Tag Archives: Governor Scott Walker

Civil Liberties, Editor’s Pick, Featured, Government Accountability, States Rights

Wis. Gov. Scott Walker Signs Law Granting Authorities Broader Strip Search Powers

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Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker signed a bill on March 1 which expands the circumstances in which police and correctional officers can conduct strip searches on detainees and inmates suspected of misdemeanor and other minor crimes.

Previously, individuals detained or jailed on non-felony crimes could only be strip searched if they were to be held among other people for at least a 12-hour period. The Associated Press notes that Walker’s new law removes that 12-hour minimum time requirement.

[RELATED: Walker Calls Building U.S.-Canada Border Wall To Stop Terrorists ‘Legitimate Issue’]

The Associated Press also reported that Republican supporters of the bill argued that allowing law enforcement and corrections authorities to strip search anyone who will be detained or incarcerated among others will lead to safer jails and will help protect officers. Democratic opponents countered that the bill could result in civil rights abuses.

“Unfortunately, strip searches are extremely uncomfortable, there’s no question. But for the family of an inmate or an officer who gets killed by the shank that was hidden and not found because no strip search was performed, they’re going to go through much more discomfort than the strip search,” argued bill author Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) according to The Capital Times.

Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee), a critic of the law, said that the 12-hour requirement had originally been put in place to prevent people who are jailed or detained briefly for civil violations like non-payment of a fine from being strip searched.

[RELATED: Governor Scott Walker Calls for Full Reauthorization of PATRIOT Act]

The signing of the new law comes on the heels of the Milwaukee Common Council’s January approval of the payment of a $5 million settlement to 74 African-American residents who raised allegations that they were forced by police to submit to illegal body cavity and strip searches during a drug investigation.

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Walker Takes The Feds To Court To Drug-Test For Food Stamps

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By Connor D. Wolf

In preparation for a possible federal challenge, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking the district court to allow the state to drug-test food stamp recipients.

“This lawsuit seeks to provide clarity that the state of Wisconsin has the authority to require drug-testing for FoodShare recipients,” Schimel said in a statement. “In previous communications with the state of Wisconsin, the federal government has taken the opposite position despite the clear statutory language in federal law.”

The lawsuit was filed against top officials at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps. The main problem is unclear federal rules regarding whether states can drug-test those on welfare.

The program is run by both federal and state agencies. Though the state has interrupted federal law to say it could drug-test recipients, Program Director for the Midwest Susan Holzer warned it could not.

“As you are aware, states are prohibited under federal law from imposing any additional eligibility conditions on individuals for the receipt of SNAP benefits,” Holzer wrote in an email, according to the lawsuit.

“Therefore, FNS will continue to monitor closely any action the Wisconsin state Legislature takes on this legislation,” the email continued. “If the legislation is subsequently enacted into law, FNS will work with its general counsel to determine how it interacts with federal law governing the program and advise the state agency appropriately.”

Wisconsin first proposed drug-testing food stamp recipients in the most recent state budget, signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Sunday. Walker is currently running in the Republican primary for president. Wisconsin is not the first state which has tried to implement drug-testing for welfare recipients. Georgia proposed a similar policy but in 2014 the USDA held the same position that the state could not.

SNAP is the nation’s largest food-assistance program. According to a report from the USDA, the program has increased from 17 million participants in 2000 to nearly 47 million in 2014. The size alone has prompted concern amongmany lawmakers of the potential for abuse.

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Editor’s Pick, Election, Featured, Foreign Policy

Scott Walker Won’t Rule Out Another ‘Full-Blown’ Invasion Of Iraq

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By Alex Griswold

Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker refused in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” Sunday to rule out a possible re-invasion of Iraq in order to defeat ISIS, telling correspondent Jonathan Karl that he would do whatever was necessary to protect the U.S. security interests.

 

KARL: You have been very critical of the president’s handling of ISIS. Some are out there, like Senator Graham, saying we should seasoned 10,000 U.S. ground troops right now into Iraq to help with this fight. Do you favor that?

WALKER: I think we shouldn’t rule anything out. I think that’s a big mistake this president has made here and elsewhere about saying how long we would go or how much we would invest.

KARL: I’m not talking about ruling it out. I’m saying, would you do that?

WALKER: No, I’m not arguing that’s the first approach. I’d tell you three specific things I think we should do in Iraq. First, we should re-engage the strength of the American forces that are there. Once you do that, you empower the ally forces that are there in Iraq to reclaim the territory that ISIS has taken. And third, you just need to make sure you do it in a way that doesn’t provide a safe haven, like in Syria as you push them out.

KARL: So, you would not send combat troops now to Iraq?

WALKER: No. I believe right now, we have a capacity to reclaim with Iraq with the Iraqi forces there, as long as we unleash the power that’s already there of the American armed forces.

KARL: You say you wouldn’t rule out– I mean would you rule out a full-blown U.S. re-invasion of Iraq and Syria?

WALKER: I don’t think we should ever send a message to our foes as to how far we’re willing to go.

KARL: So you wouldn’t rule out a full-blown re-invasion?

WALKER: I would not rule out boots on the ground.

KARL: No, but I’m asking, would you rule out a full-blown re-invasion of Iraq?

WALKER: If the national interest of this country are at stake here, at risk in this country or abroad, that to me is the standard that we do for military engagement.

 

 

WATCH:

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Editor’s Pick, Election, Featured, Politics, US

Governor Scott Walker Calls for Full Reauthorization of PATRIOT Act

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A recent nationwide ABC News/Washington Post 2016 presidential primary preference poll found Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky tied at 11% atop the rest of the Republican field. According to The Hill, Governor Walker, a likely 2016 candidate and apparent co-frontrunner for the Republican nomination with Senator Paul, weighed in on the controversy over the USA PATRIOT Act’s expiring domestic surveillance provisions and the recently-signed USA FREEDOM Act during a Wednesday appearance on Fox and Friends.

“I think we would be much better off if we fully reauthorized the PATRIOT Act. I think it’s an important tool… I certainly don’t want to be in the position that France is in where they’re now saying, ‘What could we have done?’” said Governor Walker, positioning himself opposite his top GOP rival Senator Paul, who forced the PATRIOT Act’s Section 215 bulk spying provision to expire last week after it was ruled illegal by a federal appeals court earlier in May.

When asked about the USA FREEDOM Act, which President Obama signed into law on Tuesday, Walker said, “I certainly prefer this over nothing. I just think going forward, and it’s another example of the failure of this president to lead, this is an example where the president could lead, could have used the bully pulpit to tell the American people how important it is to make sure we have the information to prevent another terrorist attack out there and this is one of the many tools we need to do that. I hope in the future we’ll reestablish the PATRIOT Act.“

According to Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI), the USA FREEDOM Act outsources the National Security Agency’s unpopular bulk phone metadata collection program to telecom corporations, rather than having the NSA collect the data itself. Senator Rand Paul voted against the legislation, citing constitutional concerns. Presidential candidate and Senator Ted Cruz voted in favor of the bill, while 2016 candidate Senator Marco Rubio, a PATRIOT Act supporter, voted no.

ABC News notes that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, another possible 2016 contender, said sarcastically of the USA FREEDOM Act, “Exactly what we want to count on… We want to put our national security in the hands of the phone companies.” Governor Christie supports reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act instead.

During Governor Walker’s Fox and Friends interview, he said that, if he ends up running for president, he would not announce until the end of this month when his state’s budget is complete.

For more 2016 election coverage, click here.

Civil Liberties, Editor’s Pick, Featured, Foreign Policy, International, Politics, US

Governor Walker Breaks Silence On Patriot Act, NSA Stance

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Appearing on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, presumptive Republican presidential candidate Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker gave Americans their first preview on where a President Walker would stand on civil liberties issues such as NSA spying authorized by the highly controversial Patriot Act.

Baier pushed Walker to give a “yes” or “no” on whether or not he would reauthorize the controversial NSA spying program by asking him whether or not he would vote for it if he were currently a sitting Senator. Walker, responding with typical political rhetoric, never actually answering Baier’s question, but instead said, that the meta-data collected was necessary and access to it was needed.

Earlier in the month, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NSA spy program is illegal.

This puts Walker at odds with declared conservative candidates Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Although Cruz did once vote to re-authorize the Patriot Act, he now seems prepared to stand against the upcoming re-authorization vote. Paul, the most staunch opponent of NSA spying in the Senate, is preparing to filibuster the upcoming Patriot Act re-authorization vote.

Walker’s comments on the Patriot Act and NSA begin at minute 5.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com