Outgoing governor stripped power from the incoming governor and attorney general as well as limiting early voting

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Scott Walker, the outgoing Wisconsin governor, has signed a raft of legislation passed by the Republican state legislature that restricts the power of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general as well as limits early voting in the state.

Courts likely to strike down Republican lame-duck power grabs, experts say Read more

Democrats have decried the move as a brutal power grab aimed at hobbling their new administration and an undemocratic ploy that ignores the will of the state’s voters in the recent midterm elections. They have also threatened litigation.

Walker signed the bills just 24 days before he leaves office.

The Republican governor and one-time presidential candidate downplayed bipartisan criticism that they amount to a power grab that will stain his legacy. He detailed all of the governor’s powers, including a strong veto authority, that will not change while defending the measures he signed as improving transparency, stability and accountability.

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“There’s a lot of hype and hysteria, particularly in the national media, implying this is a power shift,” Walker said before signing the measures. “It’s not.”

Walker was urged by Democrats and Republicans, including Democratic governor-elect Tony Evers and former Republican governor Scott McCallum, to reject the legislation. Walker, who was defeated by Evers for a third term, had earlier said he was considering partial vetoes, but he ultimately did not strike anything.

The Democratic Governors Association condemned the move. “This power grab is an assault on democracy – and it will not stand up to legal scrutiny. This is nothing short of an attempt to overrule the will of the voters of Wisconsin. In a democracy, you don’t get to change the rules just because you lost,” said DGA communications director Jared Leopold in a statement.

Republican legislative leaders have said they are trying to balance the power of the executive and legislative branches. They said they wanted to ensure Evers must negotiate with them rather than issue executive orders to undo their policy achievements.

Democrats and liberal advocacy groups are expected to sue within days over the bills.

Republican leaders and Walker moved forward with the proposals immediately after Evers defeated the governor as part of a Democratic sweep of statewide offices. The push is aimed at safeguarding conservative policies put in place during Walker’s eight years as governor and mirrors tactics used by Republicans in North Carolina in 2016. Republicans in Michigan are weighing similar moves.

The Wisconsin bills focus on numerous Republican priorities, including restricting early in-person voting to two weeks before an election.

The legislation shields the state’s job-creation agency from Evers’ control until September and limits his ability to enact administrative rules. The measures would also block Evers from withdrawing Wisconsin from a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act, one of his central campaign promises.

It eliminates the state department of justice’s solicitor general’s office, which the outgoing Republican attorney general, Brad Schimel, used to launch contentious partisan litigation. Doing away with it ensures the Democratic attorney general-elect, Josh Kaul, can’t use the office to challenge Republican-authored laws.

The bills also allow lawmakers to intervene in lawsuits, ensuring Republicans will be able to defend their policies and laws in court if Kaul refuses to do it. Kaul would also need approval from the legislature’s budget-writing committee before he can reach any settlements, further increasing the power of that GOP-controlled panel.



