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More than a dozen lawsuits are on hold as a result of the lame-duck laws Republicans passed in December to limit Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul’s authority to resolve cases on his own.

Several cases with pressing deadlines that could award the state millions of dollars are awaiting approval from the Legislature’s Republican-controlled budget committee, which has newfound oversight authority over the Department of Justice.

So far, Republicans on the committee have been unable to agree on a way to approve the cases for which Kaul, under the new law passed after Democrats swept statewide offices last November but before they took office, is required to seek their approval. Under the new law, Kaul is required to seek the finance committee’s approval to reach settlement agreements in certain cases.

The law, which Republicans say puts the Legislature on a level playing field with the executive branch, has been criticized by Democrats, who say it’s simply a mechanism for GOP lawmakers to micromanage the attorney general.

The cases pending before the budget committee are outlined in a July memo from the Department of Justice to the Joint Finance Committee included in documents obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal.