Judge denies request to put voter ID on hold

MADISON — A federal judge will not put a lawsuit over Wisconsin's voter identification law on hold while another similar challenge is pending in a different court.

The U.S. District Court in Milwaukee on Wednesday posted a note in the court file saying the state Department of Justice's request for a stay in the case was denied. The state requested on Monday that the case be put on hold.

The American Civil Liberties Union wants to allow people to vote in the August primary election even if they are having trouble getting the required ID.

The court's note written after a Tuesday status conference indicates the groups plan to file a motion on that issue by the middle of June.

Another voter ID lawsuit is pending in federal court in Madison.

Meanwhile, the  Legislature's budget-writing committee was to vote on a request from the state's election board to spend $250,000 on educating voters about the photo identification law.

The Joint Finance Committee was scheduled to take up the request at a meeting Monday. The Government Accountability Board is asking for the money to educate voters about the voter ID law before the Nov. 8 election.

That will be the first presidential election where voters in Wisconsin are required to show photo identification at the polls. The law was in effect for the April presidential primary.

The money being sought would be used on a mixture of television ads and other outreach targeting voters on the internet and possibly through ads on buses and before movies in theaters.