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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.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by taylormc on Tuesday December 04 2018, @06:50PM (7 children)
To a Brit, many aspects of US politics are surprising. On the one hand, there seems to be nothing like an independent Civil Service; most appointments under a new government are party political.
On the other hand, you permit those who have been voted out of office a free run to commit what mischief they choose for a couple of months, in the sure and certain knowledge that they will not be the ones who have to pick up the pieces afterwards.
I'm not sure what to make of this dichotomy.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday December 04 2018, @09:44PM (3 children)
I live under a Westminster system as well, and it amazes me how our American friends just seem to accept that there can only be two political parties.
300 million of them, and they can only muster two parties? The UK has 8 parties, plus some independents, and even my own tiny country of ~4 million can manage to get 5 parties going.
I think what happened was the ruling class in the US decided two parties are easy to control, so why let any more get power?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:14PM (1 child)
That's more or less accurate if you define the ruling class as a fairly nebulous group primarily made up of politicians, intelligence agencies, and bureaucrats.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday December 04 2018, @11:12PM
I was defining the ruling class as the owners of the industry groups and corporations that fund the political class in the US.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 05 2018, @07:03PM
that's why i vote 3rd party every time. unfortunately, there are only 2% americans left...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday December 04 2018, @10:17PM (1 child)
See, from our point of view, having a branch of government not answering to The People is a non-starter. That doesn't keep everything but the agency heads and maybe a deputy or two from being non-appointed, non-elected bureaucrats though. I never said we made complete sense...
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 05 2018, @01:36AM
What the hell country do you live in? It sure as hell isn't the US. Our government answers to the campaign donors.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Wednesday December 05 2018, @01:20AM
Agree - it's just insane to let the losers set fire to everything afterward. My country uses the Westminster system too, and all legislative change is frozen from the moment an election is called until the new elected officials start. Makes sense!