Republicans plan to vote to limit Evers' power in lame-duck session

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Protestors are back at the state capitol Tuesday to speak out against a Republican plan to limit Wisconsin Governor-elect Tony Evers' power before he takes office. 

At one point, protestors became so loud, the Senate gallery was cleared. Lawmakers say more than 1,000 people gathered at the Statehouse Monday or a hearing that lasted late into the night because so many people testified. Several protestors were thrown out of the hearing by Capitol police. 

The Republican bills still passed the Joint Finance Committee by a vote of 12-4. 

The plan to weaken the Governor's and Attorney General's office is now on the floor for a vote Tuesday. 

Republicans say Governor-elect Tony Evers has a liberal agenda and they don't want him to undo their work over the past eight years. Democrats argue voters put Evers into power for a reason. 

As Republicans try to weaken the Governor's office before Scott Walker leaves it, Democrats are calling it a power grab. 

"The voters rejected their agenda. It's over. They can't redistrict, so this is their last gasp," said Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D) Oshkosh. 

Republicans have bills to shorten early voting to two weeks, take away some of the governor's power over state agencies, and give some of the attorney general's power to private attorneys. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he's not going to let Tony Evers dismantle the last eight years of reform.

"There are a number of very important reforms that each one of us have ran on and that we have promised our constituents we will do everything in our power to make sure they stay on the books in Wisconsin. 

Democrats say voters elected Tony Evers and incoming Attorney General Josh Kaul to do things like pull out of a lawsuit to scrap the Affordable Care Act, but these proposals would put those decisions in the hands of lawmakers. 

"For many of the things they were elected to do, they won't be able to do because of these changes being made," Hintz said. 

Republicans say the outrage over their proposals is overblown. They just don't trust Tony Evers to work with them like Scott Walker did. 

"Putting us on an equal playing field so that when Governor Evers, who has campaigned and committed since he was elected to work with the legislature, that we come at it from an even playing field," said Rep. John Nygren (R) Marinette. 

It's still not clear how many of the bills can pass the Senate, which has just a three-seat Republican advantage. Scott Walker says he is likely to sign them into law if they do pass.