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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Assembly argues through night By Samy Moskol The Daily Cardinal
The state Assembly debated amendments to the budget repair bill Tuesday, with Democrats passionately dominating the conversation for hours into the evening. Despite Democrats’ fervor, the Assembly voted down an amendment that would move the bill to the Labor and Workforce Development Committee. As of press time, the Assembly is still on the floor. The amendment was initially voted down 56 to 39 along party lines except for state Rep. Tom Larson, R-Colfax, who voted with the Democrats. However, later Tuesday night he rescinded his vote. The other amendments are expected to be voted down as well. Many Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that this bill regarding labor rights was sent to the Joint Finance Committee under the guise of being a fiscal bill. “I am stunned the greatest rewrite of labor law in the last half-century has not even gone to the labor committee,” Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, said. As the debate continued, so did the
protest in the Capitol rotunda. “People are frightened. People are scared,” state Rep. Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee, said. “Walk around and talk to people and look at these people. They are terrified. Their government is taking away their rights. The Wisconsin they know may not be in another week or two.” State Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, criticized Republicans for ignoring the will of the people. “You put your head down, you play solitaire and you pretend that these people are not real. It’s disrespect,” Grigsby said. “It’s arrogance at its worst and everyone should be ashamed.” Republican representatives spoke during the floor session. Democrats said that with little response from across the aisle, it was difficult to see the benefits of the bill. “I would love to be convinced, but I hear nothing!” said Rep. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland. “Why is this so great? What Wisconsinites are going to benefit from this?” Speaker of the Assembly Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, defended the bill, saying it is fiscally necessary for Wisconsin. “We don’t have any options left. We have to balance our budget. It’s part of
Ben Pierson/the daily cardinal
Speaker of the Assembly Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, was one of the few Republicans to defend the budget repair bill at the Assembly floor session, where Democrats were up in arms over the legislation. our constitution,” Fitzgerald said. Democrats repeatedly said they are willing to make concessions on the budget matters. However, because the Walker administration has not negotiated on the collective bargaining amendment, they said it feels more like an attack on unions. “You are taking away people’s rights,” Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, said. “If you take away rights, they are going to rise up like they are now.”
Wisconsin has domino effect on surrounding states
State Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay, critiqued how the bill would change Medicaid programs and Walker’s capacity to make decisions on healthcare. Pasch quoted Walker as saying states opted into Medicaid and can opt out. “This is the individual that will determine pretty much who will live and who will die,” Pasch said. Although there was little input from the Republican side of the
chamber, state Rep. Kevin Petersen, R-Waupaca, noted the Friday deadline Gov. Scott Walker placed for the bill, after which he said he would start to lay 1,500 state workers off. “When people start losing their jobs, there’s one party to blame, and that’s the one delaying this vote on the assembly floor,” Petersen, R-Waupaca, said. assembly page 2
Walk it out
By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
In addition to making workers contribute 5.8 percent to their pension and 12.6 percent to their health insurance, Walker said he needs to reform collective bargaining because the union system is broken and costs local governments serious money. State Sen. Mark Miller, D-Madison, who gave the Democrats’ response from an undisclosed location in Illinois, said the debate was only about collective bargaining rights because unions already conceded the new payment scheme.
Other states facing legislation that would threaten state employees’ bargaining rights are beginning to mirror Wisconsin’s own mayhem, from unions protesting in Ohio to legislators fleeing in Indiana. Although Wisconsin is not the only state to be considering suspending bargaining rights for state workers, the volatile statewide reaction and measures taken by the government have created a domino effect in states facing similar political situations. “This is an intense political battle that’s been set off by the strong pro-republican shifts in these states, including especially here and Ohio, so it’s not surprising we’re seeing a big fight about it,” said UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin. Ohio’s newly elected Republican Gov. John Kasich uses reasoning similar to Gov. Scott Walker’s in justifying suspending collective bargaining rights in saying it is necessary in fixing the deficit. “I’m going to balance this budget, and I am going to
fireside chat page 2
indiana page 2
Ben Pierson/Cardinal File Photo
Gov. Scott Walker addressed the Wisconsin public on the state’s fiscal woes and stressed the importance of passing this bill.
Walker addresses state in televised fireside chat By Patrick Tricker The Daily Cardinal
Sitting next to a fireplace at the governor’s mansion, Gov. Scott Walker defended his budget repair bill as necessary to correct the deficit while Democrats countered that it is just about suppressing worker’s rights. “The bill I put forward isn’t aimed at state workers, and it certainly isn’t a battle with unions,” Walker said. “If it was, we would have eliminated collective bargaining entirely, or we would have gone after the private sector unions. But we did not, because they are our partners in economic development.”
Kathryn Weenig/the daily cardinal
UW-Madison professors walked out of class Tuesday morning to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, which will increase pension and health care contributions for state workers and take away most of their colelctive baragaining rights.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”