By Ray Mueller
The arrogance and audacity of the Republican leaders in the Wisconsin legislature seem to have no limits. And, with rare exceptions, they enjoy full backing by their fellow Republicans, including those from this area.
Stung by the loss of all five state-wide offices to Democrats in the 2018 election, Republicans retaliated quickly to defy the will of the voters. They conducted a special legislative session to curtail the powers of the newly elected governor and attorney general – powers they did not challenge when Republicans held those offices.
For example, they wouldn’t let Gov. Tony Evers appoint a new head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation until September 1 – nearly eight months after he took office. They’re still in a stand-off with Attorney General Josh Kaul on who controls the monies obtained for convictions on violations of state law. Republicans did not object to having the attorney general disperse those funds when a Republican held the office.
One situation I cannot comprehend is how three Republican legislators were able to block Twitter access for One Wisconsin Now (OWN), a private policy advocacy group which routinely challenges Republican policies. OWN sued, won a court challenge, and was awarded $200,000 to be paid from the state treasury. Those three legislators ought to reimburse the state.
One of those three is assembly speaker Robin Vos, who refuses to accommodate the needs of disabled Democratic representative Jim Anderson for taking part in committee meetings. Anderson is wheel-chair bound due to a motor vehicle accident. Would Vos treat a Republican similarly?
Not long ago, a Madison-based reporter asked legislators from our area about possible new legislation on assault weapons. A bit paraphrased, their responses were “I won’t talk about that,” “Don’t ask me about that,” and “Can you stop recording?”
The Republican response to public safety endangered by assault weapons leans to permitting persons who work in the state capitol to carry guns and to increasing overall security in the building. What about protecting the state citizens who are vulnerable to random attack when they are in school, at work, shopping, at a worship or recreation site, or just out on the street or in a vehicle?
In 2017, Republicans trumpeted the Foxconn deal that was supposed to bring economic prosperity to southeast Wisconsin with 13,000 new jobs. That project, on a 2,000-acre site for which dozens of private properties were acquired, now appears to be a boondoggle. Any shortfall will probably be blamed on Gov. Evers by Republicans.
Although they deny they’d ever do it, there have been rumblings that the Republican legislators will resort to a maneuver that would not allow Evers to veto the state and federal legislative redistricting plan that Republicans will devise after the 2020 census.
If they use that tactic, it would be another instance of practices that have become too commonplace under Republican domination in this state.