Partisan politics prove pricey

In the ongoing disputes between Republicans and Democrats in Wisconsin, there is one clear winner. The attorneys. The fight over matters big and small often end up in court, and that is costing taxpayers big money. The fight over redistricting appears headed for more court battles, and lawmakers are prepping for the fight by hiring outside counsel. This week the state Senate hired four law firms to represent Republican senators named in a lawsuit seeking to have current voting maps declared illegal. These must be some powerful attorneys, because they sure are pricey. The attorneys they have hired have a minimum monthly charge of $260,000. One of the firms charges a relatively bargain price of $160,000 per month, with the cost of the contract not to exceed $870,000. Another law firm charges $450 per hour for attorney time, and another $150 per hour if paralegal services are required. And of course, all of the fees will be paid by taxpayers, with total legal bills possibly reaching the millions of dollars. This is nothing new. Between 2019 and 2022, Wisconsin Republican lawmakers spent more than $14 million on election law cases and court battles over Governor Evers’ stay-at-home order during the pandemic. The attorneys may be getting rich because our politicians can’t agree on things, but clearly the taxpayers are the losers in this fight.