Hey unions, democrats, fat leftist Michael Moorecake:
Posted on 03/09/2011 6:07:23 PM PST by lbryce
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers after discovering a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" — a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, which spends no money, and a special conference committee of state lawmakers approved the bill a short time later.
The lone Democrat present on the conference committee, Rep. Peter Barca, shouted that the surprise meeting was a violation of the state's open meetings law but Republicans voted over his objections. The Senate convened within minutes and passed the measure without discussion or debate.
Before the sudden votes, Democratic Sen. Bob Jauch said if Republicans "chose to ram this bill through in this fashion, it will be to their political peril. They're changing the rules. They will inflame a very frustrated public."
Walker said after the votes that Senate Democrats had plenty of opportunities to come home.
"I applaud the Legislature's action today to stand up to the status quo and take a step in the right direction to balance the budget and reform government," the governor said in a statement.
Walker's proposal has touched off a national debate over union rights and prompted tens of thousands of demonstrators to converge on Wisconsin's capital for weeks of protests. Spectators in the gallery Wednesday night screamed "You are cowards" as the Senate voted.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
after discovering a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats"Discovering" a way?
I think many here on FR have been SCREAMING for them to do this for weeks.
I’m proud of the Wisconsin guys! Way to go! More American taxpayers standing up to the commie Neanderthal knuckledraggers on the union plantation!
Definitely a plus ping!
FINALLY!!!
They should have done this 20 days ago... but bravo for strapping on a pair and doing the right thing.
Note:
1. This does NOT strip “worker’s rights”. It has NOTHING to do with private sector workers or unions at all.
2. This not NOT take away collective bargaining, just a portion of it related to pensions and benefits, only for public sector union members.
3. This is NOT in any way extreme, extraordinary or radical. It’s just a common-sense reform to enable state and local govts to manage their costs long-term.
4. This IMHO does not go far enough - make Wisconsin a right-to-work state, AND GIVE WORKERS THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF UNIONS.
Thanks.
To a democrat - waiting 3 weeks for "run and hide" democrats to come back to do their jobs = ramming a bill through the senate
Nevertheless, attaboys all around to the Wisconsin Republicans for actually doing this. The reaction should be interesting.
Diana - some good news for the Wisconsin ping list. :-)
Yeah, right - if Jauch thought for a second that it would hurt Republicans he would keep quiet and stand out of the way. Liberals hate us that much... NPR is the tip of the iceberg of liberal hate... I suspect the MSM will miss the obvious here - that Jauch is lying. Odd how they always miss the 'help' dems over Republicans...
Yes, you are right. attaboys all around.
Regarding the lone dissenting R:
If the dems had been there would their numbers plus the one dissenting vote have prevailed?
If they really wanted to poke a stick in the eye of the democrats, they should have had 4 republicans vote NO, just so that it would look like if the senate democrats had been doing their job, they could have defeated the measure.
Kudos WI.
Naw, the WORST thing Republicans could do is let this standoff go on. This looks like the grand home run after two strike-outs and two strikes.
Every night Maddow, Cyenk and Schultz declared victory for over a week, now ‘boom’
M Moore on Maddow NEXT, this should be good!
Although it may have caused more stomach churning for us who wanted Wisconsin to get on with this move -- taking the time, and encouraging the Dems to return to do their job (as elected officials) - was good.
The Media will certainly call it a 'rash' move (being the good commies that they are) -- but the evidence says otherwise.
The democrat fleebaggers are the ones enraging the Wisconsin public, who voted the dems into a small minority party big time last November.
The tyranny of the minority is not going to stand in Wisconsin.
Everyone knows the dems would have already declared the senate seats vacant, if they were in the majority and the republicans fled.
that is the next step, btw. Give them one day to return, and if they don’t the senate declares their absence as their official resignations, declares their seats vacant, and has the Governor immediately issue writs of special election for these 14 seats. We could pick up 2 or 3 seats this way.
But first, have the assembly and senate pass sweeping voter reform. Require photo id, no same day registration, and no third party registration.
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