MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal appeals court panel has refused to reinstate Wisconsin Democrats’ lawsuit challenging Republican-authored lame-duck laws weakening Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul. The state Democratic Party sued in February 2019, arguing the laws were meant to retaliate against people who voted for Evers. U.S. District Judge James Peterson dismissed the lawsuit in October, ruling Democrats lacked standing to sue. A three-judge panel from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Peterson’s decision on Thursday, finding that Democrats were seeking an unprecedented interpretation of voting rights and legislators’ partisan intentions don’t violate voters’ rights.
