Wisconsin Republicans pass bill to weaken incoming Democratic governor

[Equinox Moon]

Source: Guardian

Bill designed to reduce the powers of incoming governor-elect Tony Evers. Critics have called the move a threat to democracy.

The Wisconsin Republican-controlled state senate voted just before sunrise on Wednesday, following an all-night session, to pass a sweeping bill in a lame-duck session designed to weaken the Democrat replacing Republican Governor Scott Walker.

Republicans pushed on through protests, internal disagreement and Democratic opposition to the measures designed to reduce the powers of incoming Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers and the incoming attorney general, Josh Kaul, also a Democrat replacing a Republican. Critics have called the move a threat to democracy. The Wisconsin battle is one of several going on around the country where bitter bipartisan wrangling continues even a month after the midterm elections.

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The bill passed the Assembly, where Republicans hold a large majority, by 56-27, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. That chamber’s vote came a few hours after the Senate, shortly after sunrise, voted 17-16 to pass the legislation. One Senate Republican defected, while all Democrats voted against it.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/wisconsin-assembly-passes-bill-curb-evers-power

____________________________________________________________________________


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/05/wisconsin-republicans-vote-pass-bill-weaken-incoming-democratic-governor

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This is just wrong!!!


Lawsuits are waiting to be initiated if Walker signs the bills.

[dalton99a]

1. Lawsuit ASAP, please.

[CatWoman]

3. isn't the is same thing that happened/went on in NC

after the last republican lost the gubernatorial race?

[barbtries]

5. yes.

now they're lame ducks and screwing up as much as possible in the time they have left. i live in NC and the republicans here are as bad as any of them anywhere. i mean they really suck. they got away with way more seats than they should have thanks to gerrymandering. the majority votes for Democrats and the republicans walk away with more seats. absolute worst. they've been doing everything they can think of to cut Roy Cooper off at the knees since Day 1 of his governorship.

[NCjack]

6. Yes.

[riversedge]

13. It is a disgusting @GOP trend. damn

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/lame-duck-wisconsin-republicans-vote-weaken-incoming-democratic-governor-attorney-n944001?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma


governor, attorney general

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Politics News
Lame-duck Wisconsin Republicans vote to weaken incoming Democratic governor, attorney general
The GOP state Senate passed the measures 17-16 with all Republicans except one in support.
Image: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland on Feb. 23, 2017.Joshua Roberts / Reuters file
Dec. 5, 2018 / 7:05 AM CST
By Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Senate voted just before sunrise Wednesday following an all-night session to pass a sweeping bill in a lame-duck session designed to empower the GOP-controlled Legislature and weaken the Democrat replacing Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Republicans pushed on through protests, internal disagreement and Democratic opposition to the measures designed to reduce the powers of incoming Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul. Both Evers and Kaul urged Republicans not to do it, warning that lawsuits would bring more gridlock to Wisconsin when the new administration, and the first divided government in 10 years, takes over.

But Republicans forged ahead regardless, passing it 17-16 with all Republicans except one in support. All Democrats voted against it. The Assembly was expected to pass the bill later Wednesday, sending it on to Walker for his consideration. Walker has signaled support.

"This is a heck of a way to run a railroad," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said as debate resumed at 5 a.m. "This is embarrassing we're even here."


In one concession, Republicans backed away from giving the Legislature the power to sidestep the attorney general and appoint their own attorney when state laws are challenged in court. An amendment to do away with that provision was part of a Republican rewrite of the bill, made public around 4:30 a.m. after all-night negotiations.

Walker, who was booed and heckled during an afternoon Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, has signaled support for the measures that he would have to sign before they take effect. He's in his final five weeks as governor after losing a bid for a third term to Evers, the state schools superintendent............................

[calimary]

20. Very elaborate way to say "Fuck you!" to the voters who

voted their boy out of power, ‘eh?

[progree]

2. "The assembly was expected to pass the bill later Wednesday"

In case anyone is wondering about that. I read another article saying that Walker said he will sign it.

What an atrocity.

[Just a Weirdo]

10. Then a lawsuit will be filed

And recall petitions will be set up, and submitted by the end of the week, and recall elections as soon as Evers is in. Probably the very next Tuesday after the inauguration of Evers.

Republicans can be fucking sore losers, and they should be charged for racketeering.

[FBaggins]

18. They just held an election a few weeks ago

There can't be a recall petition until after they've served a year into the term... which effectively means that the earliest there could be a recall election would be a few months into 2020.

[Just a Weirdo]

19. 6 months.

But a lawsuit should be filed anyway. RICO charges needs to be filed as well.

[FBaggins]

23. Has that changed?

https://elections.wi.gov/elections-voting/recall

Like all other public officials, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin are not eligible for recall until they have served at least one year in the current term of office.

Either way, of course, "by the end of the week" is impossible.

Re "RICO charges"... for what? Are you saying that the powers of state officers cannot be limited by legislation? That legislators and governors actually lose their power on election day and not in January?

[barbtries]

4. doing the same thing in NC.

for instance they're planning to pass a bill that will put republicans in charge of elections during every election year.

i don't believe these "laws" will hold, but the willingness to do this and the transparently anti american, anti democratic nature of these power grabs are so sick.

i'll be dead before this country is okay again, if it will be.

[lancelyons]

14. They already did this in NC a couple years ago.

I think it went to court and the court found that what NC did was wrong and blocked it.

https://www.greensboro.com/ap/north_carolina/n-c-court-blocks-law-stripping-governor-of-election-powers/article_6e4ceb94-16bb-5635-a8bd-f94bf8e8c381.html

[Equinox Moon]

15. The courts will need to follow the Wisc. state Constitution.

Hopefully, the Wisc. Constitution will be clear that this is unconstitutional.

[onetexan]

24. what's Einstein's definition of insanity

something about doing the same thing over & over again, and expecting different results?

[barbtries]

32. they haven't stopped though

i swear republicans never sleep.

[blue-wave]

7. I would bet

that this is all about CYA. Purely speculation by me, but it appears as though they are desperately attempting to cover-up wrong doing. Just my "gut instinct", and mine is a whole lot better than you know who.

[Harker]

8. GOP S.O.P.

Screw us when in power, piss and moan when not. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[ffr]

9. Conservatives are the worst, most evil spiteful beings there are.

It's like if they were told to share the playground sandbox and refused, then told to get out and as they did, they peed in it before leaving.

They're just awful people. Why would anyone vote for such behavior?

[lancelyons]

11. How do the GOP keep getting by with this.

Because their voters LOVE THIS STUFF.

Screw a liberal... great
mess over a democrat Perfect

rid the world of liberals... awesome..

This stuff happens because their base loves this kind of stuff and have a PROFOUND hate for Liberals.'


Thats why I personally say that DEMS should do everything they can to make conservatives PAY for their approaches... HARSHLY.

[Woodycall]

17. Because they're stupid

As a resident I can tell you that the Fascist (I'm not using the terms "Conservative" or "Republican" anymore - those folks are all gone now) voters in this State that I know are all what I now call the "True" Lefty's. They inhabit the left-hand side of the IQ bell curve. And that's just a fact. They're not only suckers for this shit, they're suckers for ANY scam that comes down the pike. I don't know what we're going to do going forward. If we can't get relief from the courts on gerrymandering, we're just fucked. And by that I mean fucked like, fucked from now on!

[calimary]

22. One can only wonder why they revere Jesus so ardently.

Jesus preached liberalism. That whole Matthew 25:35-45 thing. The “whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me” thing.

The One they claim they worship embodies The Thing they actually despise. Go figure.

[Liberalhammer]

12. Hit them in the pocket book

https://boycottwirepublicans.godaddysites.com

Im pissed.

[deurbano]

16. Shameless, as usual. Clinton greatly underestimated the number of deplorables.

[Honeycombe8]

21. How can that be legal? I suppose if they granted those powers in the 1st place...

they can take them away. What the legislature giveth, the legislature can taketh away.

I would have thought his powers were enshrined in their Constitution.

[onetexan]

25. it's not Honeycombe

See here:
http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-north-carolina-governor-legislature-power-ballot-measure.html

The bloodsuckers tried this in NC in 2016.

[Honeycombe8]

34. Geez. Well, we need to sweep that state's legislature and turn it blue.

If that's possible.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. Ok, so now if you ever vote for any republican ever again you are someone admitting you

HATE democracy which means you HATE America.

If you want a civil war, just say so. Seems to me you do.

[Honeycombe8]

35. Not really. It depends.

The establishment Republicans are still lurking around. They hate Trump. They are pro-Democracy. They have a different ideology than we do, for sure. But they have the country's best interests at heart.

BUT...the Republicans are in the grip of the alt-right and Trump. Until, and unless, they scrub their party of that bug, it's DEMOCRATS FOREVER!

But we are Democrats, so not likely to vote Republican, anyway. 2016 was the only year in ages that numbers of Dems crossed the line and voted against us. I don't see that happening again any time soon.

[Eliot Rosewater]

36. I am tired of wasting valuable time noting that there are a handful of decent republicans.

So I am not going to do it anymore.

They wont speak out, most of them, which makes them NOT decent and the few that do are too few for me to always have to make that distinction.

[Basement Beat]

27. How can republicans get a single vote anywhere in this country?

They are all so very treacherous to democracy it seems.

[FiveGoodMen]

30. One in three Americans don't deserve oxygen.

[Bondor]

28. collective punishment possible?

At what point can we hold the Republican party accountable for stuff like this? Even at a local level? Moves like this are so clearly antidemocratic that it would make sense that Republicans get banned from the ballot in that state for at least a few years. Lawsuits should go beyond correcting the egregious act; there should be collective consequences that go directly to the Republican Party!

[stuffmatters]

37. Start recall petitions for all of these Repugs, then a collective recall election asap.

Vote them out, Wisconsin. With SCOTUS now Koch- stacked, the ballot box is the only way. Walker( and later that RW judge) only survived recall through overt finagling by one County Clerk (Cathy something).

[MineralMan]

29. Scorched Earth Policy.

That's what it is. Republicans think that's OK when they lose, apparently.

[Firestorm49]

31. It's not "if" Walker will sign it. It's when. The little worm doesn't give a shit.

Once a worm, always a worm. This little high school graduate weasel of a governor didn’t have the balls proclaim his ass- hat platform during his first race for Governor. He hid it like the shit that he is until after he was elected. We’ve had one party rule in WI for ten years and they’ve gerrymandered WI enough to remain in power even though Republicans lost the statewide numbers 54% to 46%. By all rights, they should have been flushed out of office like head lice.

Secondly, WI Republican have loaded the courts with Republican judges, so good frickin luck trying to win fairly there as well.

What a mess. Fighting Bob LaFollette is rolling over in his grave. When stuff like this just keeps coming and keeps coming, rage replaces anger and frustration. What’s the end game?

[bluestarone]

33. Just can't believe this shit!!

This hopefully will be OVERTURNED?? NOTHING on this planet worse that=n the REPUGS of today!!!!!!!!!!

[Progressive Jones]

38. Chronic alcoholism has finally caught up with the Cheese Turds... nt.

[maxrandb]

39. The Koch pricks spent a lot of money to buy Wisconsin

they aren't going to let it go easily.

This... ALL THIS is because of the fucking "shellacking" in the CENSUS YEAR of 2010!!!!!!!!

It's going to take a fucking generation or more to fix this fucked up gerrymandered shit at the state levels.

Or, people are going to take up arms to fix the fucking fact that Retrumplicans get 46% of the vote and win 67% of the states representation.

It's not fucking sustainable.

The only way short of marching on the capital with bayonets fixed, is making the fucksticks that fund Retrumplicans lose fucking money.

That means sustained and relentless boycotts. It means punishing the Dumbfuckistan'Murika parts of this country that serve as incubators for Retrumplicans.

It means marching on universities that broadcast major sports on radio stations that feature Retrumplican propaganda.

It means boycotting and massive letter and email writing to EVERY FUCKING BUSINESS... local and national that advertise on any station that even broadcasts one fucking second of Hate Radio.

It means that if Sinclair owns multiple stations in a market, they all must be boycotted, even if those stations play nothing but fucking bubble gum pop.

This disgusting dismissal of the will of the people MUST NOT GO UNPUNISHED!!!

The power of the government only comes from the consent of the governed.

I DON'T CONSENT!!!

[Equinox Moon]

40. I have been very upset too, this might help...

Because there is a democratic governor through the 2020 census, the next voting districts will have to be fair. Governor Evers will never approve their gerrymandered crap! This mess will be corrected, it will take time though.

I also understand that some of the upcoming lawsuits will overturn their idiotic power grab.

So, hang in there.