Chicago Indymedia : http://chicago.indymedia.org/archive
Chicago Indymedia

LOCAL News :: Labor

Tempers Explode as Wisconsin Assembly Passes Bill Taking Away Union Rights

MADISON, Wisconsin -- Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening.
Click on image for a larger version

redo.png
Yells of "Shame!" by Democrats, Republicans immediately flee the chamber after terminating debate and voting to pass bill.
17018.jpg
17018.jpg
Video: www.youtube.com/watch

Repost from Commondreams.org
"The vote ended three straight days of punishing debate in the Assembly that made it the longest continuous session in Assembly history.

But the political standoff over the bill β€” and the monumental protests at the state Capitol against it β€” appear far from over.

The Assembly's vote sent the bill on to the Senate, but minority Democrats in that house have fled to Illinois to prevent a vote. No one knows when they will return from hiding. Republicans who control the chamber sent state troopers out looking for them at their homes on Thursday, but they turned up nothing.

"I applaud the Democrats in the Assembly for earnestly debating this bill and urge their counterparts in the state Senate to return to work and do the same," Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said in a statement issued moments after the vote.

The plan from Republican Gov. Scott Walker contains a number of provisions he says are designed to fill the state's $137 million deficit and lay the groundwork for fixing a projected $3.6 billion shortfall in the upcoming 2011-13 budget.

The flashpoint is language that would require public workers to contribute more to their pensions and health insurance and strip them of their right to collectively bargain benefits and work conditions.

Democrats and unions see the measure as an attack on workers' rights and an attempt to cripple union support for Democrats. Union leaders say they would make pension and health care concessions if they can keep their bargaining rights, but Walker has refused to compromise.

Tens of thousands of people have jammed the Capitol since last week to protest, pounding on drums and chanting so loudly that police providing security have resorted to ear plugs. Hundreds have taken to sleeping in the building overnight, dragging in air mattresses and blankets.

With the Senate immobilized, Assembly Republicans decided to act and convened the chamber Tuesday morning.

Democrats launched a filibuster, throwing out dozens of amendments and delivering rambling speeches. Each time Republicans tried to speed up the proceedings, Democrats rose from their seats and wailed that the GOP was stifling them.

Debate had gone on for 60 hours and 15 Democrats were still waiting to speak when the vote started around 1 a.m. Friday. Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, opened the roll and closed it within seconds.

Democrats looked around, bewildered. Only 13 of the 38 Democratic members managed to vote in time.

Republicans immediately marched out of the chamber in single file. The Democrats rushed at them, pumping their fists and shouting "Shame!" and "Cowards!"

The Republicans walked past them without responding.

Democrats left the chamber stunned. The protesters greeted them with a thundering chant of "Thank you!" Some Democrats teared up. Others hugged.

"What a terrible, terrible day for Wisconsin," said Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee. "I am incensed. I am shocked."

GOP leaders in the Assembly refused to speak with reporters, but earlier Friday morning Majority Leader Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, warned Democrats that they had been given 59 hours to be heard and Republicans were ready to vote.

The governor has said that if the bill does not pass by Friday, the state will miss a deadline to refinance $165 million of debt and will be forced to start issuing layoff notices next week. However, the deadline may not as strict as he says.

The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said earlier this week that the debt refinancing could be pushed back as late as Tuesday to achieve the savings Walker wants. Based on a similar refinancing in 2004, about two weeks are needed after the bill becomes law to complete the deal. That means if the bill is adopted by the middle of next week, the state can still meet a March 16 deadline, the Fiscal Bureau said.

Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach said he and his colleagues wouldn't return until Walker compromised.

Frustrated by the delay, Senate Republican Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Jeff Fitzgerald's brother, ordered state troopers to find the missing Democrats, but they came up empty. Wisconsin law doesn't allow police to arrest the lawmakers, but Fitzgerald said he hoped the show of authority would have pressured them to return.

Erpenbach, who was in the Chicago area, said all 14 senators remained outside of Wisconsin.

"It's not so much the Democrats holding things up," Erpenbach said. "It's really a matter of Gov. Walker holding things up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Milwaukee Journal Sentinal:

Budget debate: 2/25 Budget debate: 2/24
Budget battle 2/23
Budget battle 2/22
State budget debate: Week two
State budget debate: Sunday
State budget debate: Saturday
State budget debate: Friday
State budget debate: Thursday
UWM noontime rally
State budget debate: Tuesday, Wednesday
State budget debate: Monday
prev
1 of 12
next Video
Governor Walker press conference, part 2 Page 1 of 28 Related Coverage
News

Assembly action: Budget-repair bill approved in early-morning vote
Capitol: Protesters have to leave Sunday
UW: Chancellor won't back split without tuition control


Opinions

Editorial: Offer an olive branch


PolitiFact Ratings

Ed Garvey: What state Senate leader said about unions
Scott Walker: Layoff numbers if measure fails
Rachel Maddow: Response from Politifact
All Politics Blog
From Madison and beyond, a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes


Thousands expected for noon rally at Capitol (143)
Capitol to close Sunday; demonstrators to leave building (266)
Abele criticizes Stone over budget vote (104)
More blog posts

Related Documents
Budget Repair Bill summary (pdf)
Current state budget
Video: The Assembly vote
Assembly Passes Budget Bill Page 1 of 4 Madison β€” Only two months into his term, Republican Gov. Scott Walker is facing the bane of all elected leaders: Political gridlock.

Both Republicans and Democrats have dug in on the issue of union rights for public workers, which has riven the state Capitol for two weeks. One of the only ideas for compromise has received so little support that the proponent of the plan declined to introduce it Friday on the floor of the Senate.

The proposal by Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) would require deeper concessions from public employees than Walker's budget-repair plan, but preserve more of workers' collective bargaining rights. Walker and legislative leaders have dismissed the plan and said they are unwilling to concede on any point.

Senate Democrats are just as recalcitrant and show no sign of returning from Illinois, where they have stayed since Feb. 17 to prevent passage of the bill.

Walker and Republican legislative leaders say the measure must pass by Tuesday to avoid the layoffs of thousands of employees as early as April 1.

"This isn't some game of chicken," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau).

Democrats argue that Tuesday's deadline - for a $165 million bond restructuring - is false.

Walker's bill would fill a $137 million hole in the fiscal year that ends June 30; require public workers to pay more for their pensions and health care; eliminate most collective bargaining among public employee unions; and give Walker's administration broad powers to reshape health programs covering 1 million low-income Wisconsin residents.

Public workers have said they could accept the concessions, but thousands of them have filled the Capitol since mid-February to fight to retain the collective bargaining they now have.

After 61 hours of debate in the Assembly - the longest in living memory - Republicans abruptly called for a vote just after 1 a.m. Friday that touched off accusations from Democrats that the vote was invalid. The measure passed 51-17, and in the confusion nearly one third of the sleep-starved representatives - including 25 Democrats, two Republicans and an independent - did not vote on the bill.

In the Senate later Friday, Republicans gave preliminary approval to Walker's bill but could not vote on final passage because of the Democrats' absence. Twenty senators must be present to pass the measure, and Republicans have just 19 seats in the 33-seat house.

"Our Democrat senators not only ran away from the state, they ran away from their responsibility," said Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin).

Schultz did not introduce his version of the plan on the floor of the Senate and said his efforts at compromise were stalled because of the Democrats' absence.

"With the minority party gone, bipartisanship is certainly unattainable," Schultz said.

Because the amendment was not offered, Republicans in swing districts were spared having to vote on it.

Schultz's plan would raise more money for state and local governments than Walker's for two reasons. First, it would require public employees to pay more of their salary toward their pensions - 6% instead of 5.8% under Walker's plan. Second, unlike Walker, Schultz does not exempt police, firefighters and state troopers.

Both plans would require state workers to pay 12.6% of their health-care premiums, about double what the typical state employee pays now.

Walker's plan would save the state $330 million in employee costs through mid-2013. Estimates for the savings from Schultz's plan haven't been released.

Option lacks backers
No senator has publicly embraced Schultz's plan. Walker and Fitzgerald dismissed it, saying there are enough votes in the Senate to pass the bill as written.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said by phone that Schultz's plan was a good starting point but noted Democrats oppose provisions that are in both plans, such as the changes to health care programs.

In addition to Schultz, unions have sought help from Republican Sens. Robert Cowles of Green Bay, Mike Ellis of Neenah, Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls, Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac, Dan Kapanke of La Crosse, Luther Olsen of Ripon and Van Wanggaard of Racine. So far, they've garnered little public support for their efforts.

"I'm prepared to vote for the bill as it is," said Cowles. "If something like this (plan by Schultz) happens, I could vote for this too because it gets you 80% to 90% of what you want."

But Ellis, who serves as Senate president, said he preferred Walker's plan over Schultz's.

"The Walker proposal in totality makes more sense," he said. "We've got to get a permanent handle on labor costs."

Wanggaard issued a statement Friday saying he would back Walker's plan, which Harsdorf, Hopper and Olsen voted for as members of the Joint Finance Committee. Kapanke declined to comment Friday, but said a week ago he would likely vote for Walker's plan.

Walker flew around the state to try to persuade the Democrats to return.

"Now is the time to come home and vote," Walker said at a stop inside a hangar at Kenosha Regional Airport.

The stop was in the district of Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie), and Walker made similar visits to the districts of Sens. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and Jim Holperin (D-Conover).

Groups are trying to recall those three Democrats, as well as others, because of their absence. Meanwhile, labor groups are planning to attempt to recall some Republican senators if they vote for the measure.

In a news conference at the Capitol, Walker hedged when laying out the actions his administration would be forced to take if the senators remain in Illinois.

He said he now has until Tuesday - four days later than his original deadline - to push through the budget bill in time for officials to free up $165 million by restructuring the state debt. He also declined to say when he would begin issuing layoff notices for state workers.

"We're in no rush to do that," Walker said.

Walker has said up to 12,000 state, local and school employees could be laid off if his plan doesn't pass.

Ugly scene
The flight of the Senate Democrats has drawn national attention, but the bill has prompted as much acrimony in the Assembly. It came to a head with Republicans' decision to take the rare step of ending debate and holding a quick vote.

Democrats erupted after the vote, throwing papers and what appeared to be a drink.

"Cowards all! You're all cowards," yelled Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison) as another Democrat tried to calm him down.

Republicans said they acted appropriately and gave Democrats plenty of opportunity to debate the bill.

"The Democrats were clearly stalling," said Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc). "That's why Assembly rules allow for a vote on final passage. We took that vote and did what the people of this state asked us to do on Nov. 2 - get spending under control."

But Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) said his members were reviewing video of the vote and exploring whether to try to invalidate it with a legal challenge.

All Democrats who voted were opposed to the proposal, as were four Republicans - Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Lee Nerison of Westby, Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh and Travis Tranel of Cuba City.

Three supporters of the bill were shown as not voting - Reps. Mike Endsley (R-Sheboygan), Daniel LeMahieu (R-Cascade) and Bob Ziegelbauer (I-Manitowoc).

LeMahieu said he voted for the bill, but the Assembly's electronic voting system did not register his vote. Endsley did not return a call, but he told the Sheboygan Press the same thing.

"In the chaos we had on the floor, I pushed the button and I headed for the door," LeMahieu said.

Ziegelbauer said he intended to vote for the bill but didn't have time because Republicans called for it so abruptly and gave representatives just a few seconds to push their buttons.

"Something happened that caused 28 of us not to do what we normally do," Ziegelbauer said. "They just hammered it through."

Legal question. Also Friday, Milwaukee City Attorney Grant Langley said he is working on a legal opinion to answer the question of whether the state could mandate pension contributions by City of Milwaukee employees, as required by Walker's bill.

Currently, the city makes many of the workers' pension contributions for them as part of their compensation.

"Whether the state could mandate a pension contribution - that's a significant question," Langley said.

Key dates
Saturday - Protests at the state Capitol continue with a performance by Peter Yarrow and what is expected to be thousands of opponents to Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill.

Tuesday - Walker is to propose his 2011-'13 budget. He says Tuesday is also the deadline for passing his budget-repair bill, but Democrats dispute that.

March 13 - Labor contracts with state employees will expire because of steps taken this month by Walker's administration.

April 1 - Layoffs of about 1,500 state workers could begin if the budget-repair bill has not passed. Ultimately, up to 12,000 state, local and school employees could be laid off, according to Walker.

Cary Spivak in Madison and Mike Johnson in Kenosha, both of the Journal Sentinel staff, contributed to this report.
 
 

Donate

Views

Account Login

Media Centers

 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software