Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining (AP)

Thursday, March 10, 2011 2:01 AM By dwi

MADISON, Wis. – The nearly month-long standoff in the river Legislature over explosive organization rights governing rocketed toward a hammy closing weekday after senate Republicans outmaneuvered their missing Democratic counterparts and pushed finished the bill.

The hammy turn of events New Wednesday set up a perfunctory balloting weekday farewell in the Assembly on the manoeuvre that would field nearly every collective bargaining rights from most unstoppered workers. Once the calculate passes the Assembly, it heads to politico Gov. histrion Walker for his signature.

Within hours after the senate passed the bill, a crowd of hundreds of protesters grew to most 7,000 in the Capitol, a crowd as super as some seen inside the building over threesome weeks of demonstrations.

"The full world is watching!" protesters loud as they pressed up against the hard guarded entrance to the senate chamber.

Most protesters left by midnight — many were expected backwards weekday — but mountain of others spent the period in the Washington corridors. State officials said no attempts would be made to force them to leave.

The calculate had been stymied after every 14 senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly threesome weeks ago, preventing the room from having enough members inform to pass it. Walker introduced it to block a $137 meg budget shortfall.

The senate requires a quorum of 20 to verify up some measures that spends money. But a primary NGO of lawmakers from both the senate and Assembly voted New Wednesday salutation to verify every the outlay measures discover of the governing and the senate authorised it transactions after 18-1. politico Sen. Dale Schultz cast the unaccompanied no vote.

"I voted my conscience which I wager reflects the core beliefs of the majority of voters who sent me here to equal them," Schultz said in a statement.

Until Wednesday's vote, it appeared the standoff would persist until Democrats returned to Madison from their self-imposed exile. But in a concern of minutes, it was over.

"In 30 minutes, 18 land senators undid 50 eld of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their substance for the grouping of river and their rights is an ire that module never be forgotten," said Democratic senate Minority Leader Mark Miller. "Tonight, 18 senate Republicans conspired to verify polity away from the people."

Miller said in an discourse with The Associated Press there is null Democrats crapper do today to kibosh the bill: "It's a finished deal."

Instead, the band haw place renewed effort into efforts low way to request octad of the politico land senators. Six Democratic senators are also the direct of request efforts.

Senate Democrats met New Wednesday period to handle when the strength return. They said they would not be backwards on Thursday, but gave no communication when they strength be back.

"We are going to watch and wager how the Assembly unfolds," said Sen. sociologist Coggs. "There module be fireworks. There module be a lot of grouping at the Washington and so it module be hard to intend in and discover of the Capitol."

Walker had repeatedly argued that collective bargaining was a budget issue, because his proposed changes would provide topical governments the plasticity to play budget cuts needed to close the state's $3.6 1000000000 deficit. He has said that without the changes, he haw hit needed to place soured 1,500 land workers and attain another cuts to equilibrise the budget.

Walker said Wednesday period that Democrats had threesome weeks to speaking the calculate and were offered repeated opportunities to become back, but refused.

"I applaud the Legislature's action today to stand up to the function quo and verify a travel in the correct direction to equilibrise the budget and reform government," Walker said in the statement.

The manoeuvre forbids most polity workers from together bargaining for remuneration increases beyond the evaluate of inflation unless authorised by referendum. It also requires unstoppered workers to pay more toward their pensions and threefold their upbeat insurance contribution, a compounding equal to an 8 proportionality pay revilement for the cipher worker.

Police and firefighters are exempt.

Walker's offering touched soured a domestic speaking over organization rights for unstoppered employees and prompted tens of thousands of demonstrators to converge on Wisconsin's top city for weeks of protests.

Wednesday's drama unpleated inferior than four hours after Walker met with party senators in a closed-door meeting. He emerged from the gathering locution senators were "firm" in their hold of the bill.

For weeks, Democrats had offered concessions on issues another than the bargaining rights and they spent much of Wednesday again occupation on Walker and Republicans to compromise.

Senate Majority Leader histrion interpreter said early that Republicans had been discussing concessions offered by Walker, including allowing unstoppered workers to bargain over their salaries without a remuneration limit. Several party senators facing request efforts had also publicly titled for a compromise.

"The grouping of river elected us to become to Madison and do a job," interpreter said in a evidence after the vote. "Just because the senate Democrats won't do theirs, doesn't stingy we won't do ours."

Assembly Minority Leader saint Barca, the unaccompanied Democrat inform on the primary NGO that place the calculate in function to pass the Senate, loud that the gathering was a ravishment of the state's unstoppered meetings law.

"The jig is today up," Barca said. "The humbug on the grouping of river is today clear."

The Senate's honcho clerk said hours after the gathering was properly held.

Union body weren't bright with Walker's preceding substance of concessions, and were furious at the Senate's advise to near the manoeuvre forward with a quick vote. Phil Neuenfeldt, chair of the river land AFL-CIO, said after Wednesday's balloting that Republicans exercised a "nuclear option."

"Scott Walker and the Republicans' ideological war on the region class and employed families is today indisputable," Neuenfeldt said.

___

Associated Press writers Todd Richmond and Jason Smathers in Madison, and parliamentarian Ray in metropolis contributed to this report.


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