Tony Evers, by his nature, avoids initiating a confrontation. He seems to have found a political and legal strategy to match his natural disposition. Patrick Marley reports Tony Evers says it will take a lawsuit to get him to go along with lame-duck legislation:
Incoming Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday he would not go along with parts of lame-duck laws that curb his powers, maintaining that GOP lawmakers or their supporters would have to sue him over the issue.
“I’m anticipating most of the provisions will be challenged and I’m guessing I will be a defendant rather than a plaintiff,” Evers said in an interview Wednesday at his transition office.
The Democrat’s stance changes the dynamic in the fight over the lame-duck legislation by prodding Republicans into initiating litigation instead of doing so himself.
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Evers likened the situation to attempts by Walker and GOP lawmakers to chip into his authority over state rules as the state schools superintendent. Allies of Evers sued and won before the state Supreme Court the first time Republicans tried to diminish his powers. A second lawsuit over the issue — this one brought by Evers’ opponents — is now before the state’s high court.
“Having gone through this in my previous job as state superintendent, I think it’s more likely that I will be sued because I’m now the chief executive of the state,” Evers said of a potential legal fight over the lame-duck legislation “Same thing happened when I was state superintendent — I was sued. So that’s where I anticipate most of the action to be.”