Recall Petitions Filed Against Two More Wisconsin Republican Senators

Democrats and labor activists have filed recall petitions against two more Wisconsin state Republican senators who supported Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) bill to strip public employee unions of collective bargaining rights. Activists had already collected more than enough signatures to recall two GOP senators, and filed petitions yesterday against state Sen. Luther Olsen (R) and today against state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R). In all four cases, organizers collected far more signatures than the roughly 15,000 needed, and did so weeks ahead of the deadline.

Republicans currently control the state senate with 19-14 majority, so if the signatures are certified against all four Republicans, Democrats will have a chance to regain control of the upper house in an upcoming recall election against the incumbents. Democrats have already found high-profile challengers for the two previous senators facing recall.

Meanwhile, progressives still plan to file recall petitions against four other GOP state senators, and have until May 2 to do so. They plan to do the same against Walker once he is eligible for recall in January. And as FDL’s Dave Dyden notes, “While conservative activists have hinted that they have achieved enough signatures to recall Democratic members of the Senate, they have yet to file any petitions with the GAB.”

UPDATEThe Washington Post's Greg Sargent notes that "In the entire history of the state of Wisconsin, organizers have only managed to trigger recall elections four times" -- something progressives have now done in a matter of weeks.