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Eric Litke
By Eric Litke April 17, 2019

After a delay, lawsuits open window to allow withdrawal

Gov. Tony Evers promised on the campaign trail that his first action as governor would be to withdraw Wisconsin from a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.

That promise hit a snag when lame-duck legislation passed by the Republican Legislature — after Evers was elected but before he was sworn in — blocked Evers and new Attorney General Josh Kaul, another Democrat, from doing so. Those laws were challenged in court, and though appeals remain, they have so far been ruled unconstitutional.

That cleared the way for Evers and Kaul to begin pulling out of the lawsuits March 21, 2019. On April 9,  2019, a federal appeals court allowed Wisconsin to drop out of the last of the lawsuits involving the ACA, commonly called Obamacare.

We rate this Promise Kept.

Our Sources

Tony Evers campaign website, Evers Releases Letter He'd Send First Day in Office: Withdrawing Wisconsin from Lawsuit Gutting Pre-Existing Conditions, Oct. 22, 2018

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Judge lets Wisconsin out of two Obamacare lawsuits, handing Gov. Tony Evers a victory, April 2, 2019

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tony Evers, Josh Kaul move to exit Obamacare lawsuit after judge blocks GOP lame-duck laws, March 21, 2019

Email exchange with Melissa Baldauff, spokeswoman for Gov. Tony Evers, April 15-16, 2019

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