Casino dispute at center of Wisconsin recall effort

Todd Richmond

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003 | 9:19 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. -- State Sen. Gary George asked a state appeals court Tuesday to stop or delay a recall election against him tied to the issue of controlling Indian casinos in the state.

George filed a brief with the 4th District Court of Appeals alleging that the petitions were incomplete, felons illegally circulated the petitions, and the court proceedings should be delayed while the Legislature is in session.

George's opponents mounted the recall drive earlier this year when George, a Democrat, voted with Republicans to override Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of legislation that would give lawmakers oversight of Indian gambling compact negotiations.

The vote, which ultimately failed to override the veto, came after Doyle negotiated deals that greatly expanded gambling in the tribes' casinos. Under current law, the governor is the only person authorized to negotiate the deals.

George has argued the Forest County Potawatomi's casino in Milwaukee sucks too much money from his district.

George faces state Rep. Spencer Coggs, another Milwaukee Democrat, in a primary Oct. 21.

No Republicans have entered the race, but a general election has been scheduled for Nov. 18 to give potential write-in candidates a chance to run.

George asked the appeals court to delay the recall election, but the court ruled last week to keep the election on schedule and expedite the appeal.

That puts Coggs and George in the unusual situation of campaigning for an election the court could stop or postpone before it happens.

In his appeal Tuesday, George, a Milwaukee Democrat, largely reiterated arguments he made to Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi when she denied his request to delay the recall election.

"I think the judge ignored the law in a number of areas," George said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "The Elections Board did not follow its own procedures and forms."

State attorneys have until Friday to file their response.

George's arguments to stop or delay the recall election included:

--The recall committee didn't attach a statement indicating its intent to circulate a recall petition to its Elections Board registration form, rendering the movement void.

--The Legislature is still in session and the appeals court should delay all proceedings until it adjourns.

--The recall committee didn't fill in all the blanks on the petitions until after signatures had been obtained.

--Seven felons illegally collected signatures.

George, who has been in the Senate since 1980, would become only the third state senator in Wisconsin history to face a recall election.