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posted by martyb on Tuesday December 04 2018, @11:51AM   Printer-friendly
from the How-much-does-your-vote-count dept.

According to Reuters and The Washington Post:

Two of the Democratic Party’s biggest wins last month occurred in Wisconsin and Michigan, where their candidates won gubernatorial elections, unseating a well-known incumbent in the former and flipping the seat in the latter. In anticipation of having to work with a Democratic governor, state lawmakers are aiming to hurriedly pass legislation that would dilute the executives' powers.

The moves in both states have drawn comparisons to Republican efforts in NC in 2016, when lawmakers pushed through legislation limiting the authority of the state’s Democratic governor, after he defeated the incumbent Republican.

The proposals include preventing the incoming governor from withdrawing Wisconsin from a legal challenge to the federal Affordable Care Act, sidestepping the attorney general’s power to represent the state in litigation and rescheduling a 2020 election to boost the chances of a Republican state Supreme Court Justice, among others.

U.S. Republicans and Democrats have a history of using lame-duck sessions to advance priorities ahead of power shifts. Wisconsin Democrats in 2010 unsuccessfully tried to push through public union contracts after Walker won election while promising to get tough with organized labor.

Meanwhile, in Utah, lawmakers are getting ready to meet in a special lame-duck session on Monday (Dec 3rd) to rewrite a medical marijuana law that voters passed this November. Patient advocates are saying the move is an end run around voters.


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  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:21PM (4 children)

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:21PM (#769804) Homepage Journal

    So, you're wanting everyone who runs for President to have an entire staff and cabinet who already know intimately how things around the Whitehouse work hired before they even know if they've won the election?

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:58PM (#769834)

    We could cripple the lame duck. Surely they could be "in office" in case we need one (if something catastrophic happens) but remove most of their power - no new legislation, etc.

  • (Score: 2) by Mykl on Wednesday December 05 2018, @01:25AM

    by Mykl (1112) on Wednesday December 05 2018, @01:25AM (#769891)

    You are implying that it's necessary for legislation to be passed 24/7/365. In most democracies, there is a transition period to allow the new team to get up to speed. Much of the public service is also independent of party politics - the machinery of government continues and changes course only when directed. Key legislation can be passed surprisingly quickly - particularly if it has been discussed at length during the election campaign (rather than purely playing identity politics during this period).

  • (Score: 2) by dry on Wednesday December 05 2018, @05:40AM

    by dry (223) on Wednesday December 05 2018, @05:40AM (#769983) Journal

    You dissolve the legislature before the election and recall it after the election. No laws are passed and the executive just does caretaking duties to keep things running and in between the election and the new government getting sworn in, the old consults with the new on anything out of the ordinary.
    Once the will of the people is obvious, the government should follow that will and even when it isn't obvious, the government shouldn't do anything controversial until the counting is over.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday December 05 2018, @07:39PM

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Wednesday December 05 2018, @07:39PM (#770246) Homepage Journal

    Why not, right? I did. I just pick the best person for the job. I only hire all the best people. apply.whitehouse.gov [whitehouse.gov]