Opponents of an extraordinary session bill submitted by Wisconsin Republican legislators hold "Stop Lame Duck" signs at a rally outside the Wisconsin state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
As top Democrats in the state call them "sore losers" and "disgraceful," Wisconsin Republicans on Wednesday passed sweeping legislation to limit the powers of the Democratic governor-elect, Tony Evers, when he takes office in January.
Evers defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November. Walker has signaled that despite fervent protests, he will sign the legislation that rescinds authority the legislature had previously delegated to the governor.
But Evers said Wednesday afternoon he will talk to Walker as soon as the bills reach his desk and that if he cannot persuade him to veto the proposals, he will consider lawsuits and any other option "to make sure that this legislation does not get into practice."
"The will of the people has officially been ignored by the Legislature," Evers said, adding that the lawmakers' actions "take us back to Nov. 6," before the election was finalized.
"Wisconsin should be embarrassed by this," Evers said.
The vote limiting the incoming governor's authority, coming after an all-night debate, was the height of a lame-duck legislative session. Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul warned that resulting lawsuits would bring more gridlock when the new administration takes over.
Republicans have cited their desire to protect key Republican achievements from being undone by Evers. Among them: a massive $3 billion subsidy spearheaded by Walker to bring Foxconn, a key Apple Inc. supplier, to Wisconsin along with thousands of jobs. Evers has said he would like to renegotiate the deal.
The legislation passed Wednesday would shield the state jobs agency from his control and allow the board to choose its leader until September, likely at least delaying Evers’ ability to maneuver on the Foxconn subsidy.
The changes would also weaken the governor’s ability to put in place rules that enact laws. And it would limit early voting to no more than two weeks before an election, a restriction similar to what a federal judge ruled was unconstitutional .
Additionally, the proposal would weaken the attorney general’s office by requiring a legislative committee, rather than the attorney general, to sign off on withdrawing from federal lawsuits. That would stop Evers and Kaul from fulfilling promises to withdraw Wisconsin from a multi-state lawsuit seeking repeal of the Affordable Care Act. They made opposition to that lawsuit a central part of both of their campaigns.
Walker was booed at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Tuesday as Republicans were pushing the measure, drowning out the high school choir with taunts of "Hey Walker, go home."
Walker later tweeted that protesters should "leave the kids alone."
Walker has 10 days to sign the package from the time it’s delivered to his office.
Protesters Peppi Elder, left, and Christine Taylor holds up signs during the state Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in state Capitol Rotunda Tuesday Dec. 4, 2018, in Madison, Wis. The Senate and Assembly are set to send dozens of changes in state law to Gov. Scott Walker's desk. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
Republicans were battered in the midterm election in Wisconsin, losing all statewide races amid strong Democratic turnout. But they retained legislative majorities.
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The GOP move comes as Michigan Republicans discuss taking action before a Democratic governor takes over there. North Carolina lawmakers took similar steps two years ago.
The legislation passed in a session marked by stops and starts as GOP leaders tried to muster enough votes in the Senate. That chamber ultimately approved the package 17-16, with just one Republican voting against it, around sunrise. The Assembly approved it on a 56-27 vote about two hours later, with just one Republican defecting.
"This is a heck of a way to run a railroad."
“This is a heck of a way to run a railroad,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said as Senate debate resumed at 5 a.m. after a seven-hour impasse. “This is embarrassing we’re even here.”
“Wisconsin has never seen anything like this,” Evers said in a statement Wednesday. “Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change on November 6th.”
A spokeswoman for Walker did not immediately respond to a question about how quickly he would act. Walker was in Washington on Wednesday for former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral.
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker arrives for the lighting of the state Christmas Tree in the Capitol Rotunda, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018 at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. The Senate and Assembly are set to send dozens of changes in state law to Walker's desk Tuesday. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
In one concession, Wisconsin Republicans backed away from giving the legislature the power to sidestep the attorney general and appoint their own attorney when state laws are challenged in court.
Faced with a Democratic governor for the first time in eight years, legislative Republicans came up with a package of lame-duck bills to protect their priorities and make it harder for Evers to enact his.
“You’re here because you don’t want to give up power,” Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said as debate concluded in that chamber. “You’re sore losers. Does anybody think this is the right way to do business? If you vote for this, shame on you. You will go down in history as a disgrace.”
In this Sept. 28, 2018 photo, Wisconsin governor-elect Tony Evers speaks in Madison, Wis. (AP)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos countered that the bills would ensure a balance of power between the Legislature and the executive branch.
“We have allowed far too much authority to flow to the executive,” Vos said. “To you this is all about politics. To me, it’s about the institution.”
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Judges could block the proposals if they become law by issuing temporary injunctions, which could last the duration of the cases. Democrats would likely need a permanent injunction to stop the changes for good, but Republicans would almost certainly pursue appeals all the way to the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservative justices.
The legislature passed another measure to enact Medicaid work requirement rules that Walker recently won a federal waiver to establish. That bill would also give the Legislature oversight over the governor seeking future waivers for health care, a change Democrats said would handcuff the new administration.
Protesters have come and gone in the Capitol the past two days as lawmakers rushed to pass the bills. The tumult was reminiscent of much larger demonstrations in the opening weeks of Walker’s time as governor in 2011, when he effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.
Attendees sit in the gallery and listen during a special session of the senate, Tuesday Dec. 4, 2018, at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
Also early Wednesday, the Senate rejected a bill that would have created a state guarantee that people with pre-existing conditions can have access to health insurance. Walker had made it a priority during the campaign, but it failed 16-17 after two Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.
Democrats and other opponents argue that the measure provided inadequate coverage and would cause premiums to skyrocket, making coverage unaffordable. Instead, Democrats support bolstering coverage guarantees in the federal health care law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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