Speaker: (WI) Assembly Will Pass Union Bill

[HereSince1628]

http://www.channel3000.com/politics/26953210/detail.html
updated: 11:41 am CST February 22, 2011

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Assembly speaker said the chamber will pass the controversial union bill cutting collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said the Republican-led chamber will pass a bill despite noisy protests inside the Capitol that have gone on for more than a week.

Fitzgerald said Republicans were elected to lead the Assembly in November to make deep cuts to state spending, and they will deliver on that pledge. He said lawmakers were getting support from constituents in their home districts and around the nation and are determined to make a reform that he said would keep the state's budget in check for years.

[eleny]

1. So they decided to pass it as a stand alone

[FBaggins]

11. No. This is the Assembly, not the Senate.

They have a sufficient majority in the Assembly to top the quorum requirements.

[eleny]

16. Thanks!

[whathehell]

2. Don't they need the "quorum"? n/t

[eleny]

6. When it was part of the big budget bill they needed a quorum

I read that if they pull it out of the big bill and deal with it as a separate bill they don't need the q.

[whathehell]

25. That sucks..I hope it doesn't happen. n/t

[eyesroll]

7. The Assembly has enough Republicans to meet the quorum.

The Senate does not, hence the exodus.

[eleny]

8. So it still has to pass the Senate?

[eyesroll]

32. Yes. n/t

[FreakinDJ]

9. You need a REAL News Source First

Internet Broadcasting made to look like a legitimate news source

[HereSince1628]

21. WISC a Madison television station isn't a news source?

They've provided a lot more coverage of the protests than the networks and the wire services.

[FreakinDJ]

27. Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc.

[HereSince1628]

28. This has been a good and reliable source.

If you don't like it, then don't read it

As I continue to post stories from here, I will make an effort to identify the source so that you can make an appropriate choice for your reading.

Peace.

[whathehell]

26. You may want to tell that to the OP, rather than me.

[Skidmore]

3. Which makes it unconstitutional according to the laws of their state???

Right?

[FBaggins]

12. How so? n/t

[Skidmore]

19. That's what I was asking.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Enjoy the general strike idiots

[FreakinDJ]

5. Not even a real news organisation

[CLANG]

33. WISC-TV is the CBS affliiate in Madison - A REAL NEWS ORGANIZATION

[lldu]

10. They are brothers.....the heads of both chambers are Fitzgeralds

Scott and Jeff.

Scott is head of the Senate and Jeff is head of the assembly.

The assembly can take up the bill, but the Senate cannot without a quorum.

That is my understanding.

[HereSince1628]

13. Yes. And their father is head of the state police

guess how that happened??????????????????????????????

[lldu]

14. Inbreeding???

[HereSince1628]

18. A very tight circle of power in WI at this time in history.

Its too cold to be a banana republic. But I suppose it could be called a Paw-Paw Republic

Paw Paws a.k.a. prairie bananas

[EC]

15. I don't know how they are getting support when just about

every city and town counsil has voted to reject his bill. My city just voted last night on it and rejected it, because the city feels they should be able to retain our right to bargin with the unions and not be dictated to from Madison. This is why the cities are voting no - they want to retain local control.

[HereSince1628]

20. Do you have a link to an article showing that?

I hadn't seen that. I knew that some of the local chambers of commerce were against the union busting aspects of the bill.

If you have a link I would like to add it to my living history collection.

[EC]

22. I'll look in my cities paper on line and see.

As for the other towns and cities, they have been in papers off and on all week as the communities have been voting.


Here's to the front page the article is listed on left hand side: http://www.kenoshanews.com/home/


but you need to register to read the story, which is at this link: http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/city_council_unanimously_opposes_governors_proposal_96793165.html

[HereSince1628]

23. Thanks. I need to do some googling!

[EC]

24. I did put the links to my cities for you.

in case you missed it while I was editing.

[EC]

31. Here's a few more links

http://volumeone.org/blogs/1/post/2236/The_Walker_Budget_Cuts_Local_Action_Roundup

Eau Claire County Board votes 20-7 in favor of opposing Walker's proposed elimination of collective bargaining


http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/feb/17/janesville-city-council-drafts-letter-supporting-u/

Janesville City Council drafts letter supporting unions

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f6a7f58e-3b10-11e0-9807-001cc4c03286.html

Madison city council extends collective bargaining agreements

[Akoto]

17. Unfortunately, I think their strategy is to wait this out, no matter what.

They know that the protesters can't stay there forever. They have bills to pay, families to feed. I think they will stay at it for as long as they possibly can, but numbers may one day fall enough for the fickle media to lose interest.

I also wonder for how long the Democrats can feasibly remain in exile, but that's a political matter beyond my knowledge.

[Imajika]

29. The Republicans have the votes...

...and they are very likely to get what they want in Wisconsin.

These protests though, if we make it painful enough for them, may make other Republican governors and legislatures think twice. If Wisconsin Republicans are able to roll public employee unions with ease, you can bet that even teabag Republicans who hadn't planned to do the same thing this year will start considering it.

Perhaps the protests can effect enough Wisconsin Senate Republicans to bring them to the table, but I think they are dug in and at the end of the day they have the votes to get their union busting bill passed. These past elections were a bloodbath on a state level for Democrats (lost over 700 seats when party switchers are added in) and it is going to be incredibly difficult to stop much of the union busting that is planned. Made unpopular enough, we may deter some of it and set the stage for a comeback in 2012 with Obama at the top of the ticket. Hopefully then we can undo much of the damage that these teabaggers have done.

[localroger]

30. I wouldn't be 100% sure

The Senate majority leader has said they won't take up the non-budget no-quorum ban on collective bargaining until the Democrats return. I interpret that as weakness within their own ranks -- they must have at least a couple of Republicans who aren't willing to resort to that. If the protesters keep up the pressure the bloc might crack giving the Dems enough votes to come back and vote this turkey down.

It might not be likely, but it at least seems possible -- which it didn't last week.