A lame-duck ‘legislative coup:’ Wisconsin GOP stages last-minute power grab before Dems take office

Republican legislators worked throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning to pass a sweeping package of lame-duck bills to give power to the Republican-controlled Legislature before Republican Governor Scott Walker leaves office in January.

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Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are orchestrating an unprecedented power grab to weaken incoming Democratic Governor Tony Evers before he takes office. In an extraordinary move that some are calling a “legislative coup,” Republican legislators worked throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning to pass a sweeping package of lame-duck bills to give power to the Republican-controlled Legislature before Republican Governor Scott Walker leaves office in January. The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate passed a measure to limit the power of the Democratic governor and attorney general-elect and restrict early voting periods. Earlier Wednesday morning, the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly passed a bill enacting a Medicaid work requirement and limiting the incoming governor’s ability to change state laws requiring able-bodied adults without children to work in order to receive public benefits. We speak with Ruth Conniff, editor-at-large of the Wisconsin-based magazine The Progressive.

Guests

  • Ruth Conniff

    editor-at-large of the Wisconsin-based magazine The Progressive.

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