Wisconsin Examiner: “Now Democrats and fair-maps advocates are worried that Republicans might make an end-run around Evers by means of a joint resolution, passing a new map through the Assembly and Senate. Because joint resolutions do not require the governor’s signature, the map could go into effect without any input from the governor.”
Wisconsin Lawmaker Gets Buzz Cut After Bill Passes
“The curly mass of dark hair that encircled the head of state Rep. Jonathan Brostoff is no more after a bill for sign language interpreters passed in the Legislature last week,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“Brostoff made good on a pledge from a year and a half ago not to cut his hair until the bill, which would change professional licensing standards for interpreters, landed on the governor’s desk.”
Trump Struggling In Wisconsin
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Wisconsin finds President Trump with an upside down approval rate, 44% to 54%.
Meanwhile, Trump trails a generic Democrat by nine points in the presidential race, 53% to 44%.
Our interactive Electoral Vote Map shows it’s very hard for Trump to win the election without Wisconsin.
Trump Still Viewed Negatively In Wisconsin
A new Marquette Law School poll in Wisconsin finds President Trump’s approval rate at 46% to 52%.
“Support for reelecting the president is also little changed since January — 28% say that they would definitely vote to reelect Trump, and 14% would probably vote to reelect him. Another 8% say that they would probably vote for someone else, and 46% would definitely vote for someone else.”
Wisconsin Voters Pick New Supreme Court Justice
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “The marquee race Tuesday is for state Supreme Court, with conservatives hoping to widen their control of the court and liberals seeking to put themselves on a path to try to take the majority in 2020.”
“Liberals are backing Lisa Neubauer and conservatives are supporting Brian Hagedorn… The winner will replace retiring Justice Shirley Abrahamson, the longtime leader of the court’s left wing.”
Second Judge Blocks Laws Limiting Wisconsin Governor
“A Wisconsin judge threw out parts of lame-duck laws Tuesday, dealing a second blow in less than a week to measures Republicans passed in December to curb the powers of two of Wisconsin’s top Democrats,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The ruling strengthens Democrats’ position, at least for now, because Republicans would need to get two orders from appeals courts to put the laws back in place.”
Judge Restores Power of Wisconsin Governor
“A judge has issued a temporary injunction blocking Wisconsin Republicans’ contentious lame-duck laws limiting the powers of Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, both Democrats,” the AP reports.
“Republicans passed the lame-duck laws during an all-night extraordinary session in December just weeks before Evers and Kaul took office. An extraordinary session is a previously unscheduled floor period initiated by majority party leaders.”
Trump Faces Major Challenges In Wisconsin
“With less than two years to go before the 2020 election, President Trump faces an uphill climb in winning a second victory in Wisconsin, a battleground that will be at the epicenter of the next presidential campaign,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“Here are three major takeaways from a statewide poll of 800 registered voters released Thursday by the Marquette Law School, its first survey since the 2018 election: High disapproval. Right now, Trump has a precarious path to victory in Wisconsin, a state he won by less than one point in 2016. His approval rating is 44 percent — higher than it is in most national polls, but lower than it was here last fall and weighted down by the unpopular government shutdown that just ended.”
“Democrats more unified than Republicans. … Opposition more intense than support. The intensity of public opinion matters a lot in politics and it is not on Trump’s side: 30 percent of Wisconsin voters ‘strongly’ approve of him and 46 percent ‘strongly’ disapprove.”
Walker Signs Bill Curbing Successor’s Power
Outgoing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) “signed lame-duck legislation Friday that will scale back the authority of his Democratic successor — approving the entire legislation after saying he was inclined to veto parts of it,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The move came a day after Walker announced a $28 million incentive package for Kimberly-Clark Corp. using powers the legislation strips from incoming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. If Walker had signed the legislation earlier, he wouldn’t have been able to cut the deal with Kimberly-Clark without permission from lawmakers.”
Wisconsin Republicans Got Little for Their Power Grab
Charles Sykes: “The Wisconsin GOP’s lame-duck power play was not the death of democracy. But it was bad enough: petty, vindictive, and self-destructive. It was, as the saying goes, worse than a crime. It was a blunder. And for what?”
“In its arrogant insularity, the Wisconsin GOP became a national symbol of win-at-all-costs, norms-be-damned politics. Cut through the overwrought rhetoric and what did the Republican legislators actually accomplish? Not really a whole lot; certainly not enough to justify the political damage they’ve inflicted on themselves. They have managed to energize the progressive base, expose themselves as sore losers, and undermine crucial democratic norms. And in return … they got extraordinarily little.”
Wisconsin Republicans Approve 82 Walker Appointees
Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate rushed to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) appointees, a month after voters chose not to reelect the Republican, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
Wisconsin GOP Votes to Scale Back Democratic Power
“Just before the sun rose Wednesday, Republicans in the state Senate by a one-vote margin approved legislation to limit early voting and diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“The Assembly continued to debate it and was expected to pass it soon. Republicans — who spent most of their overnight lame-duck session behind closed doors negotiating among themselves — also hoped to pass a bill to protect coverage of pre-existing conditions after Democrats won every statewide office last month after campaigning on the issue.”
Wisconsin Republicans Will Vote to Weaken Governor
“Wisconsin lawmakers are set to take up plans Tuesday to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general that brought opponents to the state Capitol this week to protest on its steps and pound on hearing room doors,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
“To Democrats, the plan is a repudiation of the Nov. 6 election that felled Gov. Scott Walker (R) and swept Democrats into state offices. To Republicans, it’s the only way to ensure major changes enacted over the past eight years won’t evaporate overnight.”
“Walker signaled Monday he largely supports it and would be willing to sign it before he leaves office Jan. 7. But there are a few GOP senators who aren’t talking, making the legislation’s fate unclear. Republicans control the Senate 18-15 and cannot afford more than one defection.”
Wisconsin GOP Forges Ahead with Power-Stripping Bills
“Wisconsin Republicans moved quickly Monday with a rare lame-duck session that would change the 2020 presidential primary date to benefit a conservative Supreme Court justice and weaken the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general,” the AP reports.
“The changes being sought would shift power to the GOP-controlled Legislature and allow outgoing Republican Gov. Scott Walker to make one last major mark on the state’s political landscape after he lost re-election in November.”
New York Times: “It was the latest effort by leaders of a state to try to shift authority in the face of an election loss, and it set off furious protests from Wisconsin Democrats, who said they would not stand for the moves and called on residents to raise loud objections.”
Wisconsin Republicans Seek to Hobble Democrats
“In November, Democrats in Wisconsin won the governor’s mansion and the race for attorney general after closely fought elections. In December, they find themselves preparing for an unexpected but equally fierce political fight,” the Guardian reports.
“Republicans controlling the state legislature are preparing an unusual lame-duck session, in which they will aim to pass measures to weaken Democratic governor-elect Tony Evers and attorney general-elect Josh Kaul before they take office next month.”
Meanwhile, Evers told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he “will take any steps possible” to prevent Republican lawmakers from removing key powers from his new administration.
Said Evers: “I view this as a repudiation of the last election. I will take any steps possible to assure the people of Wisconsin that I will not invalidate those votes. And frankly, I’m encouraging citizens across the state of Wisconsin to help me in that effort.”
Johnson Enlists Priebus for ‘Autopsy’ of Wisconsin GOP
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) “is the only statewide Republican left standing in Wisconsin. And now, he’s ready to take on a new role to help the party get back on track,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Johnson said former RNC chairman Reince Priebus has agreed “to participate in a thorough review of the 2018 election and the current party structure — similar to the process he led for the RNC following the 2012 presidential election.”
Wisconsin Democrats Fear GOP Redistricting End-Around
“Wisconsin Democrats scored a huge win when Tony Evers captured the governor’s office last month. But an even bigger fight is looming as Republican lawmakers prepare to redraw legislative boundaries, stirring fears among Democrats that their rivals could take unprecedented steps to remove Evers from the process,” the AP reports.
“The next round of redistricting is set for early 2021. After suffocating for a decade from the 2011 maps, Democrats had high hopes in the first days after the election that Evers would block another set of Republican-drawn boundaries.”
“But nervous Democrats fear Republicans may take steps to remove or weaken the governor’s power in the redistricting process.”
Wisconsin Republicans Look at Limiting Governor’s Power
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “The Republican plan to take power away from the incoming Democratic governor could include overhauling state boards and removing authority that Republican lawmakers handed to GOP Gov. Scott Walker (R) when he took office in 2011.”
“Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) said Thursday that Republicans are looking at giving incoming Gov. Tony Evers (D) less say in state rules that implement state laws. Eight years ago, Republicans handed Walker more power over those rules when he was first sworn in.”