Thursday, July 1, 2021

GET ME REWRITE: The irony-free world of Robin Vos: Pushing the GOP brand of government overreach


The Wisconsin GOP gets slammed in the birthplace of the Republican Party.

Headline from Ripon Commonwealth Press, 6/30/2021
State Rep. Gae Magnafici from Amery declared that while public schools and higher-education institutions should “cultivate diversity of thought, curriculum that is divisive has no place in our schools.” 
One might wonder whether this 68-year-old GOP lawmaker would find fault with discussions about Vietnam war protests, white supremacy, Watts riots, Watergate, the Iraq war, Black Lives Matter movement or any other issues that in their day spawned vigorous and legitimate public-policy debates. While an American, Magnafici’s fear of introducing anti-establishment doctrine seems more akin to the leader of a communist regime.


7/1/2021 update starts here


Headline from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/29/2021
Last week Appeals Judge Lisa Stark declined to block a ruling that dissolved the legal contracts between legislators and their attorneys. In a filing Friday, the legislators contended Stark was wrong to handle the issue on her own and demanded that a three-judge panel consider it. 
In a ruling Tuesday, Stark wrote that she had the ability to handle the matter on her own but agreed to let a panel take up the issue to maintain good relations with the Legislature. 
The panel moments later issued an unanimous ruling reaching the same conclusion that Stark had last week. 
To underscore its support for Stark's position, the panel issued a seven-page ruling that was virtually identical to Stark's. The only difference was that the panel added a footnote to explain the issue was now being considered by the panel of judges instead of just Stark.


6/28/2021 update starts here

GET ME REWRITE:  Appeals court smacks down Wisconsin GOP overreach


6/12/2021 update starts here

Headline from Wisconsin Examiner, 6/11/2021
The drafting note file — used by the Legislative Reference Bureau to write a bill — contains a memo from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos requesting the bill be drafted. More detailed instructions came from Vos staffer Joe Handrick, a former Republican legislator and one of the architects of the 2011 rigged maps that a federal judge described as among the most gerrymandered in the country. In addition to serving as Vos’ “outreach director” according to his Linkedin resume, Handrick is also the current director of the new conservative policy group, “Common Sense Wisconsin.” 
Others involved behind the scenes on the bill are GOP stalwarts, strategists and lawyers who have been active in Republican politics. One party on the emails attached to the drafting notes was Jessie Augustyn, who was on former Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s staff and who also represented Fitzgerald as his attorney in election lawsuits as well as lawsuits brought by Jere Fabick fighting Gov. Tony Evers’ emergency public health orders. Augustyn also works with The Federalist Society.

 

5/23/2021 update starts here

Headline from  Wisconsin State Journal, 5/23/2021
They won’t have the census data they need to reshape legislative and congressional voting districts until late summer or fall. But that didn’t stop Vos and Co. from lawyering up at public expense, hiring the Consovoy McCarthy and Bell Giftos St. John law firms. The last time Republicans who control the Legislature drew the maps to their partisan advantage a decade ago, the legal tab to the state treasury topped $2.5 million. 
Thankfully, a Dane County judge slapped Vos’ big-spending and litigious hand last month. Judge Stephen Ehlke voided the contracts with the law firms April 29. He ruled that preparing for lawsuits over actions that haven’t even occurred is not a core power of the Legislature. 
No kidding. 
Lawmakers are supposed to make laws. They’re not supposed to make lawsuits over possible laws they haven’t even proposed or passed yet.  [emphasis added]

5/5/2021 update starts here


Reporter Mitchell Schmidt interviews a chorus of Republicans, all of whom answer his questions in unison.  Two examples.
Republicans say one major unknown factor is the $3.2 billion in federal dollars provided to the state in the latest stimulus.
Republicans say one major unknown factor is the $3.2 billion in federal dollars provided to the state in the latest stimulus. [emphasis added]

4/30/2021 update starts here

Judge Ehlke ruled that neither the Wisconsin Constitution nor Wisconsin statutes allowed the Republican leaders to enter into these contracts. 
“Hiring lawyers to prepare for anticipated litigation is not within the core power of the legislature,” Judge Ehlke wrote, addressing the constitutional argument. “Litigation is not a core power of the legislature, and only rarely falls within the shared power of the legislature. Here, no institutional interests of the legislature are implicated, and no ‘official, employee, or body’ has been sued.” 
And the contracts aren’t allowed by statute, either, he said .


4/13/2021 update starts here

Headline:  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/13/2021
Among their plans is one to give $1.1 billion to property owners. The measure would provide no help to renters but large payouts to landlords like Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester, who has an ownership stake in $4.8 million in rental properties in Whitewater.

 

4/9/2021 update starts here

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, sent a letter to Kaul to join other states in filing suit based on the argument that the federal government overstepped its constitutional authority in prohibiting states from cutting taxes with the money. 
[snip] 
 “If the Majority Leader and Speaker would like to use federal funding to cut taxes, they should expand Badgercare, saving a huge amount of state tax money, rather than advocating for Wisconsin to join a strained lawsuit,” Kaul said in a statement. Wisconsin could save more than $1.6 billion over the next two-year budget cycle by expanding Medicaid.


4/3/2021 update starts here

Headline:  Wisconsin State Journal, 4/2/2021

They can't help themselves (sugar pie, honey bunch)  
The package of legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers represents an alternative plan for how to spend more than $3 billion directed to the state of Wisconsin through the latest federal stimulus. The Republican plan includes $1 billion in property tax relief, $500 million for broadband expansion and $150 million to aid nursing homes — priorities Assembly GOP lawmakers outlined earlier this week.
It's unlikely, however, that any provisions of the plan will be implemented by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has virtually exclusive power over how the federal funds can be used.


Original 3/26/2021 post, "Robin Vos:  Oh, the irony!" starts here

Vos's latest email




NPR, 6/21/2019

Capital Times, 1/22/2020

WKOW, 2/3/2021

Related posts:
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos listens to his master's voice.   (3/24/2021)
Your tax dollars at work: Wisconsin GOP legislature continue their power grab.  (3/9/2021)Like bratty little kids, Wisconsin GOP legislative leaders refuse to listen to reason.  (2/6/2021)
Answer: Because Robin Vos wants to be the boss and will destroy the state to get his way.  (1/21/2021)

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