Breaking: Wis. Working People Will Not Give Up After Republicans Rig Vote On Bargaining Bill

by James Parks, Mar 9, 2011

Breaking News: With their approval ratings in a free fall and Democrats standing firm, Wisconsin Senate Republicans used a hastily called conference committee this evening to rig a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to eliminate public employee collective bargaining from the budget bill. The committee then sent the bill immediately to the full Senate, which advanced the measure 18-1 with no debate. None of the 14 Senate Democrats was present.

There are 15,000 people at the state capitol now protesting the vote and we encourage you who are in Madison to go there and add your voice for a vigil now and a rally at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The Democratic senators have been in Illinois since Feb. 17, denying a quorum to consider the budget bill. Their dteremination forced the Republicans to show their true intentions: to deprive hard-working men and women of the freedom to bargain collectively.

The Senate needs 20 members to pass spending measures, but Republicans hold just 19 seats. Republicans would not need any Democrats to be present to pass the collective bargaining changes as a stand-alone bill because it is not fiscal in nature.

The struggle is not over. Working people are mobilizing and working on recall efforts to change the Wisconsin state Senate, and are exploring legal challenges to the manner in which tonight’s vote was conducted.