(The following appeared on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website on March 10, 2011.)
MADISON, Wisc. — With Democrats still in Illinois, the state Senate abruptly voted Wednesday night to eliminate collective bargaining provisions for most public workers that have stood for decades, sending a flood of angry protesters into the Capitol.
The bill, which has drawn international attention, is to be taken up at 11 a.m. Thursday by the Assembly.
That house has already passed a nearly identical version of the wide-ranging bill, which Gov. Scott Walker introduced last month to address a budget shortfall.
The new version passed the Senate 18-1, with Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) voting no.
Some of the Democrats who have been boycotting the Senate for three weeks said they would return to Wisconsin once the bill passes the Assembly. But they had not crafted their exact plans for return, and Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) issued a statement saying they would not return on Thursday after earlier indicating they might.
From Feb. 17 until Wednesday, the Senate Democrats were able to block a vote on the original version of the bill because the state constitution requires 20 senators to be present for bills that authorize spending money. Republicans control the house 19-14.
Republicans devised a plan to get around the impasse and hurriedly approved the bill late in the day after meeting for hours behind closed doors. Walker met with them for more than half an hour at the start of the private meeting.
Just before the Senate vote, a committee stripped some financial elements from the bill, which they said allowed them to pass it with the presence of a simple majority. The most controversial parts of the bill remain intact.
That committee, formed just two hours earlier, quickly approved the bill as the lone Democrat at the meeting screamed that Republicans were violating the state’s open meetings law – a claim Republicans disputed.
“This is a violation of law!” bellowed Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha).
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) ignored him and ordered the roll to be taken.
Minutes later, the Senate took up the bill and passed it without debate.
“Shame on you!” protesters cried from the viewing gallery.
Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) decried the move as “political thuggery.”
The full story appears at www.jsonline.com.