31st May 2012 at 13:52 | By Collin Roth
BREAKING: GAB Rules SEIU-Front Group Signs Violate Electioneering Statutes
By Collin Roth
According to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, the SEIU front-group Wisconsin Jobs Now! was found to be in violation of the Wisconsin Statute 12.03 in regards to electioneering after it was determined that certain signs and paraphernalia were “intended to influence voting at the election.” Michael Haas, staff counsel for the Wisconsin GAB was asked by Sue Edman of the City of Milwaukee Election Commission about the legality and appropriateness of two logos sported by the employees and volunteers with the SEIU front group Wisconsin Jobs Now! One logo is a Jobs Now! logo and another is a red Wisconsin fist with the words “It’s Time” next to it.
Below is the relevant portion of an email explaining the GAB ruling:
Our opinion remains that clothing, buttons or signs with the image that Ms. Edman sent us yesterday would constitute electioneering under Wis. Stat. section 12.03 and are not permitted within 100 feet of any entrance to the polling place. The sign we reviewed yesterday stated “It’s Time” and showed a clenched “solidarity” fist with the words “June 5,” and also contained the url http://bit.ly/onjune5.In our opinion the url link to the webpage that comments on a candidate on the ballot, and the fist logo which has become associated with the recall effort, is intended to influence voting at the election.
We can also confirm that individuals may wear shirts with the image you sent this morning, which state “Jobs Now Wisconsin,” and have an outline of the State and silhouettes of individuals with arms raised, along with listing the url of www.wisconsinjobsnow.org. We believe those shirts would be permitted under current statutes for persons within the 100-foot zone as well as for observers.
It is particularly interesting to note that the GAB determined that the Wisconsin Jobs Now! website and the red fist icon are “intended to influence voting at the election” when Wisconsin Jobs Now! is supposedly a non-partisan group. Other news outlets have also noticed that fact that Wisconsin Jobs Now! has published on their website that “people in the community have “had enough” of Gov. Walker.”
Wisconsin Jobs Now! is engaged in a significant early voting effort documented by The MacIver Institute involving numerous vans and vehicles to drive citizens of Milwaukee to the polls. Media Trackers documented the vast connections between Wisconsin Jobs Now! and the SEIU as well as the numerous examples of illegal and radical behavior by the left-wing organization.
Below is the entire text of the email from Staff Counsel Micheal Haas of the Government Accountability Board.
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Discussion | 5 Comments
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Robert Earle said
May 31, 2012 at 3:15 PM
12.03 restricts ‘electioneering’ within 100 feet of any polling place or alternate site where ballots are being cast (so, anywhere where early voting is going on this week, for example). But the 12.03 restrictions only extends to that 100 foot limit, and only during voting hours.
So where and when did this take place? How many people were involved? Were they asked to move outside of the 100 foot limit, and if so what was their reaction?
(In CA in 2004 (?) when Schwarzenegger was governor, he went to his polling place in Brentwood with a camera crew in tow. On the ballot that time were a couple propositions that Arnold had pushed to get onto the ballot, and as he was standing in line he kept talking to the others about his propositions. A pollworker told him that what he was doing constituted electioneering, and would have to stop. But he kept doing it, so she finally had to threaten to call the police to have him removed before he finally shut up. And all while the TV cameras were running!)
Jack Johnson said
May 31, 2012 at 3:24 PM
This got overturned. You’re dumb.
Betteroff said
Jun 1, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Only persons with small mental aptitudes and weak political positions would be swayed by these signs or images.
But – it’s the law. Not hard to follow.
Just like the Tommy “Backward” Barrett signs they keep trying to place in illegal areas around Milwaukee.
(Because private citizens don’t want them)
Call Me Mom said
Jun 1, 2012 at 10:31 PM
I think that T-shirts or other apparel are legal because they are considered to be an expression of a personal opinion, covered under the freedom of speech, whereas handheld signs are not.
Christine said
Jun 5, 2012 at 2:41 PM
“It is particularly interesting to note that the GAB determined that the Wisconsin Jobs Now! website and the red fist icon are “intended to influence voting at the election” when Wisconsin Jobs Now! is supposedly a non-partisan group. ”
… how dumb. EVERYONE knows that the Socialist Fist is with the communist’s… DUH! It is NOT non-partisan. Good grief! We are not idiots!