Associated Press Announces Unofficial Winner in Supreme Court Race

      The Associated Press is reporting that it has tallied the voted from all 3,630 precincts in Wisconsin and that by its count Assistant Attorney General Joanne Kloppenburg has unofficially won the Wisconsin Supreme Court election by 204 votes out of over 1.5 million cast.  The official results will be announced in the coming days.  If a candidate asks for a recount - which will most certainly happen - the state will do the recount at no cost because the margin of difference was less than 0.5%.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has laid out how the process will work in the coming days in this article.  The last time there was a statewide recount was in 1989 when a recount was done on a referedum issue.
     Thank you to everyone who voted in the election and helped create an unprecedented turnout for a spring election, with some precincts reporting over 50% voter turnout.  The slim margin by which this election is likely to be decided goes to show just how important voting is in our system of government.  We will bring you more news as we have it.

Transition Meeting Set

The Vilas County Tansition Committee has scheduled a meeting to discuss matters pertaining to the pending Budget Repair Bill and its effects on Vilas County.  They have decided to schedule meeting of their Committee after normal work hours so that employees can be present without using vacation time.  Employees, however, will not be allowed a seat at the table with the Committee, they will be heard as members of the public.  The meeting will be held tomorrow, April 7, 2011 at 4:30 PM in the Courthouse Conference Rooms. A copy of the agenda with more specific times and locations can be obtained by clicking here, or by viewing on the courthouse bulletin boards.  Please keep in mind when speaking in front of the Committee that you represent the employees of Vilas County, so please make sure to be constructive, concise, and respectful in your comments.  Local 474 will have representatives at the meeting and we will bring you more information as we have it.  Minutes from their March 30, 2011 can be found by clicking here.

Supreme Court Race Too Close To Call

With precincts still left to report, the race between incumbent Supreme Court Justice David Prosser and challenger Assistant Attorney General Joanne Kloppenburg is too close to call.  The margin throughout the morning has been less than 1000 votes for both parties as it has swung back and forth, as reported by the Associated Press. We will let you know as soon as we are aware of who is declared the winner.  Just a note of caution however, expect a recount to be called for in an election this close.  A map of some early results is below.

Expect Signature Collectors at Polling Places

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has ruled that collecting signatures near polling places does not meet the definition of "electioneering" - which is illegal in Wisconsin - because the signatures being collected are not for the race at hand.  That being said, be prepared to find people collecting signatures on the petition to recall Senator Jim Holperin outside of local polling places.  Please remember to be civil and polite with dealing with these signature collectors as you go out to vote today, and please remember the courageous step Sentaor Holperin took in attempting to save union bargaining rights for public workers when confronted with the signature collectors.

VOTE TODAY!

Joanne Kloppenburg

Don't forget to go out and vote today in the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections behind held today at your friendly local polling place.  Please make sure to get out and have your vote counted.  Conservative Republican Sarah Palin has endorsed incumbent David Prosser.  Also, a December 8, 2010 news release from Prosser campaign spokesman Brian Nemoir called him a "common-sense complement to both the new administration and Legislature" although Prosser himself later diavowed that statement, stating that he did not see it before it came out.  Also, many of the groups that contributed to Governor Scott Walker's campaign have been contributing to Justice Prosser's.  Again, please make sure to turn out and vote in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice election being held today.  This election will help shape Supreme Court decisions for the next ten years.  Most polls will remain open until 7 PM.

Timetable Set for BRB Lawsuit

On Friday, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi set final briefs due May 23, 2011 for the lawsuit regarding whether or not the Budget Repair Bill (a.k.a. Wisconsin Act 10) was passed in accordance with Open Meeting Laws.  We will bring you more information when we have it.

Vilas County Transition Committee Vision and Mission Statement

The County Transition Committee has issued its offical Vision Statement and Mission Statement, which you can read below.  You can read all the details of their last meeting - including a discussion of including employees at the Committee table in a non-voting role - in the Vilas County News-Review of March 30, 2011.

Vilas County Transition Committee Vision and Mission Statement

Vision Statement

The Vilas County Transition Committee recognizes the need for high quality performance by employees of Vilas County in providing services to the residents of the county.  It is our vision that the work of this committee will contribute positively to our relationship, strengthen the excellence of services and move us into a continuing era of employer/employee cooperation.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Vilas County Transition Committee to make recommendations to the County Board, in light of the recently passed Budget Repair Bill which effects the relationship between public employers and employees, giving thoughtful consideration to the interest of Vilas County taxpayers and employees, while preserving the quality of services historically provided by the County, in a manner that is consistent with our stated vision.