Judge Rules Against Recall Groups In Republican Suit

A Waukesha County judge has decided not to allow recall groups to intervene in a lawsuit that Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and the head of the Wisconsin Republican Party filed against the state elections board.

The lawsuit wants to challenge the way the Government Accountability Board validates signatures on petitions to recall Walker. The plaintiffs want the GAB to be more aggressive about checking signatures.

Other recall groups asked to intervene, saying the judge’s ultimate decision could affect them as well.

Judge Mac Davis denied the request on Thursday. He says the lawsuit must be decided by Jan. 17, when the signatures are due, and introducing more parties could make things too chaotic.

The recall effort was motivated largely by Walker’s proposal that effectively ended collective-bargaining rights for public workers.