MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on the Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in a challenge to Republicans’ contentious lame-duck laws (all times local):
2:10 p.m.
An attorney representing Republican legislators is trying to persuade the Wisconsin Supreme Court to uphold the GOP’s contentious lame-duck laws.
The laws prohibit Democratic Gov. Tony Evers from pulling the state out of lawsuits and force Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul to get legislative approval before settling actions. A coalition of unions has filed a lawsuit arguing the laws violate the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
The case is before the state Supreme Court. The Republicans’ attorney, Misha Tseytlin, told the justices during oral arguments Monday that the Legislature should have a seat at the table during settlement negotiations.
Liberal-leaning Justice Rebecca Dallet pushed back, telling Tseytlin that she believes the lame-duck laws give the Legislature the final say on settlements and that’s more than a seat at the table. Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler questioned why the Legislature needs a role since the attorney general is the state’s lawyer.
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8:40 a.m.
The state Supreme Court is poised to listen to arguments in the last lawsuit challenging Republicans’ lame-duck laws weakening Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul’s powers.
Republican legislators in December passed statutes that prohibit Evers from ordering Kaul to withdraw from lawsuits, give lawmakers to right to intervene in lawsuits using their own attorneys rather than Kaul’s Department of Justice lawyers and force Kaul to get legislative approval before settling lawsuits.
A coalition of unions filed suit in February alleging the laws violate the separation of powers between the Legislature and the executive branch.
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case Monday afternoon. The court’s conservative majority upheld the laws in a separate case in June.
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