Wisconsin Republicans See Paralyzed Takeover Stuck in Court



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Wisconsin's newly elected Democratic governor, Tony Evers, is recovering his power – at least for the moment.

Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have been given a huge, albeit temporary, victory in court this week, when a judge blocked the impending Republican coup to curtail the state's regained power.

Republicans passed a series of bills in December limiting Evers' ability to change policies on social assistance, health care and economic development, as well as to limit Attorney General's powers, while former Republican Governor Scott Walker was still in office. Among other things, the laws blocked Evers 'power to extend Medicaid coverage, prevented Kaul from removing the state from the lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, and eroded Evers' authority over appointments. keys within the executive.

The Dane County Court of Appeal Judge, Richard Niess, said Thursday that these laws were unconstitutional because they were passed at an "executive session" of the legislature "not convened in accordance with the constitution of Wisconsin ".

Republican state leaders have already promised to appeal the ruling, which would send it to a majority Conservative court – a step that could eventually restore the laws.

For the moment, Evers and Kaul are making the most of their restored powers. Kaul has already proposed to withdraw Wisconsin from trial in Federal Court Texas c. United States, which threatens to overturn Obamacare's ban on pre-existing conditions.

This is the second time this year that a court finds lame opponents of Republicans unconstitutional. In January, a federal judge overturned the Wisconsin Republicans' law banning early voting, another key element of the bills Walkers signed during his last term.

The intentions of Republicans have always been clear: after devastating losses in the 2018 mid-term elections, the Republican-controlled state legislature wants to protect conservative legacies.

"We are going to have a very liberal governor who will enact policies that go against what many of us believe," said Robin Vos, president of the Assembly of the United States. State of Wisconsin, last year.

But the state's liberal groups have promised to bring the Republicans to justice – and for now, they seem to have some victories to their credit.

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