MADISON, Wis. (AP) — One of the leaders of the Legislature's budget-writing committee is signaling Republicans won't let Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul pull Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act.

Kaul and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers both campaigned on pulling Wisconsin out of the lawsuit. Republican lawmakers passed lame-duck legislation in December that prohibits Evers from ordering Kaul to withdraw from lawsuits without permission from the Joint Finance Committee. Kaul asked the panel last month for permission to pull out.

Republican Rep. John Nygren and Sen. Alberta Darling serve as committee co-chairs. Darling said Senate Republicans haven't discussed Kaul's request yet. Nygren said Assembly Republicans also haven't discussed the request yet, either.

But Nygren said Republicans still fundamentally oppose the ACA, signaling the committee will likely refuse the request.