Opinion
2023AP1399-OA
12-22-2023
Rebecca Clarke, Ruben Anthony, Terry Dawson, Dana Glasstein, Ann Groves-Lloyd, Carl Hujet, Jerry Iverson, Tia Johnson, Angie Kirst, Selika Lawton, Fabian Maldonado, Annemarie McClellan, James McNett, Brittany Muriello, Ela Joosten (Pari) Schils, Nathaniel Slack, Mary Smith-Johnson, Denise Sweet and Gabrielle Young, Petitioners, v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, Don Millis, Robert F. Spindell, Jr., Mark L. Thomsen, Ann S. Jacobs, Marge Bostelmann, Carrie Riepl, in their official capacities as Members of the Wisconsin Election Commission;, Meagan Wolfe in her official capacity as the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission;, Andre Jacque, Tim Carpenter, Rob Hutton, Chris Larson, Devin LeMahieu, Stephen L. Nass, John Jagler, Mark Spreitzer, Howard Marklein, Rachael Cabral-Guevara, Van H. Wanggaard, Jesse L. James, Romaine Robert Quinn, Dianne H. Hesselbein, Cory Tomczyk, Jeff Smith and Chris Kapenga in their official capacities as Members of the Wisconsin Senate, Respondents, Governor Tony Evers in his official capacity, Nathan Atkinson, Stephen Joseph Wright, Gary Krenz, Sarah J. Hamilton, Jean-Luc Thiffeault, Somesh Jha, Joanne Kane and Leah Dudley, Intervenors-Petitioners, Wisconsin Legislature, Billie Johnson, Chris Goebel, Ed Perkins, Eric O'Keefe, Joe Sanfelippo, Terry Moulton, Robert Jensen, Ron Zahn, Ruth Elmer and Ruth Streck, Intervenors-Respondents.
For the petitioners, there were briefs filed by Daniel S. Lenz, T.R. Edwards, Elizabeth M. Pierson, Scott B. Thompson, and Law Forward, Inc., Madison; Douglas M. Poland, Jeffrey A. Mandell, Rachel E. Snyder, and Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison; Elisabeth S. Theodore (pro hac vice), John A. Freedman (pro hac vice), and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, D.C.; Mark P. Gaber (pro hac vice), Brent Ferguson (pro hac vice), Hayden Johnson (pro hac vice), Benjamin Phillips (pro hac vice), and Campaign Legal Center, D.C.; Annabelle E. Harless (pro hac vice), and Campaign Legal Center, Chicago; Ruth M. Greenwood (pro hac vice), Nicholas 0. Stephanopoulos (pro hac vice), and Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, Cambridge. There was an oral argument by Mark Gaber. For the intervenor-petitioner, Governor Tony Evers in his official capacity, there were briefs filed by Anthony D. Russomanno, assistant attorney general, Faye B. Hipsman, assistant attorney general, Brian P. Keenan, assistant attorney general, with whom on the brief was Joshua L. Kaul, attorney general; Mel Banes, and Office of Governor Tony Evers, Madison; Christine P. Sun (pro hac vice), Dax L. Goldstein (pro hac vice), and States United Democracy Center, Los Angeles; John Hill (pro hac vice), and States United Democracy Center, DuBois. There was an oral argument by Anthony D. Russomanno, assistant attorney general. For the intervenor-petitioner, Nathan Atkinson, Stephen Joseph Wright, Gary Krenz, Sarah J. Hamilton, Jean-Luc Thiffeault, Somesh Jha, Joanne Kane and Leah Dudley, there were briefs filed by Sarah A. Zylstra, Tanner G. Jean-Louis, and Boardman Clark LLP, Madison; Sam Hirsch (pro hac vice), Jessica Ring Amunson (pro hac vice), Elizabeth B. Deutsch (pro hac vice), Arjun R. Ramamurti, (pro hac vice), and Jenner & Block LLP, D.C. There was an oral argument by Sam Hirsch. For the respondents, Tim Carpenter, Chris Larson, Mark Spreitzer, Dianne H. Hesselbein, and Jeff Smith, in there official capacities as Members of the Wisconsin Senate, there were briefs filed by Tamara B. Packard, Eduardo E. Castro, and Pines Bach LLP, Madison. There was an oral argument by Tamara B. Packard. For the intervenors-respondents, Wisconsin Legislature, and respondents, Andre Jacque, Rob Hutton, Devin LeMahieu, Stephen L. Nass, Howard Marklein, John Jagler, Rachael Cabral-Guevara, Van H. Wanggaard, Jesse L. James, Romaine Robert Quinn, Cory Tomczyk, and Chris Kapenga, in there official capacities as Members of the Wisconsin Senate, there were briefs filed by Kevin M. St. John, and Bell Giftos St. John LLC, Madison; Jessie Augustyn, and Augustyn Law LLC, Appleton; Adam K. Mortara, and Lawfair LLC, Nashville; Taylor A.R. Meehan (pro hac vice), Rachael C. Tucker (pro hac vice), Daniel M. Vitagliano (pro hac vice), C'Zar D. Bernstein (pro hac vice), and Consovoy McCarthy PLLC, Arlington; Scott A. Keller (pro hac vice), Shannon Grammel (pro hac vice), Gabriela Gonzalez-Araiza (pro hac vice), and Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP,. D.C.; Matthew H. Frederick (pro hac vice), and Lehotsky Keller Cohn, LLP, Austin. There was an oral argument by Taylor A.R. Meehan. For the intervenors-respondents, Billie Johnson, Chris Goebel, Ed Perkins, Eric O'Keefe, Joe Sanfelippo, Terry Moulton, Robert Jensen, Ron Zahn, Ruth Elmer and Ruth Streck, there were briefs filed by Richard M. Esenberg, Luke N. Berg, Nathalie E. Burmeister, and Wisconsin Lnstitute for Law & Liberty, Lnc., Milwaukee. There was an oral argument by Richard M. Esenberg. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Nathan J. Kane, and WMC Litigation Center, Madison, on behalf of the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Inc. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Margo S. Kirchner, and Wisconsin Justice Lnitiative, Lnc, Milwaukee; Daniel J. Schneider, and Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Chicago, on behalf of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, Inc. & Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Matthew W. 0'Neill, and Fox, O'Neill & Shannon, S.C., Milwaukee, on behalf of Matthew Petering, PhD. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Nicholas E. Fairweather, and Hawks Quindel S.C., Madison; Jonathan B. Miller (pro hac vice), Michael Adame (pro hac vice), and Public Rights Project, Oakland, on behalf of Local Elected Officials. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Robert Yablon, Bryna Godar, and State Democracy Research Initiative, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, on behalf of Legal Scholars. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Samuel T. Ward-Packard, and Elias Law Group LLP, D.C.; Abha Khanna (pro hac vice), and Elias Law Group LLP, Seattle; William K. Hancock (pro hac vice), Julie Zuckerbrod (pro hac vice), and Elias Law Group LLP, D.C., on behalf of Jo Ellen Burke, Jennie Tunkieicz and John Persa. An amicus curiae brief was filed by Tony Wilkin Gibart, Adam Voskuil, Daniel P. Gustafson, and Midwest Environmental Advocates, Madison, on behalf of Coalition on Lead Emergency.