'All too predictable:' Governor Tony Evers bemoans lame-duck court loss
MADISON -- Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is bemoaning a state Supreme Court ruling in favor of Republicans who held a lame-duck legislative session last year to weaken his powers.
The Democratic governor on Friday called the ruling a disappointment and "all too predictable."
He says the 4-3 decision by the conservative-controlled court is "based on a desired political outcome, not the plain meaning and text of the constitution."
The court ruled that Republicans legally called the session, which was convened in December shortly after Evers defeated Republican Scott Walker but before he took office.
Evers says the constitution was designed to prevent lawmakers from quickly passing laws without public scrutiny. He calls the lame-duck session "an attack on the will of the people, our democracy, and our system of government."
Read Gov. Evers' full statement on the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision below:
"Today’s decision is disappointing and, unfortunately, all too predictable. It is based on a desired political outcome, not the plain meaning and text of the constitution.
"The state constitution is clear. It limits when the legislature can meet to pass laws. Our framers knew that no good comes from lawmakers rushing laws through at the last minute without public scrutiny. The lame-duck session proves the framers were right. This was an attack on the will of the people, our democracy, and our system of government.
"The people of Wisconsin deserve better than this."