WTF? Wisconsin's Fugitive Legislators Are Being Allowed to Vote by Teleconference?!

Huh?

Madison -- The Senate is now scheduled for Wednesday morning to take up a bill on the gathering of racial data by law enforcement during traffic stops.

The Senate's scheduling committee voted unanimously to take up the bill, with the panel's two Democrats voting by teleconference from an undisclosed location in Illinois.

The traffic stop bill, which was passed by Democrats in the last legislative session, aims to gather information on whether law enforcement engages in racial profiling in traffic stops. Republicans have criticized it as a burden on police.

...

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) warned Democrats he might stop extending the courtesy of allowing them to vote by teleconference if they remain in Illinois much longer.

A commenter wonders if a legislator is on the phone, and voting -- isn't that a quorum, then, for all matters?

If Wisconsin law is loosey-goosey with respect to physical presence during votes, why not declare that constructive, telephonic presence is enough for a quorum?

posted by Ace at 04:54 PM

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