Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin’

From HotAir.com:

Yesterday, Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen announced that he would seek authorization from the legislature or the Governor to file a lawsuit to block the federal government from enforcing the individual mandate in his state. Van Hollen explained that in Wisconsin, the AG doesn’t have the ability to represent the state in such an action unless specifically authorized by constitutional authorities — and since the Governor and leaders of both chambers of the legislature are Democrats, the politics of getting that authorization appear difficult. In an exclusive interview with Hot Air, Van Hollen explains how he plans to proceed once authorized to act, whether that happens now or after the next election in November:

Read the Rest…

From JSOnline:

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen will make a “significant” announcement Thursday about federal health-care legislation, his office said.

Van Hollen spokesman Bill Cosh declined to say what the announcement is but added that Van Hollen, a Republican, cannot join a lawsuit brought by other states challenging the constitutionality of the new law.

Read the Rest…

From Examiner:

A Wisconsin group that pushes for government transparency is honoring state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and others.

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council bestowed its fourth annual Openness Awards on Thursday.

Van Hollen took top honors, in part for hosting statewide tutorials about Wisconsin’s openness laws.

Read the Rest…

From The Daily Cardinal:

The complaint also detailed allegations of similar behavior by other ACORN employees and Milwaukee special registration deputies, but Miles and Clancy are the only ones currently facing charges.

Cosh would not comment on possible future charges.

“We do not talk about ongoing investigations,” he said.

Three other individuals were also charged with election fraud Monday.

Herbert Gunka and Suzanne Gunka, both from Milwaukee, were both charged with double voting. Michael Henderson, of Milwaukee, was charged with unlawfully voting. State law prohibits felons from voting while serving their sentences, and Henderson was convicted of two felonies in 2005.

“Wisconsin citizens should not have to wonder whether their vote has been negated or diminished by illegally cast ballots,” Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a statement.

Read the Rest…

From JSOnline.com:

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said Thursday his office is drafting legislation to clarify state law to say that felons who have served their sentences are still obligated to submit a DNA sample.

The legislation is part of the effort to close the gap in the state’s databank, which last year was found to be missing more than 12,000 DNA samples.

Van Hollen sent an 18-page letter Thursday to state Department of Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch that says that the Department of Justice has been working with the Legislative Reference Bureau to develop legislation to modify the DNA submission statute.

The letter is important because it provides the first official interpretation of the state’s DNA submission law by the attorney general’s office. The state statute doesn’t expressly say that offenders are still obligated to submit DNA if they are no longer in prison, on probation or on parole.

Read the Rest…

From LaCrosseTribune.com:

Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen had more than five times as much campaign cash as his Democratic challenger at the end of 2009.

Van Hollen faces former state Department of Natural Resources secretary Scott Hassett in the Nov. 2 election.

New campaign finance reports show Van Hollen had $313,800 on hand as of Dec. 31. Hassett’s campaign director, Melissa Mulliken, says Hassett had $56,180.

Read the Rest…

From Wisconsin State Journal:

Wisconsin’s attorney general says a Racine loan board likely violated the state’s open meetings law by voting through e-mail.

Racine Journal Times newspaper reporter Stephanie Jones claimed the city’s Loan Board of Review made a decision on a loan in June 2009 through an e-mail poll. Jones said the board reaffirmed the vote during a September meeting without any notice.

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued an informal opinion saying the e-mail vote offered the public no access to observe the board’s actions, which “almost certainly” violates the open meetings law.

Read the Rest…