Van Hollen wants to combine voter ID lawsuits

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Wisconsin’s attorney general has appealed two voter identification cases to the state Supreme Court.

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen asked the state’s high court on Wednesday to consolidate the two cases and to bypass review by the state Court of Appeals. Should the state Supreme Court accept review, the two cases would essentially be combined. There would likely be one oral argument and a single opinion.

An attorney for the plaintiffs in one of the cases said he opposes bypassing the Court of Appeals. Richard Saks, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP, et al. v. Scott Walker, et al., said he expects to ask the state Supreme Court to reject Wednesday’s petition.

“We believe there is every reason to allowing the Court of Appeals to provide their thoughts and analysis to whether or not voter ID is constitutionally infirm or not,” Saks said. “We don’t object to the cases being consolidated, but we do think the appeals should just take their course.”

The two cases stem from legal challenges to the state’s voter ID law. In League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network, Inc, et al. v. Scott Walker, et al., a Dane County judge issued a permanent injunction against the law in March, finding the law violates the state constitution. Another Dane County judge issued a similar ruling in July in the case Saks is involved in, Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP, et al. v. Scott Walker, et al.

Van Hollen previously sought direct review from the state Supreme Court, but justices denied the request in September, citing incomplete briefing.

There are also two separate lawsuits challenging the voter ID law pending in federal court.