In his one month in office, Gov. Scott Walker has signed off on a multitude of bills placed on his desk by the majority-Republican legislature. He has managed to shutdown an $810 million train project seemingly with the snap of his fingers and a few complaints. Like a bad furniture store commercial, he has slashed taxes and government programs each day in office with untold vigor and enthusiasm – everything must go.

But apparently, these powers have not satisfied Walker. He yearns for more.

A bill passed through the Capitol last week proposes that instead of the Joint Committee of the Review of Administrative Rules determining whether a bill exceeds the limits of the Legislature’s power – as they currently do – that responsibility would be placed in the governor’s hands. Walker would have the role of determining whether to approve legislation before the bill reaches the hands of the state Assembly and Senate.

According to Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, a member of the Committee on Judiciary and Ethics, this bill was proposed because Walker thought some committee bills overstepped the power and responsibility of the legislature, and Walker would like to curtail that.

Now, we may be inexperienced with the finer points of Wisconsin state government, but we are pretty sure we remember reading about a “checks and balances” system in fifth-grade social studies. With this horrendous expansion of Walker’s authority the scale would tip decidedly in favor of the executive branch.

Further, Wisconsin governors already rank among the most powerful state leaders in the country. With line-item veto at their disposal, there are few bills they cannot cut down to read however they want it to, Senate and Assembly be damned.

If passed, this bill would set an alarming precedent for future governors – Republican or Democrat – while weakening the already diminished role of the Legislature in Wisconsin.

Ask any fifth-grader, they can explain it to you.