Call special elections, fill vacant seats

If a judge orders you to do something, you better do it, or you will likely get in more trouble. Unless you are the Governor of the State of Wisconsin. In which case you simply write new rules to circumvent the judge’s order. Governor Scott Walker has joined fellow Republicans in calling for a special session of the legislature so lawmakers can rewrite the rules covering special elections. Current law says Wisconsin’s governor must order a special election to fill vacant seats in the legislature “as promptly as possible.” Two lawmakers resigned back in December, and their seats remain unfilled. Apparently Governor Walker doesn’t understand the word “promptly.” A judge ordered Walker to call a special session by tomorrow, but he plans to defy the judge instead, calling a special session for next Wednesday, one day after election day. He wants lawmakers to remove the language stipulating that vacant seats be filled promptly. And further, he wants to law to say no special election would be held within four months of a vacancy. That leaves open the real possibility that some vacant seats could go unfilled for a full year. That leaves voters in those districts without any representation in Madison. That is a shameful abuse of power by those desperate to hang on to it. Walker should cancel this special session, and order elections be held soon. Just like the law says he should.