Walker says Wisconsin governor’s powers will remain strong

By SCOTT BAUER
December 11, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday that the powers of his Democratic replacement will remain among the strongest of any governor in the country, even if he signs bills fellow Republicans approved in a lame-duck legislative session.

The lengthy Facebook post, where Walker praised the measures without saying whether he will sign them, is the clearest signal yet that the outgoing Republican governor is generally supportive of the bills restricting powers of the office.

The post comes as Walker faces increasing pressure from Republicans , including a prominent donor and former governor, to veto the measures.

Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers said over the weekend that he had made a personal plea to Walker to veto the bills but that the governor was noncommittal. Evers and other Democrats are weighing lawsuits to block some of the measures.

The bills would limit early voting to no more than two weeks before an election; shield the state’s job-creation agency from Evers’ control until September; limit his ability to enact administrative rules; block Evers from withdrawing Wisconsin from a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act; and weaken powers of incoming Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul.

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