GAB opens recall center to media

MADISON - The Government Accountability Board reveals the location of its recall petition review in an effort to be transparent in its review.

The work of reviewing recall petitions up until now has been done under a shroud of secrecy. Glimpses have been made available online from an unknown Madison location in the name of safety for those doing the work, and security of the petitions themselves.

"We thought it was important to make sure our secure and closed location remains secure but in the interest of transparency I think a lot of reason to keep it disclosed have dissipated," said Kevin Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board.

The process of reviewing petitions targeting Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican state senators is going on at 202 South Thornton Avenue, about two miles from the Capitol. This is a state-owned former manufacturing building where the Department of Administration prints and publishes documents. In an isolated room in the facility, 50 hired workers have been busy.

"We have two sets of eyes look at the petitions, another set data entry, another set checking that data entry, so it gets a lot of scrutiny," said Kennedy.

The petitions themselves are color coded. The lieutenant governor's petitions are yellow, the governor's are white.

In addition to reviewing each petition twice for errors and invalid signatures, there are workers uploading information about each petition sheet into computers. The data identifies questions and concerns line by line.

"We had pressure from both sides, to take more time, no get it over with. Our job is to do our job," said Kennedy.

Last week, Senators Fitzgerald, Galloway, Moulton and Wanggaard each filed challenges to signatures they feel should be thrown out. Petitioners have five days to review the challenges.

FOX 11 asked GAB director Kevin Kennedy if the process is running on schedule to meet its court ordered review deadline of March 19th.

"We may move for more time. It's really a question that we do the job properly. We give challenges the consideration they're entitled to," explained Kennedy.

While the GAB wants to maintain a transparent review process, the facility will not be opened to the public, the affected incumbents or petitioners. All petitions have been posted online. The public will continue to be able to view the work being done through a webcam. As of last week the nearly a half a million unique visitors logged on.

Now that the location of the petition review is out, security remains tight. Capitol Police will continue to patrol the area and the facility itself has a barbed wire fence to keep unwanted visitors away.

• Click here to see the webcam
• Click here to see the copies of petitions