Dodgeville City Attorney on Political Free Speech Activities

Recall petitions can be circulated on city property. (Dodgeville Chronicle, 12/1/2011)

Excerpt: By law, political free speech activities are generally allowed on public property, although there may be certain areas of public property that may be excluded," wrote Brownlee.

She said as an example, a number of schools and municipalities, through policies or ordinances, prohibit political free speech activities in municipal or school buildings. The City of Dodgeville has no such policy or ordinance.   [Emphasis added.]

"I do not know if the Library has any such policy," wrote Brownlee.

She noted if there were such a prohibition, the prohibition would have to apply to all political free speech activity.

It is also unconstitutional to prohibit "speech" types of activity based on content. Thus, if the City were to prohibit political free speech activities in its buildings, this would apply to any kind of political free speech activity including soliciting signatures on or circulating nomination papers, using City buildings for candidate debates for any type of election, etc, she added.

State Sen. Tim Cullen Poised to Challenge Walker in Gubernatorial Recall Election

Cullen may run for governor. (Beloit Daily News, 12/3/2011)

Excerpt: State Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, wants to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker if a gubernatorial recall election occurs in 2012.

Cullen told the Beloit Daily News Friday afternoon that he has spent the past few days talking with his family, supporters in Rock County and reaching out to Democrats across the state.

"I think Democrats and others associated with the recall throughout Wisconsin will be coalescing around one candidate," Cullen said. "I hope to be that candidate."

Collect Signatures, Yes; Display Signs, No

Mayor says no to signs. (Baraboo News Republic, 11/25/2011)

Excerpt: Dells Mayor Brian Landers said he objected to the signs, not because he doesn't support the right to free speech, but because the city shouldn't have political signs on its public right of ways. It's one thing to be marching on the sidewalk with signs, Landers said, but another to have the signs displayed on what he said was an empty table.

City of Wisconsin Dells sign ordinance.  (See 22.19)

Dane County D.A.: "Just because someone is putting something on the Internet doesn't mean it's true."

Capitol Report: The recall Scott Walker effort, to date, has been anything but dull. (Capital Times,11/24/2011)

Excerpt: At least locally, the only incident that's been mentioned so far that sounds like it might result in charges is the petition-ripping incident on Midvale Boulevard last week. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Wednesday that his office had not yet received anything from the Madison Police Department about the incident, but he reiterated that damaging a petition is a class I felony, punishable by a $10,000 fine, up to three-and-a-half years in prison or both.

As for the rest of the information floating around online, Ozanne stressed that "just because someone is putting something on the Internet doesn't mean it's true."

'Fair Game' Means All Sides Are Represented

Greenfield mayor receives complaints after petitioners gather recall signatures at library.. (Fox6Now.com, 11/232/2011)

Excerpt:   Petitions to recall Governor Scott Walker have been appearing daily inside the Greenfield Public Library atrium. The petitions have gotten a fair amount of signatures, but some have written to Greenfield's mayor, asking him to stop the signing. Greenfield's mayor says the library is public property, and thus, fair game.  [My emphasis.]

Has this group been invited to the library?

Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues

And just out of curiosity, what does the Greenfield Public Library Board have to say about all of this?

From 3/11/2011 Government Accountability Board memo. Use of government buildings. We have searched for, but have not found, any statute governing the appropriate or prohibited uses of government buildings. Creating rules for the use of government buildings is up to the governmental authority that owns the building, subject to First Amendment considerations.  [My emphasis.]

Makes me wonder how thorough their search of the statutes was.  Did they snooze while reading chapter 43, specifically 43.52(2)?

Dear Art, please stop watching Fox News

Letter to the editor:  Recall nonsense gets too much publicity.  [Green Bay Press Gazette,
11/20/2011)

Excerpt: This recall nonsense has me so upset. Here is this noisy, radical group that is about to reverse the will of the voters in order to get back the power that was taken away from them.

Here's a Facebook post from former library board member, who certainly doesn't fall into the category of radical. Huge turnout at the capitol for the Recall Walker rally -- people of all ages, professions, and walks of life, who are being affected or will be affected adversely by Walker's regressive ideas.

Scott Walker: Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword

Jesus was speaking metaphorically, of course.

Menasha Public Works Director Finds HImself in Hot Seat with Email

The Pavlovian response from conservative bloggers and talk show radio hosts.

Menasha public works director apologizes for "Recall Scott Walker" email. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 11/17/2011)

Excerpt: Menasha Public Works Director Mark Radtke said he was wrong to send an email with a not-so-coded "Recall Scott Walker" message to all Menasha City Hall workers Tuesday, breaking what many municipalities say is a fine line between work and politics.

The email wasn't illegal and likely didn't break the city's personnel guidelines but has "really exploded into a lot of negative feedback for the City of Menasha," Radtke told The Post-Crescent.

Conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts bashed the public employee for the email he sent on the day the recall campaign kicked off, which coincided with his birthday.

The email invited co-workers to come grab birthday treats and wove a political message into the text with three words — recall, scott and walker — capitalized and in bold.

File under "Pot", "Kettle", "Black"

LINK

Lazich Recall Measure Hits a Brick Wall

Recall district change stalls with GOP Sen. Schultz's opposition. (Wisconsin State Journal, 11/1/2011)

Excerpt: Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, said he opposed a measure that would move up the effective date of new legislative boundaries, passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature this summer, to this November rather than November 2012.

"I'm not interested in further adding confusion by changing the rules," Schultz told the State Journal.

He said he would vote against the bill if it makes it to the floor because he believes the people who voted him into office are the ones who should decide whether he ought to be recalled.

I hope Sen. Schultz hears more than a few words of thanks.