MADISON, Wis.—A coalition of labor unions and a Democratic lawmaker filed another lawsuit Feb. 4 challenging last-minute measures Wisconsin Republicans approved last year to weaken the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general, arguing the new laws are illegal and place an “incalculable” financial burden on taxpayers.
GOP legislators passed a sweeping package of legislation in December to weaken new Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, both Democrats. The measure prohibits Evers from withdrawing from lawsuits, a move designed to block him from pulling Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act. Other key provisions in the bill force Kaul to get approval from the Legislature’s budget committee before settling lawsuits, allow lawmakers to intervene in lawsuits, and restrict early-voting hours.
