Walker extension request denied

Associated Press

Updated: Feb 17, 2012 5:32 PM

MADISON (AP) — A judge has denied Gov. Scott Walker's request for a two-week extension to review recall petition signatures.

Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess issued the order after an hour-long hearing Friday.

Walker's campaign argued the ordering of any election would not be substantively delayed by its request. But Democrats say it is a "virtual certainty" that if approved any recall election would be delayed.

Niess says no good cause has been shown by Walker for an extension. He has already has granted Walker 30 days to review the petitions. If Walker had been given another two weeks, his deadline for filing challenges would have been pushed from Feb. 27 to March 12.

It takes 540,208 signatures to trigger a recall election. Petition circulators say they turned in about 1 million.

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