Top Assembly Republican Robin Vos is leaving it to an investigator to decide on subpoenas for the election investigation jsonline.com/story/news/pol…
.@repvos says:
— won’t sign @RepJanel’s subpoenas; will let Gableman come up with his own
— will let Gableman choose investigators and “cyberforensic” team
— scope of investigation is being finalized
— will spend up to $680K in taxpayer funds; won’t allow use of private funds
Like other Republicans, Vos has not spelled out yet what a “cyberforensic” audit would consist of.
It’s a term advocates of an Arizona-style review have used. Vos says every state is different and Wisconsin’s probe could look different.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman, who is heading the probe, will decide on subpoenas.
Vos says he would sign them “without hesitation” but says he doesn’t know if they would seek ballots and voting machines.
He is putting the ball squarely in Gableman’s court.
Gableman visited the Arizona election audit team and attended Mike Lindell’s recent forum.
Vos said he didn’t send Gableman there but doesn’t think going was a bad idea.
.@repvos: “Do I think it's wrong that (Gableman) goes to South Dakota or Arizona to learn how their processes work, to see what could be garnered from their efforts to help our own? I don't think it’s a bad idea, but I didn’t tell him to do it."
Vos said he had "no idea" if Lindell’s claims about a Chinese hack of the election were credible. Numerous cybersecurity experts — including one working with Lindell — have said he has offered no evidence to back up such a claim.
"I think it’s possible, but I think it’s unlikely," Vos said of Chinese hacking, adding that the Wisconsin investigation would likely focus on other issues.
.@repvos says taxpayers — not conservative donors — will fund the review.
Republican lawmakers are approving spending $680,000.
“I think it worthwhile to have the taxpayers spend money to guarantee that our election process is both secure and fair and that we shouldn’t rely on outside people to do that because then the outcome is going to be biased by their wishes," Vos said.
See the story for more details, including which issues @repvos most wants to investigate.
.@JonErpenbach said lawmakers were planning to put $350 million into a “Republican slush fund.”
GOP cochairs: “These investments are above and beyond the billions in federal funding our school districts are receiving and highlight our continued commitment to our students, teachers, and parents.”
Sen. @JonErpenbach tells Republicans they are shaming people by referring to the Medicaid program BadgerCare Plus as welfare.
@repborn shoots back: "This is basic English words that are used to define these programs. ... I will tell it like it is and that is what this is."
Expanding Medicaid would boost Wisconsin's budget by $1.6 billion over two years because the federal government would pay for more of the state's health-care costs.
Born says Republicans who control the Legislature won't accept "a billion-dollar bribe."
With his comments last week, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the upper house would not approve bills allowing recreational or medical marijuana.
“They are meeting all the goals that we have set,” Vos said of Foxconn. “But again Gov. Evers is playing politics with this.”
“Foxconn is making concessions because they are having their back up against the wall even though they are meeting the goals that were set by the last administration and by the legislation we enacted,” Vos said, referring to the original deal cut by @ScottWalker.
"The governor doesn’t seem to want to keep the state’s deal, which is why he’ll come forward with a new proposal," Vos said.
But Vos said he thought Foxconn is committed to its project and likely would not leave the state.