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Republican lawmakers have passed more than 125 measures since 2011 restricting the authority of local government, according to the state’s nonpartisan budget agency.

Over the past three legislative sessions, since the GOP gained control of the Legislature, lawmakers have enacted 128 provisions that represent unfunded mandates or restrict the decision-making power of local governments, according to a May 16 memo released by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau at the request of Assistant Assembly Minority Leader Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point.

Shankland said in a statement that of the 128 provisions, 80 were passed without Democratic lawmakers’ support.

“From restricting county shoreland zoning ordinances passed by county boards, to banning municipal governments from passing container ordinances that make sense for the well-being of their community, legislative Republicans repeatedly used their majority in a blatant government overreach,” said Shankland.

Republicans pointed out that some of the bills were co-sponsored or backed by Democrats, including Shankland.

Tom Evenson, a spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker, said some of the measures Shankland criticized resulted in lower taxes.