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Life Deconstructed: Where, oh where, has my cerebellum gone?

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LCCC, Wilkes University strike transfer agreement for Early Childhood students

<p>If you are a democracy-loving American who believes in our republic&#8217;s values, and we&#8217;re assuming the vast majority of us still do, then you should be alarmed at what recently happened in Wisconsin and what could happen soon in Michigan.</p><p>It is our sincere hope this nonsense never happens in Pennsylvania, but we cannot in any way be sure it never will considering the hyperpartisan times in which we live.</p><p>In Wisconsin, Republican governor and one-time presidential contender Scott Walker was denied a third term in office last month.</p><p>Voters chose Democrat Tony Evers to be their new chief executive. Wisconsinites also opted for a Democrat to be the new attorney general, another post that had been occupied by a GOPer.</p><p>Both incoming officials were duly elected, which usually means everyone moves on and gets down to the business of governing and enforcing the law until the next election cycle.</p><p>But not in 2018 America, where partisan politics seems to be the most important thing and both parties are playing a zero-sum game.</p><p>With just weeks left in office, Walker recently signed legislation that weakens the powers of the governor&#8217;s office and the attorney general&#8217;s post.</p><p>The changes were rushed through by Republicans in Wisconsin&#8217;s legislature, who will keep their majorities.</p><p>The moves &#8220;limit the governor&#8217;s ability to pass administrative rules and block him from killing a work requirement for Medicaid recipients,&#8221; according to a Reuters report.</p><p>In addition, lawmakers stripped the attorney general of the power to decide if the state should withdraw from lawsuits. The legislators themselves will now make that call.</p><p>That is particularly significant because it is a direct reaction to the ongoing legal challenges to the milestone health reform bill known as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.</p><p>Wisconsin is challenging the ACA in the courts &#8212; a cause that gained some traction with a recent decision by a Texas judge &#8212; and the Republicans were worried the incoming Democratic attorney general would remove the state from the legal challenge.</p><p>Reuters reports there are similar measures awaiting approval in Michigan. Republicans there also pulled stunts, already approved by Michigan&#8217;s lame-duck governor, that &#8220;significantly scale back citizen-initiated measures to raise Michigan&#8217;s minimum wage and require paid sick leave for workers,&#8221; the Associated Press reported Saturday.</p><p>And though the last-minute actions are being touted by supporters as ways to ensure the sacred balance between the executive and legislative branches, there are a lot of unhappy folks who smell something foul.</p><p>And we do, too.</p><p>Such shenanigans are unacceptable and un-American.</p><p>It&#8217;s like losing a football game to a superior team, then changing the rules so that team&#8217;s star quarterback cannot play the next time you face them.</p><p>If you cannot respect the results of an election, why even have one?</p><p>These legislative maneuvers weaken the power of voters, not just executives, and should be considered a real threat to our democracy.</p><p>Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or independent, you should be shouting loudly in condemnation.</p><p>Hopefully, legal challenges will wipe away the harm that&#8217;s been done here.</p><p>In the meantime, we are praying our own bloated Legislature in Harrisburg, dominated by Republicans, doesn&#8217;t one day follow these shameful examples.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em> &#8212; Times Leader</em></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">This file photo shows Michigan&#8217;s House chamber at the state Capitol building in Lansing, Mich. Michigan and Wisconsin legislative bodies, both controlled by Republicans, have recently enacted or are considering changes to limit the power of incoming officials after Democrats won recent elections. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_AP17-305713-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>This file photo shows Michigan&#8217;s House chamber at the state Capitol building in Lansing, Mich. Michigan and Wisconsin legislative bodies, both controlled by Republicans, have recently enacted or are considering changes to limit the power of incoming officials after Democrats won recent elections. </caption0><photoCredit0>AP Photo | Carlos Osori </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our View: States are limiting voters’ will, and it’s downright un-American