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CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down GOP law weakening attorney general's power
A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with the Democratic state attorney general Tuesday in a long-running battle over a law passed by Republicans who wanted to weaken the office in a lame duck legislative session more than six years ago. The court ruled 7-0 that requiring the attorney general to get permission from a Republican-controlled legislative committee to settle certain lawsuits was unconstitutional. The law is a separation of powers violation, the court said. The Republican-controlled Legislature convened a session in December 2018 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul defeated Republican incumbents. The laws signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker on his way out the door weakened powers of both offices. At issue in the case decided Tuesday was the attorney general's power to settle lawsuits involving environmental and consumer protection cases as well as cases involving the governor's office and executive branch. The new law required the Legislature's budget committee, which is controlled by Republicans, to sign off on those settlements. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020, when controlled by conservatives, upheld all of the lame duck laws and ruled they did not violate the separation of powers principle. But the ruling left the door open to future challenges on how the laws are applied. Kaul sued that year, arguing that having to seek approval for those lawsuit settlements violates the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. The Legislature argued that lawmakers have an interest in overseeing the settlement of lawsuits and that the court's earlier ruling saying there was no separation of powers violation should stand. Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, who won election to the state Supreme Court in April and will be joining the court in August, ruled in favor of Kaul in 2022 saying the law was unconstitutional. A state appeals court overturned her ruling December, saying there was no separation of powers violation because both the executive and legislative branches of government share the powers in question. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Legislature cannot "assume for itself the power to execute a law it wrote." There is no constitutional justification for requiring the Legislature's budget committee to sign off on court settlements at issue in the case, Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote for the court. Kaul praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the decision "finally puts an end to the legislature's unconstitutional involvement in the resolution of key categories of cases." Republican legislative leaders who defended the law had no immediate comment Tuesday. The win for Kaul comes as Evers has been unsuccessful in overturning numerous law changes affecting the power of the governor. He's proposed undoing the laws in all four state budgets he's proposed and courts have upheld the laws when challenged.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down Republican law weakening attorney general's power
A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with the Democratic state attorney general Tuesday in a long-running battle over a law passed by Republicans who wanted to weaken the office in a lame duck legislative session more than six years ago. The court ruled 7-0 that requiring the attorney general to get permission from a Republican-controlled legislative committee to settle certain lawsuits was unconstitutional. The law is a separation of powers violation, the court said. The Republican-controlled Legislature convened a session in December 2018 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul defeated Republican incumbents. The laws signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker on his way out the door weakened powers of both offices. At issue in the case decided Tuesday was the attorney general's power to settle lawsuits involving environmental and consumer protection cases as well as cases involving the governor's office and executive branch. The new law required the Legislature's budget committee, which is controlled by Republicans, to sign off on those settlements. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020, when controlled by conservatives, upheld all of the lame duck laws and ruled they did not violate the separation of powers principle. But the ruling left the door open to future challenges on how the laws are applied. Kaul sued that year, arguing that having to seek approval for those lawsuit settlements violates the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. The Legislature argued that lawmakers have an interest in overseeing the settlement of lawsuits and that the court's earlier ruling saying there was no separation of powers violation should stand. Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, who won election to the state Supreme Court in April and will be joining the court in August, ruled in favor of Kaul in 2022 saying the law was unconstitutional. A state appeals court overturned her ruling December, saying there was no separation of powers violation because both the executive and legislative branches of government share the powers in question. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Legislature cannot "assume for itself the power to execute a law it wrote." There is no constitutional justification for requiring the Legislature's budget committee to sign off on court settlements at issue in the case, Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote for the court. Kaul praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the decision "finally puts an end to the legislature's unconstitutional involvement in the resolution of key categories of cases." Republican legislative leaders who defended the law had no immediate comment Tuesday. The win for Kaul comes as Evers has been unsuccessful in overturning numerous law changes affecting the power of the governor. He's proposed undoing the laws in all four state budgets he's proposed and courts have upheld the laws when challenged.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns GOP power grab, restores Attorney General's authority in major win
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law passed by Republicans in a 2018 lame-duck session that restricted the powers of Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul , as per a report. Court Rejects Law That Limited Attorney General's Power The court ruled unanimously, 7-0 that the law, which required Kaul to get approval from a Republican-controlled legislative committee before settling certain lawsuits, violated the state's separation of powers and was unconstitutional, according to an AP report. The law targeted Kaul's authority to settle lawsuits related to environmental and consumer protection cases , as well as those involving the governor's office and executive branch, AP reported. AP wrote, "The new law required the Legislature's budget committee, which is controlled by Republicans, to sign off on those settlements." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo ALSO READ: U.S retail sales take a hit with biggest decline in 4 months — economists warn of consumer slowdown ahead How the Legal Battle Started According to AP, the legal battle started six years ago when the Republican-controlled Legislature held a session in December 2018 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul defeated Republican incumbents, and the laws signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker, reduced the powers of both offices. Live Events What the Court Said About Separation of Powers Justice Brian Hagedorn, writing for the court, emphasized that the Legislature cannot 'assume for itself the power to execute a law it wrote,' quoted AP. Hagedorn also pointed out that there is no constitutional justification for requiring the Legislature's budget committee to sign off on court settlements at issue in the case, as quoted in the AP report. Attorney General Josh Kaul's Reaction to the Ruling Kaul celebrated the court's ruling, and said in a statement that the decision 'finally puts an end to the legislature's unconstitutional involvement in the resolution of key categories of cases,' as quoted in the report. FAQs What did the Wisconsin Supreme Court rule? The court struck down a law requiring the attorney general to get legislative approval before settling certain lawsuits, calling it unconstitutional, as per the AP report. When was the law passed? The law was passed in December 2018 during a lame-duck session after Democrats won key state offices, as per AP report.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down GOP law weakening attorney general's power
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A unanimous Wisconsin's Supreme Court sided with the Democratic state attorney general Tuesday in a long-running battle over a law passed by Republicans who wanted to weaken the office in a lame duck legislative session more than six years ago. The court ruled 7-0 that requiring the attorney general to get permission from a Republican-controlled legislative committee to settle certain civil lawsuits was unconstitutional. The law is a separation of powers violation, the court said. The Republican-controlled Legislature convened a session in December 2018 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul defeated Republican incumbents. The laws signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker on his way out the door weakened powers of both offices. At issue in the case decided Tuesday was the attorney general's power to settle civil lawsuits involving environmental and consumer protection cases as well as cases involving the governor's office and executive branch. The new law required the Legislature's budget committee, which is controlled by Republicans, to sign off on those settlements. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020, when controlled by conservatives, upheld all of the lame duck laws and ruled they did not violate the separation of powers principle. But the ruling left the door open to future challenges on how the laws are applied. Kaul sued that year, arguing that having to seek approval for those lawsuit settlements violates the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. The Legislature argued that lawmakers have an interest in overseeing the settlement of lawsuits and that the court's earlier ruling saying there was no separation of powers violation should stand. Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, who won election to the state Supreme Court in April and will be joining the court in August, ruled in favor of Kaul in 2022 saying the law was unconstitutional. A state appeals court overturned her ruling December, saying there was no separation of powers violation because both the executive and legislative branches of government share the powers in question. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Legislature can not 'assume for itself the power to execute a law it wrote.' There is no constitutional justification for requiring the Legislature's budget committee to sign off on court settlements at issue in the case, Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote for the court. Kaul and Republican legislative leaders who defended the law had no immediate comment Tuesday on the ruling.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin once again ranks first in United States for Spring 2025 Drug Take Back
(WFRV) – Wisconsin once again came out on top against all other states for the most prescription medications collected during the Spring 2025 Drug Take Back collection. On Friday, May 16, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Wisconsin ranked first in the entire United States after collecting 56,818 pounds of unwanted medications this spring. Wisconsin State Patrol ramps up seat belt enforcement for Click It or Ticket campaign Finishing second last spring, and first last fall, Wisconsin has had years of success while participating in Drug Take Back day. Since the program's inception in 2010, the dairy state has collected 1,369,472 pounds of medications, ranking third (behind Texas and California) in the country during that span. 'Drug Take Back continues to be a major success in Wisconsin,' said Attorney General Josh Kaul. 'Thank you to the many people who've helped get unused and unwanted medications disposed of safely.' Appleton Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony scheduled for May 26 The DEA leads two Drug Take Back days a year, however, unwanted medications can be dropped off at any time at any of the more than 500 permanent drug disposal boxes throughout the state. Drug Take Back provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the community about the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these medications. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
