For Governor and Legislature, breaking up is hard to do

Just when we thought the relationship between Wisconsin’s Governor and the Legislature couldn’t get any more fractured. Now, Governor Tony Evers has filed a lawsuit against the Legislature, asking the courts to essentially force state representatives to work with the Governor to get things done. If this were a marital dispute, it would be like citing irreconcilable differences. In a perfect world, the Governor and members of the Assembly and Senate would work together, like partners in a marriage, to keep the peace in the household. But things got off to a rocky start as soon as Evers was elected. Republicans who control the Legislature worked even before he took office to restrict his powers and that of his democrat Attorney General, making it harder for them to accomplish their agenda. Along the way, legislators have fought Evers at every turn, holding lame duck legislative sessions purposely designed to accomplish nothing. They have repeatedly rejected appointees Evers made to boards and commissions, and Evers has issued more vetoes than any other Wisconsin Governor. I’m not sure how this will turn out. It is not like the two powers of government can get a divorce, but it sure sounds like they need some marital counseling.