Special Session Additional Information

The legislation introduced for tomorrow's special session places new restrictions on Executive authority, the Attorney General, and makes numerous other changes to State law including election law. These bills are clearly directed at our newly democratically elected Governor and Attorney General.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote an excellent summary for readers of the major provisions of the legislation and I have included that below.

Credit: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Your health care might be impacted

The proposal would take power away from Evers and incoming Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, limiting their ability to immediately withdraw Wisconsin from a federal lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. That could affect health care coverage for people with preexisting conditions or those young people (26 and under) on their parents' health insurance. Republicans have added a separate provision that includes protections for those with preexisting conditions, but that isn't the same as leaving Obamacare intact.

Your ability to vote early might be limited

Wisconsinites would see limits to early voting if the GOP plan passes. Early voting, or absentee voting, would only be available for two weeks before an election under the proposal. Early voting in this year's general election was more popular than ever before, and clerks have been pushing Wisconsin to expand to true "early voting" to streamline the process.

New limits to early voting will likely lead to lawsuits, similar to one previously won by One Wisconsin. That could mean more costly litigation, with taxpayers picking up the tab. A federal judge has already ruled communities can provide more extensive early voting, which was in place for November's elections.

More elections to vote in, at a high cost

The GOP plan to move the 2020 presidential primary from April to March would cause the state to hold three elections instead of two that spring.

That would mean more trips to the polls for Wisconsin voters, or to their clerks' offices for early voting.
It would also mean a higher price tag — the Wisconsin Elections commission has estimated that moving the presidential primary will cost about $7 million. And that number likely would be higher once the cost of expected litigation is included.

How and where crime is fought

Under the GOP plan, lawmakers could replace the attorney general with private attorneys of their choosing for key cases; require lawmakers to sign off on court settlements; give lawmakers instead of the attorney general control of how to spend court settlements; and eliminate the solicitor general’s office that oversees high-profile litigation.
Blocking Kaul from deciding how settlement money is spent could mean less money for anti-crime initiatives, victim's funds, and other criminal justice work.

The condition of the roads you drive

Another provision in the plan would mandate that the state channel much of the federal road money it gets into a small number of projects. That would mean more projects would be funded with state money only and could get out of having to comply with federal environmental regulations and standards that require construction crews to make union-level wages.

But the arrangement could mean the state would miss out on qualifying for some federal aid that it would otherwise qualify for, according to a report by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Another measure would allow local governments to avoid having to follow state standards for some road projects, even when they use state funds.

What To Do? Engage Your Elected Officials

Your engagement on these proposals to let your elected officials know where you stand is vitally important. I have included below contact information for the Governor's office, as well as the legislative hotline directory. Thank you for working alongside me in calling attention to these overreaching pieces of legislation.

Contact Governor Walker: (608) 266-1212

Wisconsin Legislative Hotline Directory: 1-800-362-9472