GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A ruling from Wisconsin’s Supreme Court has reinstated most of the lame duck laws passed prior to Governor Tony Evers taking office.
The bills were initially passed in an extraordinary legislative session in December, but have been in limbo for a majority of the time since, due to a number of related lawsuits.
Brett Healy, President of the MacIver Institute, joined WTAQ’s Morning News with Matt & Earl Wednesday.
He says prior to Tuesday night’s ruling, the lower courts had placed the laws on hold while the lawsuits were in progress.
“The laws in question should be enjoined, they should be stopped temporarily, while this is all sorted out,” explains Healy.
Now that the justices have lifted a Dane County judge’s injunction blocking the laws, a vast majority of them will be reinstated for the time being.
Just a select few will escape this change.
“Guidance documents and early voting changes are still on hold,” he says.
According to Healy, perhaps the most significant law going back in effect is an action which requires Attorney General Josh Kaul to get permission from GOP lawmakers prior to settling lawsuits.
Prior to Tuesday night, the state supreme court had already reinstated dozens of political appointees that were made by former governor Scott Walker’s administration before his term expired.
The decision doesn’t mean that the laws are being permanently reinstated, though.
“The state supreme court jumped in, grabbed more of all of these lawsuits in front of them,” says Healy. “Took control of them and put them in front of them for review.”
Following the decision, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald commented, “the Supreme Court correctly decided the statutes enacted by the Legislature should remain in effect… We are confident that the constitutionality of these laws will be upheld when the Court hears the full case in the coming months.”
With the laws now being laid in front of the justices for ruling, many are hoping it expedites what has been a lengthy legal process.
“Hopefully, by doing that, it’ll eventually give us some certainty with respect to whether or not the extraordinary session laws were constitutional or not,” he explains.
The full interview can be heard here.
