Troopers drag protester out
Wisc GOP Tramples Democracy: Assembly Passes Union-Busting Bill; State Troopers Dragging Out Protesters
Wisconsin Republicans pushed through a measure stripping state public employees of their collective bargaining rights. Here are the latest developments from Madison.
March 9, 2011
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SHAME ON YOU! WATCH PROTEST OUTSIDE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gwY-oUq7nHk
WATCH RACHEL MADDOW ON LATEST WISCONSIN NEWS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDD-s-LjTXQ&NR=1
Protester objects as he is dragged out; face is bloodied
Late Wednesday, Wisconsin Republicans rammed a measure through the Senate stripping collective bargaining rights from most public workers in the state. Although the 14 Democrats who fled the state to block Governor Walker’s union-busting bill remain in Illinois, Republicans were able to push through the measure anyway by separating the collective bargaining provision from the other elements of Governor Scott Walker’s “budget repair bill.” (This, after claiming for months that killing public workers’ right to negotiate was all about reining in the state’s debt.) The measure passed 18-1, with Republican Sen. Dale Schultz voting against. Critics say the rushed legislative session — with only one Democrat in attendance — may have violated the state’s open meetings law. Democratic Senators from the street (the “fourteen”) are beginning to trickle back home and start the next round of the fight.
So what’s next? AlterNet has the latest updates and analysis:
Update: The Wisconsin State Assembly has just passed the union-busting legislation rammed through by Senate Republicans late last night. The bill, which essentially divests most public workers of their collective bargaining rights, passed the Assembly 53-42 and now heads to Scott Walker’s desk. The Wisconsin-State Journal describes the scene as the vote was held:
There was shouting, screaming, and chants of “Shame!”
And that was just among the members of the state Assembly.
Wisconsin protester led away handcuffed
The controversial budget repair bill passed the Assembly 53-42 after a chaotic morning at the state Capitol, which involved protesters being dragged away from the entrances to the Assembly chamber leading up to the 11 a.m. floor session.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” Rep. Tamara Grigsby said after Republicans insisted the bill would pass Thursday. “And I swear I don’t understand how you walk out of this building with your heads up.”
In the moments before the vote, protesters’ shouts grew louder and chants of “Kill the bill!” echoed through the chamber.
But that was nothing compared to the eruption as the votes were counted. At that moment, the entire Capitol seemed to erupt.
Update: Surprise, surprise … Wisconsin’s Senate Majority Leader, Republican Scott Fitzgerald, admits to Fox’s Megyn Kelly that the GOP’s union-busting agenda is intended to hobble Obama’s re-election changes in 2012. “If we win this battle and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions,” says Fitzgerald in the clip, “Certainly what you’re going to find is President Obama is going to have a much more difficult time getting election and winning the state of Wisconsin.” Watch.
Update: According to videos, and multiple gripping pictures being posted on Twitter, arrests are beginning right now at the Wisconsin State Capitol. These reports and pictures strongly appear to indicate that State Troopers are doing what police have refused to do, forcibly escorting protesters out of the building to shouts of “shame!” More tweets from locals and journalist Mike Elk suggest that walkouts and “wildcat strikes” are beginning afresh throughout the state.
Update: The first of the “Wisconsin 14” is heading home, according to “WisPolitics Budget blog.” It’s a “bittersweet” return for State Senator Jim Holperin, who is glad the flight of the 14 Senators called public attention to the bill, but wishes a compromise could have been reached to protect bargaining rights instead of a Republican maneuver as we saw Wednesday. Holperin admitted that he was unsure what the mood would be when he and the other senators returned to session:
Holperin said most of the Dem caucus met last night and agreed to return once the Assembly finished its work on the legislation to strip away most collective bargaining rights for public employees. He said he may have left a little earlier than the others, but he believed the Assembly action was a foregone conclusion and there would be no Senate floor session today or tomorrow. He said he would return to the Capitol if that changed.
Holperin headed back three weeks to the day after the Dems went into their self-imposed exile. He said in the end, the action achieved the short-term goal of bringing attention to details of the budget repair bill and proving its true intent was ending collective bargaining rights.
Update: Politico reports that in the less than 24 hours since the bill was jammed through, “liberal groups” Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America have raised “over $200,000”.
Update: Former Senator Russ Feingold has released a damning statement reacting to Wednesday night’s actions on the part of the Republicans and Governor Walker (via Progressives United):
“Last night will be remembered as a black mark on the history of Wisconsin government. The actions by 18 Republican state senators leave no doubt that Governor Walker’s attack on Wisconsin workers has nothing to do with the budget and everything to do with advancing a national corporate agenda. Sadly, these actions further drive divisions within our state and threaten the future economic recovery of Wisconsin. Proponents of this plan should remember: Wisconsin’s citizens will hold their elected officials accountable.”
Update: In our Hot News and Views section, we have gathered important analysis and next steps for the battle in Wisconsin. Chris Bowers outlines concrete steps readers can take to help the cause on the ground in Wisconsin: “But even in midst of the wreckage falling around us, never forget that we have recourse to overturn this bill and restore workers’ rights”
Meanwhile, Digby weighs in thoughtfully on the intra-middle-class warfare that she hopes will end in the face of Wisconsin, and Steve Benen talks about how the same Republicans who have previously claimed to hate closed-door meetings are applauding the push-through and procedural tricks that their colleagues have resorted to in Wisconsin.
Update: Here’s two stories that are quite upsetting. Mother Jones reports that embedded within the bill passed last night is a provision that makes it okay for the state to fire protesting workers: “The bill authorizes state officials to fire any state employee who joins a strike, walk-out, sit-in, or coordinated effort to call in sick.” Truly draconian.
Furthermore, as if it weren’t obvious who’s on their side, TPM has the story that a “major DC Lobby Firm” is throwing a big fundraising reception for the very same GOP state senators in Wisconsin who rammed this bill through against the will of the people.
Update: As Democrats begin to consider legal challenges and intensify their recalls efforts this morning, watch footage of state Assembly minority leader Peter Barca making a last-ditch attempt to forestall the vote which he says is immoral and possibly illegal. His arguments will likely be echoed in days to come as Democrats try to challenge the move in courts and at the ballot box.
Update: Within hours of the vote, the Capitol was flooded with thousands of furious protesters: “The whole world is watching!” they shouted as they pressed up against the heavily guarded entrance to the Senate chamber,” ABC reports.
Update: Watch a livestream of protests in the Capitol at the Uptake.
Update: Read Adele Stan’s article for AlterNet, Union-Busting Goons: How the Wisc. GOP Trampled Democracy to Appease Their Wealthy Backers
Update: Push for recall:
State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate released a statement pledging to pursue recall of all Republican lawmakers that are eligible:
Using tactics that trample on the traditions of our Legislature, the Republican leadership has betrayed our state. Republicans have rubber-stamped the desire of the Koch Brothers and their godshead Scott Walker to cripple Wisconsin’s middle class and lower benefits and wages for every single wage-earner in our state. The vote does nothing to create jobs, does nothing to strengthen our state, and shows finally and utterly that this never was about anything but raw political power. We now put our total focus on recalling the eligible Republican senators who voted for this heinous bill. And we also begin counting the days remaining before Scott Walker is himself eligible for recall.
Update: State Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller in a statement released Wednesday:
In thirty minutes, 18 State Senators undid fifty years of civil rights in Wisconsin.
Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten.
Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people.
Tomorrow we will join the people of Wisconsin in taking back their government.
Update: David Dayen at FireDogLake points out that bill will likely pass the state assembly. After that, there are a couple of ways it could go:
• Legal challenges. There are going to be a number of legal challenges to this bill. It will not be implemented right away. There’s the near-term challenge of how the bill got passed tonight. It was done in a way that may have violated open meetings laws, by not allowing 24 hours notice for a public meeting of the conference committee. There are other statutes about collective bargaining that may be brought up in court and fought. And there’s the issue of the bill having a fiscal impact. Scott Walker spent three weeks claiming that collective bargaining was a fiscal issue, and then the legislature just passed the bill as “non-fiscal.” Courts will have to wade through a lot of this, and it’s sure to go up to the state Supreme Court. Which brings us to…
• Supreme Court fight. The matchup between David Prosser (R) and JoAnn Kloppenberg (D) for the state Supreme Court on April 5 just got very interesting. It’s a statewide vote, and the balance of power on the state Supreme Court is at stake. Right now there are 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats on the court, but one of those Republicans is Prosser. Expect lots of organizing and millions of dollars poured into this election, which is much like a political election, with debates and everything. If Democrats win, the legality of what took place tonight may be put in greater question.
• General strike. Union leaders are reportedly discussing a general strike, and the mood of the protesters, who stormed the Capitol upon word of the bill, echoes that. You could see some kind of near-term labor walkout, at least in Madison and possibly throughout the state.
• Recalls. This will only energize progressives and labor to get the required signatures for recalls. All 8 Republicans eligible for recall voted to strip public employee unions of their rights, despite clear public opposition. Many of these Republicans, frankly, are going to recall as early as this summer, and if just three of them lose, the balance of power will switch to Democrats in the state Senate. There are also races for three open seats in the state Assembly coming up in May, so even more movement could occur.
