Attorney General Kaul Says He Likely Would Defend Act 10

Wisconsin’s Democratic attorney general says he likely would defend in court the state law that effectively stripped public employees of collectively bargaining rights.

Attorney General Josh Kaul told the Wisconsin State Journal he “fully” anticipates his office would defend state law.

Kaul is Wisconsin’s first Democratic attorney general since Republican lawmakers passed the law known as Act 10 in 2011. The law has been challenged over the past eight years, but courts have upheld it.

Two chapters of the International Union of Operating Engineers filed a federal lawsuit this month in Milwaukee alleging the act violates free speech guarantees. The lawsuit names Kaul as a defendant, noting he’s responsible for enforcing Wisconsin law.

Republican legislators plan to intervene in the suit, saying they don’t trust Kaul to represent their interests.