible. Nothing more.

hawkeyedjb said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

Uh oh. This means that the flood of Hondurans being moved rapidly into Wisconsin will have trouble exercising their God given right to vote Democrat free benefits until enough fake IDs are distributed... or will they just be limited to voting absentee ballots.

Michael K said...

Typical hysterical language from the lefty Justice.

Fen said...

"I felt a disturbance in the DNC. As if millions of fraudulent votes suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced"

Jon Burack said...

No matter what the merits of voter ID, Abrahamson's Jim Crow comment is despicable from a Chief Justice and a demonstration of her incredible lack of historical understanding and perspective. Considering how intimately related to courts and legal questions the legal system of segregation in the South was, this political rhetoric from her ought to raise questions about her basic fitness to judge anything. The idea that 70% of the population Abrahamson serves are out to legally prevent all black people from voting at all, which is what Jim Crow did, is insulting and preposterous.

Fen said...

Chief RaceBaiter: "...but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

Well you're a Democrat, so you should know your party's history. I hope one day you will hold African-Americans in higher regard... or at least recognize that they are indeed capable of getting a legal photo id just like the rest of us.

Michael said...

Jim Crow? Sure, because treating African-Americans just like everybody else is the equivalent of denying them the right to vote and access to public accommodations.

Tim said...

Invoking Jim Crow just shows that the dissenters have nothing to stand on.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Jim Crow? How about Adolph Hitler. No need to sugar coat what we all know. 5 WI Supreme Court Justices are Hitler.

Rumpletweezer said...

The dissenting Chief Justice gives the appearance of being an idiot.

Unknown said...

You need valid photo id to get a library card.

In every country in South America, you need a valid photo ID to vote.

You need a valid photo id to get a bank account. You need a valid photo ID to get govt benefits.

The only reason why they don't want photo ID is so they can commit voter fraud.

AustinRoth said...

The dissent shows the decent of cognitive thinking on the Left.

Bob Ellison said...

An alien looking at the decisions and the numbers might easily conclude that the two dissenting justices are well outside mainstream philosophy.

Karen said...

Why is it always a presumption of the left that the African Americans are incapable of taking care of themselves, even in small ways like getting a photo ID?

Anonymous said...

Leftist need to keep African Americans down to entrench themselves in power: African Americans don't have the brains to get a decent photo-id, have only enough brains to vote the way they are told by their "leaders".

Asian Americans don't care much about their self-appointed leaders, nor do white Americans. Why do African Americans support self-aggrandizing "leaders"? Poverty pimps and community organizers who use them as tools to make sweet heart deals for themselves.

cubanbob said...

The dissenting Chief Justice said:
"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

The Chief Judge failed to notice that one of the core functions of Jim Crow laws were gun control laws-making sure blacks were limited in their ability to acquire arms. One wonders if blacks back then had equal access under the law to guns would there have been so many lynchings or so much Klan terrorism?

Hagar said...

The Chief Justice does not seem to have much regard for the dignity of the court. This kind of highly emotional, over-the-top, language is not appropriate in a judicial opinion.

Mark said...

What voter fraud would this voter ID stop? Voters impersonating voters already on the rolls?

Seems like a solution in search of a problem.

That all said, the Federal courts have already scooped this one and put it on hold. The WI Supremes are just voting to make their donors proud.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Requiring a trip to the DMV in order to vote is a cruel and unusual punishment.

garage mahal said...

Walker personally fundraises for Club for Growth. Club for Growth buys justices who rule in favor of Walker every single time. What a great racket.

lgv said...

The vote is just wrong! James Madison never had to show a driver's license or photo ID.

clarice said...

The Chief Justice has now officially jumped the shark.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Wring your hands for black people who can't figure out how to get a Voter ID. Perhaps, they could get solicit some help from one of the many illegal Mexican immigrants?

Anonymous said...

Its pretty insulting to black people to say that they are largely incapable, aside from a few truly exceptional individuals, of getting a photo ID like the rest of the population.

eddie willers said...

So, according to the Chief Justice, minorities are incapable of even the most rudimentary tasks relating to civic participation?

The soft bigotry of low expectations.

mccullough said...

Is Wisconsin that different from Indiana?

Michael K said...

"What voter fraud would this voter ID stop? Voters impersonating voters already on the rolls?"

Yes. The average turnout is about 18% in many elections. That leaves 82% left for Democrats to find in the trunks of the cars of campaign officials.

garage mahal said...

What voter fraud would this voter ID stop? Voters impersonating voters already on the rolls?

Nope. It wouldn't even have stopped the dude in Waukesha (surprise!) that voted for Walker 5 times in the recall.

It's no surprise that wingers would want to illegally vote. Sykes, Belling & Co have brainwashed so many conservatives that Dems are committing fraud that they have to enlist to fight in the WAR.

William said...

Perhaps she intentionally phrased it in the most inflammatory way possible. I wouldn't think Mary Burke has any particular appeal for minorities, but maybe voting qua voting does. The blacks can picture their trip to the DMV as the march across the Selma bridge. They can paint their faces blue and shout "Freedom" as they line up at the DMV.

Dan from Madison said...

"The soft bigotry of low expectations." I'm stealing that one.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see the Chief is respectful and civil in dissent. /sarc

traditionalguy said...

What are the chances of Bradley and Abrahamson leaving town and hiding out in Illinois, permanently.

Curious George said...

"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

That's terrible! Tell me, are African American's just too stupid, or too lazy, or what? Maybe crack can come by and give us the low down.

David said...

"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

Yeah. Because slaveowner James Madison really, really wanted his slaves to have the right to vote. If only Congress had been willing to work with him.

The Crack Emcee said...

"Day by day, sanity spreads even in Wisconsin."

Like this is a break from it's notorious historical racism.

Tosh,...

traditionalguy said...

I worry about how long it will take Dems to come up with that many fake photo IDs and where that many age and gender correct faces can be found to use on the IDs... unless the Feds supply them from their NSA stash called Facebook

Real American said...

Jim Crow was a registered Democrat. Still is.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...


Yup, it's time for this again

Peter said...

The dissenting Chief Justice said:

"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

White people can obtain the required ID, black people can't? Why would that be? Does she think African-Americans are less capable than everyone else?


Curious George said...

"garage mahal said...
Walker personally fundraises for Club for Growth. Club for Growth buys justices who rule in favor of Walker every single time. What a great racket."

Club for Growth was founded in 2010.

Let's look at the five majority votes:

Justice N. Patrick Crooks Elected 1996, reelected in 2006

Justice David T. Prosser Jr appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1998, elected to a 10-year term in 2001 and reelected in 2011

Justice Patience Drake Roggensack: Elected in 2003

Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler: Elected in 2007.

Justice Michael J. Gableman: Elected to a 10-year term in 2008.

No surprise, every one of them made it to the court before the CFG even existed.

You are an idiot.

Crimso said...

"You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father." (Keanu Reeves in "Parenthood")

Or, one may add, a voter.

Wilbur said...

I'd like a reporter to ask one of these Democrats to name three eligible voters they personally know who would be unable to vote because of the the voter-ID requirement.

They, of course, could not name one. Cue the sputtering outrage at the questioner.

Alex said...

Walker personally fundraises for Club for Growth. Club for Growth buys justices who rule in favor of Walker every single time. What a great racket.

Hysterical and right on cue! Thanks garage, for providing endless entertainment!

I'm Full of Soup said...

About one out of very ten Americans is not a citizen so requiring Voter ID is a no brainer IMHO.

Brennan said...

I need picture ID to check a book out of the library.

Dang Jim Crow!

I need picture ID to get a mortgage.

Dang Jim Crow!

I need picture ID to get a passport.

Dang Jim Crow!

I need picture ID to answer a jury summons.

Dang Jim Crow!

I need picture ID to get a face to face meeting with Shirley Abhramson.

Dang Jim Crow!

Bobber Fleck said...

Tom Gallagher said...

Of course forcing citizens to spend hours on a broken web site to purchase health insurance more costly and less effective is no burden whatsoever.


Tom, you have my vote for comment of the day!

Brennan said...

How come the state can require that a voter can sign their name in order to cast a ballot?

Dang Jim Crow!

How come the state can require that a voter complete an absentee ballot and attach a stamp to it to process it?

Dang Jim Crow and Poll Taxes!

How come the state can require that voters assume the costs incurred to get to the polls in order to cast a ballot?

Dang Jim Crow and Poll Taxes!

garage mahal said...

That's terrible! Tell me, are African American's just too stupid, or too lazy, or what?

Dude, why do you ALWAYS assume photo ID laws and the confusing myriad of what is an acceptable form of ID discriminates against blacks only? Wait a minute, I think I know why. Because that's who you think and hope it does discriminate against.

SCOWI: Invent statues, answer arguments nobody is making, and issue directives to non-parties (DMV) who aren't even part of the case in which they have no authority to do. Once a model for the nation, now a corrupt backwater joke.

jono39 said...

I have not voted often in my lifer as a citizen of the Republic. In 2000 I voted twice, deliberately, to see if there was any validity to the claims of voter fraud in the black communities of NYC. On the basis of that experience, I would say our voting system needs a thorough overhaul and vetting. Arguments vs. voter ID are a dismissal of the reality of the current state of the American Republic which is badly in need of an enema followed by a Constitutional Convention which will be the result of a decade of national debate. We need to heal the wounds of the Cold War on our political system.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...


Btw, this bill would have had a much easier time if they had just named it the "Stop Republican's From Cheating, One Person, One Vote Assurance Act"

richard mcenroe said...

"So, according to the Chief Justice, minorities are incapable of even the most rudimentary tasks relating to civic participation?"

Damn! She WAS paying attention....

richard mcenroe said...

"About one out of every ten Americans is not a citizen..."

About one out of every ten people in America... They're not Americans. FIFY.

richard mcenroe said...

"The Chief Justice does not seem to have much regard for the dignity of the court. This kind of highly emotional, over-the-top, language is not appropriate in a judicial opinion."

It is when you have no actual facts...

Todd said...

garage mahal said...
What voter fraud would this voter ID stop? Voters impersonating voters already on the rolls?

Nope. It wouldn't even have stopped the dude in Waukesha (surprise!) that voted for Walker 5 times in the recall.


You are correct, in this instance it would not have prevented fraud. I can fix that for you, do away with absentee voting. Allow it for exceptions like the military where the ballots can be distributed to the correct solder based on their IDs. For most other cases, if you can't get to the booth on election day, no vote for you. You, individually do NOT have a right to vote in any election. Each state has control over how voting is done and they can change the method at will.

Curious George said...

"garage mahal said...
Dude, why do you ALWAYS assume photo ID laws and the confusing myriad of what is an acceptable form of ID discriminates against blacks only?"

LOL

I don't think it discriminates against anyone Corky. I'm just going by what the Chief Justice said. Take a hike and take it up with her.

Milwaukie guy said...

Garage is offended Walker appoints judges with whom he agrees politically. What a concept! Imagine if other politicians did that.

Curious George said...

I'll believe this suppression bullshit when the left takes up any cause other than voting that requires an ID.

Anonymous said...

garage mahal babbled...

It's no surprise that wingers would want to illegally vote. Sykes, Belling & Co have brainwashed so many conservatives that Dems are committing fraud that they have to enlist to fight in the WAR.


This, of course, explains why you Democrats are SO opposed to photoID laws. It's because you want all right-wingers to be able to commit vote fraud.

No, that's not it?

Well, then, garage. Explain to us, in small words, who you are OPPOSED to securing the vote by not letting people vote in person without a photo ID.

Then you can explain to us how anyone can live a non-criminal life in the US without valid photo ID.

Photo ID stops one form of vote fraud. Yes, there are others. Are you interested in helping to stop those? Or are you convinced that the Democrats will suffer a great number of electoral difficulties if they lose their ability to commit vote fraud?

Curious George said...

"Milwaukie guy said...
Garage is offended Walker appoints judges with whom he agrees politically. What a concept! Imagine if other politicians did that."

In WI, justices are "elected in state-wide, non-partisan elections. Each justice is elected for a ten-year term. Importantly, only one justice may be elected in any year."

As I've shown, all the current justices predated both Walker and the CFG.

garage as usual grabbed a talking point of some lefty blog, thought it was clever, and posted it here. Sadly, as usual, it was bullshit.

n.n said...

Whether it is disenfranchisement through "Jim Crow" or voter annulment, Democrats have not changed their stripes. They are nothing if not consistent in exploiting real and manufactured democratic leverage. I wonder how many votes they have flipped through other means.

Rusty said...

Lessee.
There were over 800,000 signatures on the recall petition.
222,000 were thrown out.
Maybe if there was some way to verify those signatures they wouldn't have been thrown out.

garage mahal said...

As I've shown, all the current justices predated both Walker and the CFG.

Actually, you didn't. Both Prosser and Roggensack were reelected after 2010. Both received a ton of money from WCFG, WMC, and others.

Also, WCFG didn't form in 2010, you knucklehead.

One big sleazy corrupt family.

exhelodrvr1 said...

garage,
If IDs shouldn't be required for voting, why should they be required for anything?

Please give a real answer.

Sam L. said...

"Jim Crow" prevented blacks from voting. Which this does not.

Bob Ellison said...

garage mahal said, "Dude..."

That's not a good opener. Try "let me explain my position more clearly" or "perhaps you misunderstood".

"Dude", as an opener, makes you sound like an immature idiot.

Look, dude (see how I started with "Look"?), you make some good points in these comment posts. Please keep it up. Don't mess it up with dumb verbiage.

The WI SC decision is obvious. Arguing against it should involve actual argument.

Bob Ellison said...

BTW, my wife has been complaining lately about my tendency to start declarative statements with "my point is". It seems like a fair complaint, leading to the conclusion that I have failed to make my point clearly in previous statements.

But now I'm way off-topic. Expecting deletion, though we're maybe 70 comments down, so maybe not.

Smilin' Jack said...

"Today the court follows not James Madison -- for whom Wisconsin's capital city is named -- but rather Jim Crow -- the name typically used to refer to repressive laws used to restrict rights, including the right to vote, of African-Americans."

Yes, Madison was always saying that his slaves should have the right to vote.

damikesc said...

Dude, why do you ALWAYS assume photo ID laws and the confusing myriad of what is an acceptable form of ID discriminates against blacks only?

When one group references Jim Crow, who do you think they are indicating are being "discriminated" against?

Fritz said...

" "About one out of every ten Americans is not a citizen..."

About one out of every ten people in America... They're not Americans. FIFY."

Well, most of the ones that are non-Mexicans (North American) are South or Central Americans.

Guildofcannonballs said...

I have thought about it and decided to apologize for my previous remarks.

Of course 5 WI Justices cannot all be Hitler.

Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Pol Pot, and Osama bin Laden make up, along with Adolph Hitler, a majority of the Court today.

Grim days.

John Cunningham said...

Georgia has had mandatory photo ID for several years, and minority voting has increased.
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/03/lessons-from-the-voter-id-experience-in-georgia

thus, it follows that the Demo stooges on the court are RACISSS!!!
for opposing a measure which icreases monority voting.

stan said...

Liberals argue that blacks are too stupid to get an ID and they say Republicans are racist. Hmmmmmm. Wisconsin liberal justices making jokes of themselves. Ginsberg making a joke of herself. Obama making a joke of himself. Holder ...

Have they just lost all self-respect?

libertariansafetyguy said...

A photo ID is not the return of Jim Crowe. It's not a poll tax. It's not a voting test. It's an ID with a picture on it. Welcome to the 21st Century.

Alex said...

photo ID law = the 1930s Nuremberg Laws.

/garage

john marzan said...

the voter ID requirement is not meant to suppress black vote (because every citizen will be given a FREE govt issued voter ID).

the voter ID law is meant to suppress the votes of illegal aliens from voting illegally and prevent democrats stealing the elections ala jack kennedy in illinois.

Mark said...

Surprised at how wrong Curious George was about Club for Growths founding, which he claimed was 2010 but is actually 1999.

Apparently that is what passes for research these days. What a joke.