MADISON -- Gov. Tony Evers is pulling Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act after a judge blocked lame-duck laws prohibiting him from withdrawing the state from legal actions.
Evers had promised during his campaign last year to pull Wisconsin out of the ACA lawsuit. Republican lawmakers stopped him cold, though, after passing lame-duck bills in December that prohibited him from withdrawing from lawsuits without legislative approval.
Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess issued a temporary injunction Thursday blocking the lame-duck laws, ruling that the Legislature had convened illegally when it passed them.
Evers' attorney sent a message to the state Department of Justice less than two hours after Niess issued the ruling ordering the withdraw from the ACA action.
Statements of reaction from officials
State Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse)
State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton)