Wisconsin's lame-duck legislature limits power of incoming governor

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Wisconsin's Republican-majority legislators voted to curtail the powers of the incoming Democratic governor Wednesday.

In an all-night session, the Republican-led Senate and Assembly voted to limit early voting and diminish the powers of Governor-elect Tony Evers.

The legislation will hamper Wisconsin's withdrawal from a multistate lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act. It also gives state lawmakers more power over the state's economic development agency, which Evers has suggested eliminating.

Another part of the bill makes it harder for Evers to alter some laws passed by the Republican-led legislatures, including the state's voter identification law. Republican Gov. Scott Walker said he plans sign the bill before he leaves office Jan. 7.

The overnight session produced a 141-page bill after numerous delays and discussions behind closed doors. Democrats decried the concept of an outgoing administration intentionally handcuffing an incoming government.

"We've had 132 legislators milling around this building for a day. And night. And morning," said Senate Democratic leader Jennifer Shilling.

The Senate also approved more than 80 of Walker's appointments to various state agencies, with Democrats noting that most had not had public hearings.

The legislation limits early voting to two weeks; puts the legislature in charge of litigation, including a suit to overturn the Affordable Care Act; eliminates the solicitor general's office, which oversees litigation; and requires the governor to obtain legislative approval to ban guns at the state Capitol, a topic of Evers' gubernatorial campaign.