Politics

Wisconsin federal judge tosses Democrats’ lame-duck lawsuit

Published

5 years ago

October 1, 2019

FILE - Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, center, watches as Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers addresses a joint session of the Legislature in the Assembly chambers during the Governor's State of the State speech at the state Capitol, Jan. 22, 2019, in Madison, Wis. Behind Evers is Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August, left, R-Lake Geneva, and Senate President Roger Roth, R-Appleton. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democrats trying to undo laws that Republicans passed just before Gov. Scott Walker left office suffered another setback in court when a judge threw out their federal lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson ruled Monday that Democrats had to make their case in state court. The Journal Sentinel reports two other suits seeking to scrap the Republicans’ laws are pending in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 5-2 majority.

The laws Republicans passed during a lame-duck session limited the powers of incoming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul. Most of the laws are in effect while the legal challenges proceed.

Peterson ruled that state courts are the place to resolve disputes over laws and said the Democratic Party didn’t prove it was harmed by the lame-duck laws.