GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A change in leadership is coming to the state’s capital, but maybe not before their powers are seriously impacted.
All eyes on Madison as votes in an extraordinary session could limit the powers of Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul before they even assume office.
The bill drafts that are expected to be voted on as soon as next week include legislation to move the state’s presidential primary date from April to March and to limit the time in which local municipalities can allow early voting.
The proposition of moving the state’s presidential primary has already been opposed by many county and municipal clerks that oversee elections.
Another bill would eliminate the office of the solicitor general in the Department of Justice. That office, which is appointed by the attorney general, represents the state in state and federal courts for certain cases on appeal.
Republican Representative John Nygren from the 89th Assembly District joined WTAQ’s Morning News with Matt & Earl on Monday to discuss the matter.
He says the timing of this session shouldn’t be a reason for criticism.
“We are elected in the legislature to serve until, I believe the date is January 7, when the new legislature comes in,” he says. “So us continuing to work until the end of the year, we’re doing our job.”
For Nygren, this isn’t simply an attempt by conservatives to attack Evers and Kaul’s power in office.
“This is a more balance of powers issue in my viewpoint,” he explains. “But, those are the things that we’ll be debating in the next few days.”
And for Representative Nygren, the “balance of powers” isn’t so balanced presently.
“The powers that have been transferred to the administrative branch, both at the federal level and the state level, has gotten out of control in my opinion,” says Nygren.
He believes the bills being drafted for this lame duck session would ensure a more even playing field.
“The things that we’re looking at doing are providing assurance that the powers of the legislature are equal to the powers of the administrative branch,” explains Nygren.
Federal funding for Department of Transportation projects, legislative oversight, and administrative rulemaking authority are the areas of focus for other bills.
Wisconsin Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said on Monday that there isn’t enough support in the Senate to approve every offered proposal, but he wouldn’t say that any of them are being abandoned.
According to Fitzgerald and other Republican leaders, the effort to move the state’s presidential primary remains a work in progress.
