Technical school students may not be allowed to use their student IDs to vote, after a legislative committee decided Tuesday to formalize the Government Accountability Board’s interpretation of the Voter ID law into a rule.
The GAB determined earlier this month the language in the law requiring voters to present a photo ID puts technical school IDs into the same category as college and university IDs and should be allowed.
The GAB, an independent state agency that oversees the election process, maintains the right to interpret and enforce laws and create administrative rules. Wisconsin Act 21, passed earlier this year, sends administrative rules to the Governor for final approval.
Democratic legislators fear that under Act 21 Gov. Scott Walker could override the board’s technical college rule, potentially making it harder for the state’s 400,000 technical school students to vote.
The Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules voted along party lines to order the board to formalize their opinion on technical school’s ID requirements.
A rule permitting schools to use stickers on their IDs will be drafted.
Democratic committee members criticized the move as a way to “micromanage” the upcoming election.
“The governor is going to be in control of his own election,” state Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, said.
Democrats argued the process undermines the GAB’s role because it takes lawmaking power away from the legislature and places it in the hands of the executive.
“Let’s at least maintain the independence of the GAB,” state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said.
State Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said after an emergency rule leaves committee, it must follow certain procedures.
“If we just say we are not going to make any rules because we don’t want any rules to go past the governor, then we are not going to take any action on any emergency rules from now on?” Ott said.
