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May 9, 2021 | 11:00 AMState News
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A Wisconsin Senate committee heard testimony yesterday on a host of election-related measures.
Critics describe the effort as a form of voter suppression, while supporters say they want to restore faith in the system. The measures, authored by Republicans, surfaced amid allegations at the national level of widespread voter fraud. The claims were largely discredited by the courts.
But many GOP-controlled legislatures still have proposed restrictions. Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, testified against the bills being considered in the Badger State. “And this is corroding the very cornerstone of our democracy,” Rothschild asserted. “You’re playing with fire here, it’s very dangerous.” He referred to the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Committee Hears Testimony on Election Law Changes for WI publicnewsservice.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publicnewsservice.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
GOP-sponsored legislation limits drop boxes, restricts qualifying as indefinitely confined. //end headline wrapper ?>A SafeVote drop box. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
A state Senate committee considered several bills Wednesday that would put new limits on absentee voting in Wisconsin.
The Republican proposals would place new restrictions on absentee ballot drop-off locations and ballot drop boxes and set new eligibility requirements for indefinitely confined voters. They are part of a larger package of GOP-sponsored election bills that mostly respond to partisan criticism of the 2020 presidential election.
Supporters of the measures discussed Wednesday argue they will increase public confidence in elections by clarifying election administration policies and voting procedures statewide.
“The seriousness and the magnitude of the threat to life brought about by the pandemic cannot be exaggerated.
“It had the potential, and continues to have the potential, to cause devastation on a scale that, only a short while ago, people could not have begun to imagine. Drastic measures were required and an excess of caution was called for, especially given the limited knowledge about Covid-19, even among experts in the field of epidemiology.”
These paragraphs appear in a Supreme Court of Appeal judgment handed down on Thursday.
Eight residents – Duwayne Esau, Neo Mkwane, Tami Jackson, Lindo Khuzwayo, Mikhail Manuel, Riaan Salie, Scott Roberts and Mpiyhake Dlamini – initially approached the Western Cape High Court to challenge the lawfulness of the establishment and functioning of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and whether some previously enforced lockdown regulations were justifiable.