Jay Weber Show transcript 2/8/24 7:10am
So, we know that-in general-
And even if it mostly goes ‘unstated’-
We know that there’s some friction that has developed over the years between assembly speaker Robin Vos and senate majority leader Devin LeMahieu.
There are some reasons why, and I have my own theories, but I won’t share them.
I don’t think it’s inaccurate to say that Scott Fitzgerald and Robin Vos worked far better-together. Shared more with each other. Checked more with each other. Were more interested in ‘pulling the same way’ to move their GOP agenda. Get their way. Play defense against the democrats and tony Evers.
There’s clearly a different-and more distant-relationship between Robin Vos and Devin LeMahieu. And I’m not saying they hate each other. They don’t.
I’m just suggesting that they don’t work as closely together...or as well together...as Fitz and Vos did.
One indication is how-in this era- when one of them floats something to the media, or announces some new bill, there’s a lot more ‘checking with the other guy’ than there used to be.
In the Fitz/Vos era-if either one of them took something public, there was a good chance that they’d already talked about it. They were both keyed in and agreed we should ‘take this public’ now...or ‘move the bill’.
In the LeMahieu/Vos era- i sense a lot less of that-and mostly now- one or the other of the men just...springing their stuff onto the other one...thru the media.
I might be wrong on this...but...over the last two years or so, there’s a lot of instances in which the reporters need to ‘check with the other guy’ to see what they think: as in, yesterday- Devin LeMahieu told the media that senate republicans may decide to vote to approve Governor Evers’ exact maps. The exact ones that he submitted to the state supreme court and insists are fair.
This is after LeMahieu and his team made a few very small tweaks to Evers’ map and passed it, as did Vos in the assembly, but the tiny tweaks gave Evers and Gau an opening to claim ‘these aren’t the governor’s maps’ they’re republican maps, and veto them.
It was ludicrous on Evers’ part. It was like saying if i come to your house and shift around your patio furniture, it’s my house now.
But- all Evers and Gau needed was-the excuse-to reject the governor’s very own maps-so they could wait for a liberal supreme court that has been bought and paid for by radical left-wing activists-to release an even more rigged map-in the dem’s favor.
So-this would be ‘take two’: pass Evers’ exact maps and then dare him to sign them-or look like the hyper partisan, game playing ass that he is.
Lemahieu wants to do it. So... does Vos?
Well- you got to check with him.
And what else can ever say? They’re his maps. He’d look like a stooge rejecting his own maps if they were put in front of him.
The state journal piece quotes the head of the assembly elections committee as also supporting the passage of Evers’ own maps...but...does Vos support it?
Well, you got to ask him, and his people didn’t get back to the newspaper.
So, did LeMahieu check with Vos before it was floated publicly? I have no idea.
So, is passing gov Evers’ exact maps a good idea?
Yes. I said it’s what i would have done two weeks ago when they tweaked them first and then passed them.
The caveat on all of this is this: if Vos and LeMahieu and their fellow lawmakers agree-after speaking to the redistricting experts and lawyers on -our side-that the Evers map would likely be better for the GOP than any map that putrid Protawitz and the other activists on the supreme court are cooking up-
Then yes, pass them. Call Evers’ bluff. Put his exact maps on his desk and then hope for a bad election for democrats in the fall that helps you keep your majorities-despite their tampering.
It’s about all the republicans-can do-at this point, in the way of being ‘proactive’ instead of sitting around and waiting for the high court’s radicals to act.
I suppose there’s still a chance that they would adopt a map that is-less bad-for republicans than they are imagining in their heads right now- but I doubt it.
So, we’ll see where that goes.
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