Lame-duck lawsuits will be costly

court gavel
court gavel

MADISON, WI (MetroSource-WSAU) - Lawsuits over the December lame-duck legislation could prove costly to taxpayers.

Three lawsuits have been filed to challenge the legislation that curtails early voting and limits the powers of the governor and attorney general. An earlier effort to limit early voting in 2016 was blocked by a federal judge as an illegal attempt to limit minority voting. The new law limits early voting statewide to two weeks before an election.

The GOP-controlled legislature passed a series of bills after the November elections but before Republican Governor Scott Walker left office. New Governor Tony Evers said he may ignore some of the changes and invite the legislature to to sue him. Republicans still control the state assembly and the state senate.

Another fight could develop over Wisconsin’s stance in a multi-state lawsuit over the Affordable Care Act. A federal judge in Texas ruled in December that with the individual mandate removed from Obamacare, the entire law is unconstitutional. Appeals are pending in that case.

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