Kabat among critics of lame duckiness

Lame duck maneuvers by Wisconsin lawmakers this month have become a national punchline.  

And for good reason, says La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat, among the many critics of the efforts by Republican lawmakers to curtail powers of an incoming Democratic governor.

“What has gone on is really a bad example of government, especially a transition from one administration to another,” Kabat said, who was in the WIZM studio, while Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes joined on the phone (listen to the discussion here)

Kabat calls the whole dark-of-night, last-minute power grab a sham.

“I just think it’s very poor government to do that type of, clearly, gaming and not really listening to the people,” Kabat said.

Walker has yet to say which bills he will definitely sign.

Wisconsin and Michigan have been in the national spotlight for weeks as both have Republican-led legislatures ramming bills through in a last ditch effort to make an incoming Democratic governor’s job a little more difficult.  

The few bills passed through a Republican legislature and waiting action by Gov. Scott Walker pale in comparison, however, to Michigan’s lame duck session.

The GOP-led legislature there is taking last gasp action on piles of bills involving everything from minimum wage to abortion pills.