Opponents demonstrate before Republican senators' vote to end collective bargaining for public workers except police and fire
BY SCOTT BAUER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Senate succeeded in voting Wednesday to strip nearly all collective-bargaining rights from public workers, after Republicans discovered a way to bypass the chamber’s missing Democrats and approve an explosive proposal that has rocked the state and unions nationwide.
“You are cowards!” spectators in the Senate gallery screamed as lawmakers voted. Within hours, a crowd of a few hundred protesters inside the Capitol had grown to an estimated 7,000, more than had been in the building at any point during weeks of protests.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill intended to plug a $137-million shortfall.
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday took all the spending measures out of the legislation, and a special committee of lawmakers from both the Senate and Assembly approved the revised bill a short time later. The lone Democrat present on the special committee, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, shouted that the meeting was a violation of the state’s open meetings law. The Senate’s chief clerk said hours later the meeting was properly held.
The committee passed the bill quickly, and the Senate convened within minutes to pass the measure 18-1. Republican Sen. Dale Schultz cast the lone no vote.
Until the vote, it appeared the standoff would persist until the Democrats returned.
“In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller. “Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people.”
The Assembly is expected to pass the revised bill today. Miller said Democrats can’t stop the bill: “It’s a done deal.”
The measure forbids most government workers from collectively bargaining for wage increases beyond the rate of inflation. It also requires public workers to pay more toward their pensions and double their health insurance contribution, but workers had said they could accept those concessions. Police and firefighters are exempt.
For weeks, Democrats had offered concessions on issues other than the bargaining rights, and they had spent much of Wednesday again trying for a compromise.
