(The following appeared on the USA Today website on March 14, 2011.)
MADISON, Wis. — Opponents of Republican Gov. Scott Walker were back at work Sunday on recall efforts targeting Republican state senators who supported the new governor’s overhaul of public employee union rights.
Volunteers worked the phones in an office a block from the Capitol, where a day before, about 100,000 people protested a law signed by Walker to curtail collective-bargaining rights for 175,000 public employees statewide.
The fight over the power of public employee unions to negotiate also is likely headed to voters to decide in Ohio, where Republicans are on track to limit collective bargaining of public workers there in the next two weeks.
In Wisconsin, recalling lawmakers from office is the easier route for voters to register their displeasure. In Ohio, it’s easier to challenge a new law by forcing it onto the ballot where voters can decide.
The full story is at www.usatoday.com.