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The Wisconsin legislature, controlled by the GOPs, approved a lengthy bill designed to strengthen the legislature and weaken the Democratic Party replacing Republican Governor Scott Walker.
The Wisconsin Senate voted on the bill just before sunrise on Wednesday and the state assembly passed it. Later in the morning.
Republicans acted through protests, internal disagreements and a democratic opposition to measures to curtail the powers of newly elected Democratic governor Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. Evers and Kaul both urged Republicans not to do so, warning that lawsuits would lead to a deadlock for Wisconsin when the new government, and the first government split in 10 years, would take power.
The Republicans have nevertheless taken the lead. Senate 17-16 with all Republicans except one in support. All the Democrats voted against it. The Assembly then adopted the measure, to a large extent also in a partisan spirit. The bill is now sent to Walker for review. Walker has announced his support.
"This is a hell of a way to run a railroad," said Democratic Senate Leader Jennifer Shilling, resuming debate at 5 am. "It's embarrassing, we're even here."
Republican The Wisconsin and Michigan Legislatures use lame sessions to try to limit the powers of the new Democratic governors in their states, prompting strong accusations from their opponents that the legislators undermine voters. The measures envisaged also raise wider questions as to whether such efforts have become the new norm in a political environment in which State organs are increasingly partisan – and more powerful.
In a Wisconsin grant, Republicans refused to give the legislature the power to avoid the Attorney General and to appoint his own attorney when state laws are challenged in court. An amendment to delete this provision was part of a republican rewrite of the bill, made public around 4:30 am after overnight negotiations.
Walker, who was booed and heckled during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the afternoon. Capitol rotunda, indicated his support for the measures that he should sign before their entry into force. He is in his last five weeks as governor after losing a bid for a third term at Evers, superintendent of public schools.
Despite the victories won by Evers, Kaul and all other Democrats who ran for office in the state, Republicans retained majority control in the Legislature. for the next two years. Democrats blame Republicans for manipulating electoral cartouches with partisans gerrymandering
But in front of a Democratic governor for the first time in eight years, Republican lawmakers introduced a set of lame bills to protect their priorities. It is more difficult for Evers to promulgate it.
"Why are we here today?" Democratic minority leader Gordon Hintz said the nine-hour debate began Tuesday night. "What are we doing? Nothing we are doing here is intended to help the people of Wisconsin. It's about helping politicians. question of power and personal interest ".
Speaker Robin Vos replied that the bills would ensure a balance of power between the legislature and the executive.
"We left too much authority to the executive," Vos said. "For you, everything is a matter of politics, for me, it is an institution."
The bill would weaken the governor's ability to put in place rules that would legislate and protect public works society from its control until September. It would also limit early voting to no more than two weeks before an election, a restriction similar to that declared unconstitutional by a federal judge. The Democrats were optimistic that the courts would reject him again.
The proposal would also weaken the Attorney General's office by requiring a legislative committee, rather than the Attorney General, to agree to withdraw from federal prosecutions. This would prevent Evers and Kaul from keeping their election promise to remove Wisconsin from a multi-state lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They made opposition to this pursuit a central element of their two campaigns.
The Legislature passed another measure to enact the rules relating to the requirements of Medicaid's work, which Walker recently obtained a waiver to establish by the federal government. The bill would also give the legislature oversight authority over the governor seeking exemptions for health care, a move that the Democrats believe would threaten the new government.
The proposals come after lawmakers in North Carolina took similar steps two years ago. Michigan Republicans are also discussing steps to take before a Democratic governor takes power.
Protesters moved to the Capitol over the past two days as legislators rushed to pass the bills. The uproar evoked much larger protests during the first weeks of his governorship in 2011, when he ended collective bargaining for most public service employees.
"The first thing Scott Walker did when he broke through the Capitol Gate was to create chaos," Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach told the Senate debate. "The last thing he does is create chaos."
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