Supreme Court hands oversight of school policy to governor

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The state Supreme Court is reversing itself and allowing oversight of public school policy to shift from the state superintendent to the governor.

A 2017 law dubbed the REINS Act requires state agencies to get permission from the governor and the state Department of Administration, which the governor controls, before drafting new policies and regulations. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sued that same year arguing that then-Superintendent Tony Evers wasn't following the law.

The court ruled 4-2 Tuesday that requiring the superintendent to obtain gubernatorial approval before writing regulations and policies is constitutional.

The decision erases precedent the court established in 2016. The justices then issued a 4-3 ruling that the superintendent has the constitutional authority to act independently.