Bill Curbing Evers’ Power Moves to Legislature
All 12 Republicans on Joint Finance back plan to reduce governor’s power, restrict early voting.
In an early morning vote Tuesday, the state Legislature’s budget committee voted to approve several wide-ranging plans that would restrict early voting and limit the power of Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul.
The vote came at 12:08 a.m., after more than 10 hours of testimony and debate at the state Capitol. The measures passed on party line votes, with the state budget committee’s 12 Republican members voting in favor and four Democrats voting against.
As the hearing began, Republican lawmakers were met with chants of “shame” and “protect our vote” from crowds gathered in Capitol hallways. Members of the public gathered inside the hearing room periodically booed as lawmakers debated the measures.
Dozens of members of the public testified against the proposals during the public hearing, including Tammy Wood of La Valle.
“This is nothing less than an utter show of disdain for the citizens of Wisconsin,” Wood said. “We do not consent to you knee-capping our governor, we do not consent to you stacking our courts, we do not consent to you stacking our elections, we do not consent to be being divided, we do not consent to be conquered.”
Bonnie Margulis of Madison said the proposals ignore the views of Wisconsin voters, who voted to elect Evers and Kaul.
Republican lawmakers pushed back on the criticisms, saying they are aimed at balancing the power of the Legislature and the executive branch.
“Let’s not exaggerate what we’re really doing here today,” said Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chair of the budget committee. “This is a balancing of power in the state of Wisconsin.”
Nygren said the changes will allow lawmakers to work more effectively with Evers.
“We realize that we are setting a precedent here and making changes that will effect future Republican governors as well,” he said.
The proposals now move to consideration before the full state Legislature. That is scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon.
The plans were introduced for the first time late Friday afternoon. Most of the focus since that time has been on the election law changes, including a plan to move the date of the 2020 presidential primary from April to March. The bill including that proposal did not pass the budget committee Tuesday morning, so it is likely dead.
When asked last week about the “upside” of moving Wisconsin’s presidential primary, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, acknowledged it could give conservative state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly a better chance of winning.
On Monday, staff at the Wisconsin Elections Commission estimated moving Wisconsin’s presidential primary from April to March would cost up to $6.8 million. Members of the commission, who are appointed by an even split of Democrats and Republicans, also voted 6-0 for a motion warning lawmakers of what they saw as the plan’s pitfalls.
“Under (Assembly bill) 1071 as drafted, it would be extraordinarily difficult to accomplish an additional election date given existing statutory framework,” read the unanimous motion. “We are aware of multiple conflicts not resolved with this legislation and are concerned that completion of mandatory tasks may not be feasible.”
Clerks, who run elections, have warned the plan would create logistical headaches by creating overlapping timelines and voter confusion.
“Obviously, we consider it a waste of money and resources, but more fundamentally, we don’t think we can do it,” said Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnell. “I think there’s a suggestion that we can buy our way out of this. We can’t.”
On Monday, a lawyer for the liberal One Wisconsin Institute warned against the provision of the bill that restricts early voting, saying it would be challenged in court. One Wisconsin Institute successfully sued to overturn earlier restrictions on early voting in a decision handed down in 2016 by U.S. District Judge James Peterson.
“That would directly conflict with the injunction that Judge Peterson put in place for those reasons,” said One Wisconsin Institute lawyer Bruce Spiva.
The proposed early voting changes would trim the number of days in-person absentee voting is allowed in Wisconsin by about five days. If the measure passes, early voting would last roughly two weeks before Election Day.
During the public hearing on the measure, Nygren defended the proposed change. Nygren pointed out many rural communities in Wisconsin have fewer opportunities for early voting than urban parts of the state, including Madison and Milwaukee.
“It’s a fairness issue,” Nygren said.
But Democrats on the committee pushed back on that, saying resources should be increased for rural communities so they may offer the same early voting hours as urban areas, if that is a concern. They also argued communities with larger populations should be able to offer more early voting opportunities, for logistical reasons.
Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, called the proposal to cut early voting in urban areas an abuse of power.
“You guys are just going crazy here,” Shankland said. “This is like ‘Gremlins’ after midnight.”
While the election law changes have generated the most attention, other changes proposed by Republicans would significantly scale back the power of the Democrats who won statewide office last month.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Fitzgerald made clear that many of the plans included in the extraordinary session package were aimed at making it harder for Evers to accomplish his goals.
“Listen, I’m concerned. I think that Gov.-elect Evers is going to bring a liberal agenda to Wisconsin,” Fitzgerald said at a press conference before the start of the committee meeting. “I don’t have any problem highlighting that right now. I want people to understand that. That there’s going to be a divide between the legislative and executive branch.”
“The legislation before you today and the spirit of this extraordinary session are unfettered attempts to override and ignore what the people of Wisconsin asked for this November,” Evers said. “This is rancor and politics as usual.”
One provision approved Tuesday by the committee could prevent Evers and Kaul from fulfilling their campaign promise to end Wisconsin’s participation in a multi-state lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Under current law, Kaul could do so with Evers’ approval. Under the proposal slated for the extraordinary session, approval to withdraw from such a multi-state lawsuit would have to come from the state budget committee, rather than the governor. Republicans hold a 12-4 majority on that committee, making it unlikely they would approve such a move.
Another provision that moved forward would give majority Republicans substantially more control over the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Right now, gubernatorial appointments make up a majority of the WEDC board, and the governor gets to appoint the agency’s CEO. The plans under consideration in the lame duck session would give Republican lawmakers a majority of board appointments and the board would pick the CEO.
The proposals would also dramatically scale back Evers’ control of the rulemaking process, and concentrate more power in the hands of the Legislature.
Evers would also lose the ability to make the state Capitol a “gun free zone.” Like other issues currently in the hands of the governor, that issue would also require legislative approval.
The Legislature would also gain more power to hire private attorneys instead of relying on the Wisconsin Department of Justice for representation. In addition, lawmakers would gain the power to decide how to parcel out court settlements.
Whether all of the plans will pass the full Legislature later Tuesday is unclear. Fitzgerald was not ready to rule anything out, but he wouldn’t say whether he had enough votes to pass the changes to the presidential primary and early voting.
Whatever passes the Legislature will need Gov. Scott Walker‘s approval. Speaking to reporters after an event at the executive residence in Maple Bluff on Monday afternoon, Walker was not ready to commit to the bills one way or another.
“Members of the Legislature were elected, not on a term that ends on Election Day, but on a term that ends in January,” Walker said. “Just like my term ends in January. And so we’re going to look at things just like people expect us to serve a full four-year term.”
While this week’s session is not the first time one party has used a lame duck session to its advantage, the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau said this was the first time in state history that an extraordinary session had been used to restrict the power of an incoming governor and attorney general before they take office.
“This is unprecedented, what is happening here,” said Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison.
After Raucous Hearing, Bills To Restrict Early Voting, Curtail Evers’ Powers Move To Full was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio
WPR reporter Shamane Mills contributed to this report.
More about the Lame Duck Laws
- State Supreme Court Reviews Lame Duck Laws - Ruth Conniff - Oct 22nd, 2019
- Kaul Says Lame Duck Law Costs Taxpayers - Melanie Conklin - Sep 10th, 2019
- Democrats’ Bill Repeals Lame Duck Law - Laurel White - Sep 6th, 2019
- GOP Bungling Could Cost Wisconsin Taxpayers Millions - State Sen. Jennifer Shilling - Sep 4th, 2019
- Murphy’s Law: Lame Duck Laws Hurting the State - Bruce Murphy - Sep 4th, 2019
- Questions Swirl Around State Budget Committee Republicans’ Hiring of Lawyer/Lobbyist at Taxpayer Expense - One Wisconsin Now - Sep 4th, 2019
- Lame Duck Laws Opposed Overwhelmingly - Erik Gunn - Sep 4th, 2019
- Sen. Alberta Darling’s Corrupt Lame Duck Law Puts Settlement Funds At Risk - State Senate Democratic Committee - Aug 28th, 2019
- Serious Flaws in Republican Lame Duck Laws on Display in Joint Finance Committee - State Rep. Gordon Hintz - Aug 27th, 2019
- GOP Suit Slaps Kaul on Lame Duck Laws - Melanie Conklin - Aug 2nd, 2019
- State Supreme Court Upholds Lame-Duck Laws - Laurel White - Jun 21st, 2019
- Gov. Evers Releases Statement Relating to Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision - Gov. Tony Evers - Jun 21st, 2019
- Wisconsin Budget: Lame Duck Mistake Reopens Tax Debate - Jon Peacock - Jun 12th, 2019
- High Court Reinstates Lame Duck Laws - Shawn Johnson - Jun 12th, 2019
- The State of Politics: An Uphill Fight for ‘Lame Duck’ Challengers? - Steven Walters - May 20th, 2019
- Conservatives Argue Against Lame-Duck Lawsuit - Shawn Johnson - May 16th, 2019
- Op Ed: Constitutional Boundaries Need Enforcement - Erin Grunze - May 10th, 2019
- Supreme Court Restores Lame Duck Appointees - Shawn Johnson - May 1st, 2019
- Former Lawmakers, WILL Enter Extraordinary Session Lawsuit - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Apr 23rd, 2019
- Appeals Court Sides with Evers on Appointees - Shawn Johnson - Apr 10th, 2019
- GOP Asks Court to Restore Walker Appointees - Laurel White - Apr 2nd, 2019
- Evers, GOP Fight Over Walker Appointees - Laurel White - Mar 30th, 2019
- Appeals Court Restores Some Lame Duck Laws - Laurel White - Mar 28th, 2019
- Joint Statement: Appellate Court Decision on the Extraordinary Session - Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 27th, 2019
- Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald Sends Letter to Appointees Impacted By Governor Evers’ Actions - Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 27th, 2019
- Second Judge Rules Against Lame Duck Laws - Laurel White - Mar 27th, 2019
- Arguments Begin on 2nd Lame Duck Suit - Laurel White - Mar 25th, 2019
- Dane County Court’s New Level of Judicial Activism Throws Wisconsin Into Chaos - MacIver Institute - Mar 25th, 2019
- Representative LaKeshia Myers Issues a Statement Regarding the Lame Duck Court Ruling - State Rep. LaKeshia Myers - Mar 21st, 2019
- Judge Blocks Lame Duck Laws - Shawn Johnson - Mar 21st, 2019
- Gov. Evers Releases Statement on Dane County Court’s Ruling on Lame-Duck Session - Gov. Tony Evers - Mar 21st, 2019
- Evers Joins Unions on Lame Duck Suit - Shawn Johnson - Feb 25th, 2019
- Fourth Lawsuit Against Lame Duck Laws - Shawn Johnson - Feb 22nd, 2019
- DPW Files Federal Lawsuit Over Republicans’ Lame-Duck Power Grab - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Feb 21st, 2019
- Rep. Spreitzer, Sen. Ringhand Propose Lame Duck Limits - State Rep. Mark Spreitzer - Feb 11th, 2019
- Judge Blocks Lame Duck Voting Restrictions - Laurel White - Jan 18th, 2019
- Rep. Jimmy Anderson Seeks to Void the Wisconsin Power Grab - State Rep. Jimmy Anderson - Jan 10th, 2019
- Op Ed: Lame Duck Mischief Defamed the State - Spencer Black - Jan 2nd, 2019
- Campaign Cash: Lame Duck Law Helped Ashley Furniture - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign - Dec 20th, 2018
- Op Ed: Liberals All Wrong on Early Voting Law - Rick Esenberg - Dec 20th, 2018
- Op Ed: We the Irrelevant People - Sheila Plotkin - Dec 19th, 2018
- History Repeats With Latest Post-Election Republican Attack on Early Voting - One Wisconsin Now - Dec 19th, 2018
- Kaul Calls Lame Duck Laws ‘Terrible’ - Mary Kate McCoy - Dec 19th, 2018
- Court Challenge to Voting Restrictions Filed - Laurel White - Dec 18th, 2018
- Murphy’s Law: State Facing Endless Lawsuits? - Bruce Murphy - Dec 18th, 2018
- One Wisconsin Institute Files Request for Court to Enforce Rulings Striking Down Republican Lame Duck Restrictions on Voting - One Wisconsin Institute - Dec 17th, 2018
- Motion to Block Early Voting Restrictions to be Filed Today - Citizen Action of Wisconsin - Dec 17th, 2018
- Carpenter: Require ‘Lame Duck” Bills to Supermajority Votes - State Sen. Tim Carpenter - Dec 17th, 2018
- Op Ed: Lame Duck Bills Too Rushed, Secretive - Erin Grunze - Dec 16th, 2018
- Walker Signs Lame Duck Bills - Laurel White - Dec 14th, 2018
- Rep. Zamarripa Statement on Lame Duck Bills - State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa - Dec 14th, 2018
- One Wisconsin Institute Announces Coming Legal Action Against GOP ‘Lame Duck’ Voting Rights Attacks - One Wisconsin Institute - Dec 14th, 2018
- Governor Walker just sealed his legacy as the worst Governor in state history - State Sen. Chris Larson - Dec 14th, 2018
- Governor Walker Signs Extraordinary Session Legislation into Law in Green Bay - Gov. Scott Walker - Dec 14th, 2018
- Governor-elect Tony Evers Statement on Kimberly-Clark Announcement - Gov. Tony Evers - Dec 13th, 2018
- Walker Defends Lame Duck Bills - Laurel White - Dec 12th, 2018
- Murphy’s Law: Republicans’ Plan for Permanent Power - Bruce Murphy - Dec 11th, 2018
- Lame Duck Law Adds Work For State Agencies - Rich Kremer - Dec 11th, 2018
- Lawmakers Change How WEDC Tracks Jobs - Laurel White - Dec 10th, 2018
- Op Ed: Republican Power Grab Unprecedented - State Sen. Chris Larson - Dec 10th, 2018
- The State of Politics: 5 Reasons for Republican Power Play - Steven Walters - Dec 10th, 2018
- Campaign Cash: WMC Behind New Anti-Regulation Bill - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign - Dec 7th, 2018
- Wisconsin Budget: One More Tax Cut For The Wealthy - Tamarine Cornelius - Dec 7th, 2018
- City Beat: Episode 002 - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 6th, 2018
- Lame-Duck Bill Changes Highway Funding - Rich Kremer - Dec 6th, 2018
- Murphy’s Law: What Will Scott Walker’s Legacy Be? - Bruce Murphy - Dec 6th, 2018
- Governor Walker: What Will Your Message To Gov.-Elect Evers Be? - State Sen. Tim Carpenter - Dec 6th, 2018
- WI & MI GOP Attempt to Undermine the Voice of Voters, Put Democracy and Safety at Risk - Democratic Attorneys General Association - Dec 6th, 2018
- Your Right to Know: Lame Duck Laws All About Secrecy - Dee J. Hall - Dec 5th, 2018
- Data Wonk: The Republican War Against Democracy - Bruce Thompson - Dec 5th, 2018
- Extraordinary Session Update: Legislature Approves Critical Reforms - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Dec 5th, 2018
- Rep. Gwen Moore Statement on Republican Power Grab - U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore - Dec 5th, 2018
- Statement on Lame Duck Session - State Rep. Evan Goyke - Dec 5th, 2018
- Legislature Works Overnight To Curb Evers Power - Shawn Johnson and Laurel White - Dec 5th, 2018
- Governor-elect Tony Evers Statement on Extraordinary Session - Gov. Tony Evers - Dec 5th, 2018
- Republican’s Holiday Gift to Wisconsin: An Assault on Democracy - State Sen. Janis Ringhand - Dec 5th, 2018
- Unprecedented Power Grab Will Break Wisconsin for Years to Come - State Sen. Chris Larson - Dec 5th, 2018
- Senator Taylor Believes GOP Are Taking Career Ending Votes - State Sen. Lena Taylor - Dec 4th, 2018
- Bill Curbing Evers’ Power Moves to Legislature - Shawn Johnson and Laurel White - Dec 4th, 2018
- Extraordinary Session Policy Items Flying Under the Radar - Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty - Dec 4th, 2018
- Will Republican Legislature Risk Contempt With Scheme to Enact New Limits on Early Voting? - One Wisconsin Now - Dec 4th, 2018
- Representative Lisa Subeck Statement on the Extraordinary Session - State Rep. Lisa Subeck - Dec 4th, 2018
- Power Tends to Corrupt, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely - State Rep. Jimmy Anderson - Dec 4th, 2018
- Governor-elect Tony Evers’ Testimony to the Joint Committee on Finance Opposing Extraordinary Session Legislation - Gov. Tony Evers - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Eight Days After November Election Republican Assembly Leader Robin Vos Requested New Restrictions on Early Voting - One Wisconsin Now - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Op Ed: GOP Bills Change 400 Sections of State Law - State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Rep. Brostoff Statement on Republican Effort to Override Will of Wisconsin Voters - State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Conservation Voters issue statement on lame duck bills - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Evers Will Fight Plan to Limit His Power - Corri Hess - Dec 3rd, 2018
- GOP Lame Duck Session Targets Evers - Laurel White - Dec 3rd, 2018
- ACLU of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors condemns lame duck session - American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Stop the Wisconsin GOP power grab - Indivisible Madison - Dec 3rd, 2018
- Election defeat leads to GOP temper tantrum - State Sen. Jennifer Shilling - Nov 30th, 2018
- Vos Republicans: ‘Too Many People Voted’ - One Wisconsin Now - Nov 30th, 2018
Despicable, anti-Democratic and arrogant.
Wisconsin’s Republican Legislators are lower than a snake’s belly as they slither around changing laws with little warning…under the cover of night.
All over America…chicken thieves are held in higher regard than Republican Rulers in Wisconsin. My apology to Chicken thieves for the comparison.
Our Republican Legislators wear flag pins and tout their patriotism while thumbing their noses at citizens who still believe in Democracy.
Wisconsin Republican Legislators talk about their Christian values while taking healthcare from sick Wisconsinites and food from the hungry. They don’t read Jesus’ words in Mt 25: 31-46. They don’t do what Jesus said his followers must do to gain salvation. They follow the words of the Almighty Koch brothers. We can plainly see they have no decency.