Badger State liberals and conservatives are gearing up for another legal battle over drawing new legislative maps, but a judge said anticipation of litigation is not enough for lawmakers to hire outside counsel.
Wisconsin Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, left, talks with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison on Jan. 4. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)
MADISON, Wis. (CN) A Wisconsin judge on Thursday voided contracts between GOP state lawmakers and private attorneys in anticipation of a legal fight over redistricting on the basis that the lawmakers had no authority to hire the attorneys in the first place.