Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Wisconsin Republicans' Plan to Limit Powers of New Democratic Governor Just Hit a Major Roadblock

Wisconsin Republicans' Plan to Limit Powers of New Democratic Governor Just Hit a Major Roadblock
Scott Olson/Getty Images, Scott Olson/Getty Images

Victory.

A Wisconsin judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking a law signed by former Republican Governor Scott Walker limiting the executive authority of Tony Evers and Josh Kaul, the state's new Democratic governor and attorney general.

Walker signed the law in a last-minute lame-duck legislative session.


Amidst national outcry, Walker denied the legislation was politically motivated, writing on Facebook that Evers still maintained "some of the broadest line-item veto authority of any governor in the nation.”

At the heart of the debacle was a promise Evers made during the campaign that he would withdraw the state from a lawsuit challenging Obamacare.

“The law will limit the governor’s ability to pass administrative rules and block him from killing a provision that would impose a work requirement on Medicaid recipients,” Reuters reported at the time. “In addition, the legislation will allow legislators, rather than the attorney general, to decide whether to withdraw the state from lawsuits.”

Some of the aforementioned powers would have been transferred to the Republican-controlled state legislature.

On Thursday, Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess blocked the law from taking effect and refused to grant Republicans' request to delay his own order.

Evers lauded the ruling on Twitter.

"Today's ruling is a victory for the people of Wisconsin and for preserving the Wisconsin Constitution."

Evers wrote that the Republican-dominated "overplayed its hand by using an unlawful process to accumulate more power for itself and override the will of the people, despite the outcome of last November's election," adding that he "looks forward to putting this disappointing chapter behind us so we can move forward together to put the needs of the people of Wisconsin first."

Wisconsonites voted Walker out because they were tired of Republican antics, and surprise! they still are.

The law was subject to a lawsuit filed in January by a league of progressive groups - including the League of Women Voters, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities - arguing that the "extraordinary session" called by Republicans after Walker's loss was unconstitutional.

“The Wisconsin Constitution does not provide for the Legislature, let alone a small subset of each chamber acting through committees, to convene itself in an ‘extraordinary session,’ and neither does any statute,” the plaintiffs wrote in their filing.

On Thursday, they celebrated their win, which is a victory for everyone in Wisconsin - okay, everyone except for Republicans.

“Today’s court ruling is a victory for the people of Wisconsin, who are entitled to a government that represents their interests transparently, welcomes citizens’ input, and respects the limits of its constitutional authority," the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Erin Grunze, said in a statement. "As an organization dedicated to voting rights and informed participation in government, we feel vindicated that the court saw the Legislature’s ‘extraordinary session’ for what it was—an unconstitutional act that harmed Wisconsin voters and taxpayers.”

Niess's ruling has Republicans irked but undeterred.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) have vowed to appeal the ruling.

"For decades the Legislature has used extraordinary sessions that have been widely supported by members of both parties," they said in a statement. "The most recent extraordinary session was held for Governor Evers’ Budget Address."

State Representative Jim Steineke (R), a self-described fan of cow farts, also lamented the ruling.

"It truly is March Madness," said Steineke, in a retweet of himself. "Disappointed, but not surprised that yet another Dane County judge has issued a partisan political ruling that will inevitably be overturned by a higher court."

What a bunch of hot air.

It just gets weirder and weirder.

A good day for democracy.

More from News

Lynda Carter; Screenshot of Donald Trump
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images; Newsmax

Lynda Carter Hilariously Channels Wonder Woman In Response To Trump's Claim About 'Undetectable' Planes

After President Donald Trump touted the U.S. military's "stealth" planes that he described as "undetectable," Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter responded to his claim with a funny quip sure to delight fans of her iconic character.

Earlier, Trump boasted about the military's capabilities in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office amid heightened concerns about the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict that is sending shockwaves throughout the Middle East and around the world:

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less
​​Elon Musk
Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images

Anti-Elon Banner at Stanford

Stanford University graduates were given creative advice from above as an airplane flew over the graduation ceremony with a banner reading, “CONGRATS! DON’T WORK FOR ELON.”

The moment was captured last Sunday during the university’s 134th Commencement ceremony, where the Class of 2025 received their degrees at Stanford Stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less