There are more signs that the right's goal in Wisconsin is to harden GOP rule and keep our swing state's electoral votes reliably Republican and permanently maintain Wisconsin as a low-wage, pro-polluter state with a crippled public sector.
* The partisan, secretly-crafted 2012 gerrymander which embedded lopsided GOP majorities that continues to devalue Democratic voters' influence statewide and confers undeserved authority on Republican legislators ready, willing and delightfully able to deploy.
* The lame duck laws adopted hurriedly by Wisconsin's little legislative dictators which stripped powers from the Democrats who had the temerity statewide to oust Republicans from the Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney Generals' offices.
* A neutral Wisconsin Supreme Court to adjudicate such matters? Forget it.
* Additional, almost simultaneous plans to whittle away at the Governor's veto powers which were just fine with GOP legislators to have on the books until Walker was ousted.
* And a separate power play to remove voters from polling records.
Make no mistake about it: Republicans and their allies have a multi-front attack underway to minimize Democrats' influence, hold on to legislative powers and keep the state's electoral votes safe in 2020 for Trump, and beyond.
And they have the money, means and methods to do it.
As Vos said in reaction to the GOP's 2018 defeats, "I am also not going to sit idly by...."
* The partisan, secretly-crafted 2012 gerrymander which embedded lopsided GOP majorities that continues to devalue Democratic voters' influence statewide and confers undeserved authority on Republican legislators ready, willing and delightfully able to deploy.
* The lame duck laws adopted hurriedly by Wisconsin's little legislative dictators which stripped powers from the Democrats who had the temerity statewide to oust Republicans from the Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney Generals' offices.
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| This WI GOP's power grabbing began with voter ID and related balloting restrictions, strengthened through 2012 gerrymander, and accelerated with the lame duck legislative package and now fresh moves to purge voting roles, strip down the Governor's veto power and hand Assembly Speaker Vos and his caucus more authority. |
Hagedorn exults with GOP over fresh State Supreme Court chokehold* A new move last week to give the GOP Assembly members additional authorities through rule changes no one saw coming.
* Additional, almost simultaneous plans to whittle away at the Governor's veto powers which were just fine with GOP legislators to have on the books until Walker was ousted.
* And a separate power play to remove voters from polling records.
Make no mistake about it: Republicans and their allies have a multi-front attack underway to minimize Democrats' influence, hold on to legislative powers and keep the state's electoral votes safe in 2020 for Trump, and beyond.
And they have the money, means and methods to do it.
As Vos said in reaction to the GOP's 2018 defeats, "I am also not going to sit idly by...."