Didn't some Texas legislators do this a few years ago? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41644074/ns/us_news-life Wis. union vote on hold after Democrats leave state Senate vote to end collective bargaining for most state workers delayed by opposition MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin state Senate Democrats boycotting a vote to curb the union rights of public employees left the state on Thursday while 25,000 critics of the bill marched on the state Capitol. At least nine protesters were arrested. The lawmakers did not show up when they were ordered to attend a midday vote on the legislation. The sergeant at arms was looking for them. Sen. Jon Erpenbach said he and his 13 colleagues had left the state but would not say where they are. He said the plan is to slow down the bill because it's "tearing the state apart." It was not clear if the police had the authority to search for the lawmakers across state lines. The proposal has been the focus of intense protests at the Statehouse for three days. As Republicans tried to begin Senate business Thursday, observers in the gallery screamed "Freedom! Democracy! Unions!" Republicans hold a 19-14 majority, but they need at least one Democrat to be present before taking a vote on the bill. "Today they checked out, and I'm not sure where they're at," Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said. "This is the ultimate shutdown, what we're seeing today." Democratic Minority Leader Mark Miller released a statement on behalf of all Democrats urging Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans to listen to opponents of the measure and seek a compromise. His statement did not address where Democrats were or when they planned to return. Bill opponents in the Senate gallery cheered when Senate President Mike Ellis announced that there were not enough senators present to proceed. Story: Amid crisis, state workers say: 'Don't blame us' The bill came to the Senate after the Legislature's budget committee endorsed it just before midnight Wednesday. Walker and Republican leaders have said they have the votes to pass the plan. That didn't stop thousands of protesters from clogging the hallway outside the Senate chamber beating on drums, holding signs deriding Walker and pleading for lawmakers to kill the bill. Protesters also demonstrated outside the homes of some lawmakers. Hundreds of teachers called in sick, forcing a number of school districts to cancel classes. Madison schools, the state's second-largest district with 24,000 students, closed for a second day as teachers poured into the Capitol. Hundreds more people, many of them students from the nearby University of Wisconsin, slept in the rotunda for a second night. "We are all willing to come to the table, we've have all been willing from day one," said Madison teacher Rita Miller. "But you can't take A, B, C, D and everything we've worked for in one fell swoop." The head of the 98,000-member statewide teachers union called on all Wisconsin residents to come to the Capitol on Thursday for the votes in the Senate and Assembly. "Our goal is not to close schools, but instead to remain vigilant in our efforts to be heard," said Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell. The proposal marks a dramatic shift for Wisconsin, which passed a comprehensive collective bargaining law in 1959 and was the birthplace of the national union representing all non-federal public employees. But so far, Democrats have been powerless to stop the bill. "The story around the world is the rush to democracy," said Democratic Sen. Bob Jauch of Poplar. "The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process." In addition to eliminating collective bargaining rights, the legislation also would make public workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage — increases Walker calls "modest" compared with those in the private sector. Republican leaders said they expected Wisconsin residents would be pleased with the savings the bill would achieve — $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years to address a $3.6 billion budget shortfall. "I think the taxpayers will support this idea," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said. Wisconsin has long been a bastion for workers' rights. It was the first state to grant collective bargaining rights to public employees more than a half-century ago. And the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was founded in 1936 in Madison. But when voters elected Walker, an outspoken conservative, along with GOP majorities in both legislative chambers, it set the stage for a dramatic reversal of the state's labor history. In addition to eliminating collective bargaining rights, the legislation also would make public workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage — increases Walker calls "modest" compared with those in the private sector. Republican leaders said they expected Wisconsin residents would be pleased with the savings the bill would achieve — $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years to address a $3.6 billion budget shortfall. "I think the taxpayers will support this idea," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said. Wisconsin has long been a bastion for workers' rights. It was the first state to grant collective bargaining rights to public employees more than a half-century ago. And the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was founded in 1936 in Madison. But when voters elected Walker, an outspoken conservative, along with GOP majorities in both legislative chambers, it set the stage for a dramatic reversal of the state's labor history. Under Walker's plan, state employees' share of pension and health care costs would go up by an average of 8 percent. Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized. In exchange for bearing more costs and losing bargaining leverage, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. Walker has threatened to order layoffs of up to 6,000 state workers if the measure does not pass.
stifling democracy: check abdicating their job while getting paid a salary by taxpayers: check diverting law enforcement resources to find them: check
Standing up for themselves against a system that gives tons of lip service to education but little actual support: check
The democrats' strategy is pretty extreme, but I still can't get over how big a change the republicans want to make to union law.
Wisconsin Gov. Walker Threatens To Deploy National Guard As ‘Intimidation Force’ Against Workers’ Unions
And the good Speaker of the house has the gov's back: John Boehner: I Stand With WI Gov. Scott Walker In a statement to reporters this afternoon, Bohener said that Walker's plan to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin teacher, nurses and other workers is just the kind of thing Boehner's majority is trying to accomplish in Washington.
I'm not a fan of Walker but I heard that he clarified that statement to mean that he would use the National guard to fill in for some of the essential services that might be unfilled during a walkout such as prison guard duty.
I am not a fan of this bill at all but I am not a fan of this move by the Democrats who left. I am not sure if this is legal under Wisconsin Senate rules and I don't understand is why they can't stay and filibuster. If this is the case that Wisconsin has a super majority unfortunately elections have consequences.
Agree completely. The bill is horrible but the conduct is somehow worse. If everyone "took a stand" on every important issue and went home, we would become... well, who am I kidding. We are already a goofy, nonfunctional country. But behavior like this sets a turrible example for kids, citizens, foreign observers, etc. And the precedent is even worse. Stand up for education. Win elections against the party of annihilation. Don't pout when they win and start annihilating things (well, all things but the coveted wealth of the top 5%.)
jesus-H-christ- a link from Thinkprogress, w/ an "objective" title like that? bring better rebuttals.
Walker gins up ‘crisis’ to reward cronies Wisconsin needs to be fiscally responsible. There is no question that these are tough times, and they may require tough choices. But Gov. Scott Walker is not making tough choices. He is making political choices, and they are designed not to balance budgets but to improve his political position and that of his party. It is for this reason that the governor claims Wisconsin is in such deep financial trouble that Wisconsinites should view this as a crisis moment. In fact, like just about every other state in the country, Wisconsin is managing in a weak economy. The difference is that Wisconsin is managing better -- or at least it had been managing better until Walker took over. Despite shortfalls in revenue following the economic downturn that hit its peak with the Bush-era stock market collapse, the state has balanced budgets, maintained basic services and high-quality schools, and kept employment and business development steadier than the rest of the country. It has managed so well, in fact, that the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently released a memo detailing how the state will end the 2009-2011 budget biennium with a budget surplus. In its Jan. 31 memo to legislators on the condition of the state’s budget, the Fiscal Bureau determined that the state will end the year with a balance of $121.4 million. To the extent that there is an imbalance -- Walker claims there is a $137 million deficit -- it is not because of a drop in revenues or increases in the cost of state employee contracts, benefits or pensions. It is because Walker and his allies pushed through $140 million in new spending for special-interest groups in January. If the Legislature were simply to rescind Walker’s new spending schemes -- or delay their implementation until they are offset by fresh revenues -- the “crisis” would not exist.
