James B. Nelson

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

While state of Wisconsin residents slept, the Republican-led state Legislature worked overnight in an extraordinary special session.

The key goal: limit the powers of incoming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and incoming Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Details of what was being considered weren't known until 4 a.m. when a new, 56-page version of the legislation was released. Outgoing Gov. Scott Walker has indicated he'll sign the legislation before he leaves office Jan. 7.

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So what happened overnight?

Limits to Evers' power

Limits to the new governor's powers include: giving lawmakers power to block rules written to implement state laws.

Other changes: the Evers administration must report if the governor pardons anyone or his aides release anyone from prison early. Evers would have to get permission from the Legislature before asking the federal government to make any changes to programs that are run jointly by the state and federal governments.

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Limits to Kaul

Lawmakers rather than the attorney general would be in charge of litigation, allowing them to keep alive a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare. Also lawmakers — instead of the attorney general — would have control over how court settlements are spent.

The bill also eliminates the solicitor general's office, which oversees high-profile litigation.

Pre-existing conditions

State senators failed to deliver on a campaign promise from Walker to approve legislation that protected health insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.

Early voting limited

Early voting would be limited to two weeks. A similar limit was found unconstitutional in 2016 and Democrats have threatened to take legal action again. This follows elections this year with longer early voting periods, during which tens of thousands of voters cast ballots.

Power shift over jobs agency

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board, rather than the governor, would appoint WEDC's leader until next September. The Legislature would also get more say over the agency's enterprise zone program that gives tax breaks to individual businesses.

It's not clear what the intent is of the September timing but the speculation is it involves the massive Foxconn plant in Racine County that is receiving $4 billion in state and local incentives for job creation. Republican Gov. Scott Walker brokered the deal, which Evers and other Democrats criticized.

Presidential primary switch dropped

Casualties of the session included a proposal to move the 2020 presidential primary election to benefit the election bid of conservative Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly.

Kimberly-Clark incentives dumped

The reason lawmakers were returning to Madison before January in the first place also didn't make it to the floor. The tax incentive package for Fox Valley paper maker Kimberly-Clark was dropped from the measure.

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