GOP senators find way to advance collective bargaining bill without Democrats present (Wisconsin)

[Tx4obama]

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

In a surprise move late Wednesday, Senate Republicans voted to move forward with the governor's controversial budget repair bill, sending the measure into a conference committee scheduled for later in the day.

Republican leaders would only say the Senate bill differed from the Assembly bill and indicated it was possible lawmakers could strip fiscal elements from the proposal and pass only the measures dealing with collective bargaining.

Such a move would allow Republicans to pass the governor's bill without the 20 Senate members needed to vote on fiscal matters. Currently 14 Democratic senators remain in Illinois, hiding out in an effort to deny the quorum and stall the vote.

If the Republicans move forward with their plans, it would be a major reversal for Gov. Scott Walker and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau. Both have contended that the bill is fiscal in nature and thus the collective bargaining could not be stripped from the measure.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_8747fa04-4a74-11e0-8e6b-001cc4c03286.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Never been about the budget

and if they do... things will get ugly

[Scuba]

2. Bingo.

[Plucketeer]

14. I hope it does get ugly for these thieves.

We peons have laid lame and pliant for too damned long. We progressive sorts have grumbled and swallowed ALL the fractions of the promises made us if we'd just help make history. Picture a teeter-totter with the GOP as far to the right end as an elephant can muster, with a jackass to the right the fulcrum as well. Anybody on the left end of that thing is left hangin'.

:kick:

[peace frog]

36. It was always about stripping workers of their rights

Today state workers, tomorrow everyone else. Count on it, they're fully funded, primed and ready to continue the bulldozing of American middle class.

[jtrockville]

3. What will they call it? The Koch Whore Bill?

[movonne]

7. The Koch suck bill...

[Vincardog]

4. Will the new bill allow Scottie to sell the state assets to the Kock brothers at any price?

Will it still give him dictatorial authority over Medicare and every other state program?

[Tx4obama]

10. The revamped bill will include only things that are not fiscal (not relating to money) n/t

[WhiteTara]

5. wow! that is brazen!

I wonder what the citizens will do.
:scared:

[LiberalFighter]

6. Gee... I wonder how much easier it will be to oust those Republicans?

[Blue Owl]

8. That'll boost Walker's sagging popularity

NOT!

[ShadowLiberal]

9. In that case we should retaliate by recalling GOPers in the state assembly who vote for this bill

If the GOP does this to pass the bill then we need to start recalling every republican eligible for recall in the state assembly who votes for it.

[Kdillard]

11. Wow.

[pacalo]

12. There's a word for this that is more prevalently used for a crime against women: rape.

Any form of rape should be against the law. Walker & his RepubliCorporate cabal are pillaging their constituents' careers against their will. There's no word for it that is more appropriate than "rape".

Continue standing up for yourselves, Wisconsinites! Walker is a madman.

[24601]

35. Rape is not unique to women. On any given day, there are myriad

men raped in prison and it is no less a tragedy just because they are locked up for a crime.

[pacalo]

37. Touche. But the word is not confined to one definition involving sexual control.

In regard to what Walker & his cabal are doing to their own constitients, it's fitting to step out of the box to call their action exactly what it is: "rape". For any doubters, look up the word.

[onethatcares]

13. these guys never stop thinking of ways to kill the citizens

they supposedly work for. As I said in an earlier post, why trust them, why trust Walker, why trust any republican for anything they say?

[Tx4obama]

15. Updates

From Twitter....

thinkprogress

RT @BrendanConway: Assembly Dem minority leader says they are: "looking to see if this is a violation of open meeting laws or rules."


From TPM....

Late Update: Word we're getting is that the state unions were basically caught flat-footed by this move, did not see it coming.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/03/wisc_gop_makes_it_move.php?ref=fpblg


Excerpt from The Maddow Blog....

That squares with what we're hearing, too -- that Republicans are splitting Governor Walker's bill into two parts. They can vote by themselves, without a budget quorum, on anything that's not fiscally related. Since the union-busting is not about the budget, as we've been saying throughout the standoff, they could vote on that without the Democrats present.

A Republican source in Madison tells NBC's Mike Taibbi that Senate Republicans could vote on the provisions to strip collective bargaining rights as soon as tonight. Mr. Taibbi reports that the source is furious because a compromise with Democrats had nearly been in place. Another report, on WisPolitics, makes it sound like today's development happened in a hurry.

We'll have much more on the show at 9 PM Eastern.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/09/6229962-wisconsin-republicans-make-surprise-move-on-union-busting-bill

[Kdillard]

16. Hopefully it is and they will be stopped in their sneaky tracks. If not then

I hope the recall efforts will ramp up.

[Iliyah]

17. It sound like this

doesn't following the rules and regulations of WI, but these are gopers, they believe they are above the law.

[Doctor_J]

33. That pretty much sums up the Dems

"they're looking into it", and "they were caught flat-footed"

I can't wait to leave the US

[Seedersandleechers]

18. LIVE RIGHT NOW

http://wiseye.org/Home/AirVideoStream.aspx

[Tx4obama]

25. Link won't load for me. Probably too many ppl. ;( n/t

[felinetta]

19. I wonder if the added farmers protesting on their tractors this weekend was

too much for them.  The visual would last a long time in our
country's mind.  I think they are desperate tp get the
protesters to leave.
But as has been stated, they have had to admit it was always
about the unions.

[Tx4obama]

20. Now there will be TWICE as many farmers and protesters !!! n/t

[Doctor_J]

21. How long until things start burning?

I don'[t see another way to stop the Repukes.

[htuttle]

30. We don't burn things in Madison anymore

We own most of it nowadays.

[rasputin1952]

22. The Learning Curve for these idiots is steep indeed...

Incredible that after what is happening in WI, they would find a really sleazy way to pass the Bill...and with only the Collective Bargaining part no less.

If this were not so serious, it would be laughable. The careers of these idiots is over, as they spiral down in a burning plane, they are asking for more fuel...the idiocy is astounding.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Seedersandleechers]

23. More evidence it was nothing about the debt.

[Tx4obama]

24. We need just a couple WI GOP ASSEMBLY members to defect and go to Illinois

If the state Senate passes the the stand-alone bill the state Assembly would still have to pass it.
If ALL the DEMOCRATIC Assembly members and a couple GOP members leave the state then the assembly wouldn't have a quorum.
It won't happen but that would be one way to stop it.

Wisconsin state Assembly
96 seats: 57 republicans, 38 democrats, 1 Independent

[Sabriel]

26. Fucking fuck

Fuckers.

This is the beginning of the end. I can't believe I'm from this state.

It's official: Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer aren't the only cannibals associated with Wisconsin.

[Kdillard]

27. So basically the only thing left to do is focus on a recall and keep protesting.

[Doctor_J]

31. And brace yourself for the huge Repuke win

because that's what is going to happen

[Keefer]

29. The state senate just passed the bill...

The vote was 18 to 1.

[NeoConsSuck]

32. Boycott Wisconsin Companies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Companies_based_in_Wisconsin

[Doctor_J]

34. Yeah, this will work as well as the Arizona boycott

but if it makes you feel good...