Rep. Robin Vos proposes Republican Protection Plan: Reform Recall Elections.

So far the Republicans have drastically remade state government into their own ideological image. Despite massive state protests, they were uncompromising in every piece of legislation. They blamed outside groups and not themselves for the upheaval. They gerrymandered districts to retain power. They unabashedly relied on an activist state Supreme Court to uphold their power grab.

And now they want to block the people from recalling them for breaking their trust.

Here's Rep. Robin Vos on Upfront with Mike Gousha:



In this great editorial, the Journal Times exposes Rep. Robin Vos' ulterior motive for proposing his Republican protection act:

It is unsurprising to see legislators working on a state constitutional amendment to restrict recall elections, and it is a poor postscript to recent political events in Wisconsin.

We hear a vapid rationale for limits: Like poor little deer, legislators will be frozen into inaction by the irate glare of angry residents. So we must restrict the use of recalls so that our Legislature can make decisions - although it seems to have had no trouble avoiding decisions in previous years when recalls were far from being an issue.

The amendment proposed by state Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, would require … a criminal act or ethics violation. In other words, breaking trust with voters may not be a reason for recall, and voters might have to wait as long as four years in order to redirect the course of their government.

Let us be very clear: This is not the legislators' government. It is the residents' government, and if that means issuing a drastic mid-course correction, residents should retain that power.

In the past few months, we have been through no turmoil run by special interests. Residents deserve more credit for their intelligence. Only real, deep anger brought tens of thousands of people to the Capitol for weeks to protest legislative action. Gov. Scott Walker announced that voters showed they want more bipartisanship. That's what we call a correction, and that is what residents should be able to do whenever they wish.

Limiting recalls will also restrict the ability of residents to shift their government. Politicians protected from recall can look forward to years of sitting comfortably in Madison.

This amendment would make the world safe for politicians but not for democracy.