Wis. GOP Strips Public Workers’ Bargaining Rights
by PubliusMADISON, Wis. (AP) – 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. Tony Barca, shouted that the surprise meeting was a violation of the state’s open meetings law but Republicans voted over his objections. The Senate then convened within minutes and passed it without discussion or debate.
Spectators in the gallery screamed “You are cowards.”
Before the sudden votes, Democratic Sens. 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.”
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444 Comments
This the best news I've heard all day, crack open the champaign!
Four years from now Walker will be relected virtually unopposed, bank on it…
Walker said: "In order to move the state forward, 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."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WISCONS...
Yeah baby, yeah!
/Austin Powers
It's Miller time then. Awesome. Glad to finally see them playing the game like it is played against us.
On to the next battle.
Good job Madison GOP!
If I didn't live in the city I would go outside and fire a gun in the air Iraqi style…its Miller time!
Hey pass a bill declaring that life begins at inception. This would nullify Roe V Wade for Wi residents. Find every other issue that the D's dont want passed and ram it through.
SWEEEEET!!!!!
Now we can get down to business. There's no reason for the Fleebaggers to stay away. Get back, do your jobs..
…..oh, and Lick Your Wounds.
"They're changing the rules." Are you kidding? The dems haven't been playing by the rules since they took themselves out of the state and out of the game entirely.
This current administration and now we're seeing it at lower state and county levels are showing just how bastardized our government and the rules that used to be about checks and balances have become.
Keep going Gov. Walker and stand strong Republicans!
“You are cowards.?
No, they are fearless. For standing up to 14 malcontents and getting the work done that they were sent up there to do.
Finally the Republicans are standing up to Democrat shennanigans and shoving one up their bottoms for a change.
Great news for Wis. and America. This is the right move and time will prove our side is right.
About time.
Take that, fleebaggers. Now you've got nothing.
Spectators in the gallery screamed "You are cowards!"
Nooooooooooo, the COWARDS have run to Illinois!! Maybe now they'll come back and do the job they were elected to do for WI!!!
Best news we've had in years!!
Let the games begin! Other govenors need to take notes, and yes, I'm talking to Daniels, little wimp.
Soooo… passing a law that doesn't need a quorum after it being on hold for a month violates an "open meeting" rule but not showing up to the meeting DOESN'T violate the rule?
Are those Dems. just as sharp as bowling balls or do they think we are stupid?
Ramming a bill through that saves money is GOOD for political careers, ramming through bills that cost us money and freedom, like Obamacare, is BAD for political careers
Look, we cannot expect Democrats to understand anything about reality. They are idiots. They always have been. Yes, there are a few Republicans that are idiots, The McCainiac and his dumbass daughter come immediately to mind, but at least being an idiot is not a prerequisite to join the Republican Party like it is to become a Democrat.
Finally.
Thank God.
I'm pleasantly surprised the Republicans didn't fold.
Now, what about criminal prosecutions for those legislators who went AWOL? They conspired and did so for the express purpose of obstructing the legislature. If that's not a crime, then don't arrest citizens when we do so. As it is, we have less and less reasons not to obstruct government.
Before the sudden votes, Democratic Sens. 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.”
Where've you been the last two years, skippy?
Go home and pop a Viagra so you can deal with your wife….Helen Thomas.
Leftards don't even know what rules are, much less assume they apply to anyone but them. Idiots.
Cowards?? Oh jesus.
Hello, Pot? Meet Kettle.
BYE BYE union thugs,how does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot.
DittO, on the best news angle OCG!!!
This is sweet, and it will be so much fun to watch them whine and whimper like sick puppies over this.
; )
All the rancor could have been avoided 3 weeks ago by doing this then, it would have calmed down by now and the Republicans reputations would not have taken the hit they have.
Still trying to figure that one out……
….not succeeding.
Exactly my thought about the "where have you been". Obamacare ring a bell?
“You are cowards.”
Yes, yes, there _are_ cowards involved is this. They fled the state to Illinois.
How long will it be before Cass Sunstein figures out an angle to challenge Gov Walker, just like Holder
and Co did Gov Jan Brewer of AZ?
; )
Finally!
Way to go Wisconsin!
"Spectators in the gallery screamed “You are cowards.”
Hahaha. This from the side with 14 senators hiding in Illinois.
"Bob Jauch said if Republicans “chose to ram this bill through in this fashion, it will be to their political peril."
Well maybe just ONCE we have some public servants who won't bow to the "political peril," you cowardly bastard.
I think the Unions need to learn from this. Don't FRAK with the Tea Party. Don't FRAK with conservatives. You will no longer be able to play the shell game of which you stole millions of dollars from the Wisconsin taxpayer. You will no longer be able to act as the money launderer for the Democrat Party. From Madison, Wisconsin…public sector unions and the Democrat Party are on notice…the gravy train has ended. Obama's little minions are now starved of their power. Onward to 2012 where we throw these Marxists out!
It takes a fearless man to issue dire warnings to lawmakers sitting in Madison… from three hours away in Chicago.
How are they cowards? They're going ahead with what they think is right and not bowing to the wolfpack baying for their blood — that's courage.
Please let this kind of bold action become a trend among conservatives nationwide. This country is screaming for some real leadership right now.
Great! Now I hope they prosecute the doctors and teachers and anyone else who conspired to defraud the government with their "sick notes" so they could protest. Protest on your own time, not on the taxpayers bill.
I think they've got it!
It will be interesting now, to see how quick the Democrats in hiding come back to Wisconsin.
Hahaha, easy win for Wisconsin unions and protesters as Walker pulls this Pearl Harbor stunt. Anyone who claimed that this had anything to do with WI's financial situation is obviously wrong now. Everything financial was stripped off of this part that passed.
Anyone thinking this is good for Republicans is seriously deluded. The Governor and Republicans have said multiple times in the past that this bill has a direct fiscal impact so its going to be hard to backpeddle on that now.
Bravo; these are the types of decisions serious leaders make. Unions have extorted WI taxpayers long enough, not to mention the rest of the nation.
it was always going to happen…
And poor Walker was getting eviscerated by the mainstream media with 'push polling' showing majorities against his position on collective bargaining. But the fleeing Democrats- all being supported by national union money- were
no longer representing their constituencies.
They had become paid advocates of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, and SEIU.
And recall petitions were being circulated by citizens fed up with not being represented. No matter HOW this is spun, it is a tremendous defeat for Public Unions, which should not exist in the first place. Couple this with the Ohio vote and you can see the groundswell of people TAKING BACK the government that is ostensibly by, and for, the people.
A good day, indeed…
Sooo…. apparently only Dems are allowed to change any rules, or any changes have to at least be to their benefit? Scott Walker and WI Reps rock!
Checkmate! There is nothing like beating a bunch of cowards – I mean weasels – at their own game!
Yes indeed…and more states are following…
How do you think Obama care got passed………mensa boi?
To quote the Mullah himself….."elections have consequences"
So don't be a hypocrite……just relax and enjoy the moment…
LOL
They stood up to the unions and got the job done. Democrats are defeated. A true win-win.
one down, more to go. we need this passed in every state. too bad i live in a state under socialist rule, so it will take a few years to get here.
the demise of the Tea Party was hugely overestimated…
By the wishfull thinking of the Corrupt Media. The thread has been 'they are being compromised by the RINO's, and they don't know how to navigate the corridors of power', etc.
Seem to be doing just fine here…
http://www.scottwalker.org/
From Walker's own website, "Collective Bargaining is a Fiscal Issue", "Collective Bargaining Has a Fiscal Impact."
This hypocrite and liar who got kicked out of Marquette for cheating is finished.
Four years from now Walker may be the POTUS!!!
I believe we may have finally stumbled onto a man with a set…
; )
Good IDEA…. I'll go and do it for both of us.
After further review I'll put a couple of mags out there for other people too.!!!
That is a promise !!
Hahaha! You're going to cry yourself to sleep tonight!
Notice there are ZERO MM trolls on this thread.
I see Idaho decided to jump on the bandwagon too, woo freaking hoo!
I'm sure they drafted that two weeks ago.
I don't think liberals really appreciate conservatives borrowing their playbook. The kid gloves conservatives usually have strapped on are coming off. Alas, the responses and the reporting by the MSM are entertaining.
By the way, when the people speak by sending more Republicans to Madison, and reelect the governor in a landslide, will you volountarily eat sh*t or would you like me to shove it down your throat?
Hello Corn.
I haven't seen you in a while.
Did you see this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/8359076/US-farme... ?
Happy made the Telegraph.
Do it anyway.
This Governor did what he was elected to do.
I have but one retort for you.
Suck hind tit.
it isn't just 'good' for Republicans…
It is a fabulous day for not just them, but beleagured taxpayers across the country. The election was a wipeout; the left outspent the conservative/libertarians two to one and got creamed. And, as the above posters pointed out, elections have consequences. And when people start seeing expenditures going DOWN they will not vote
Progressives back in.
Not now, not soon- and perhaps with a little luck, never again…
Amen, and maranatha.
The DailyKos freak out crowd's comments on this story are priceless. The tears of liberals are so very sweet!
Did you cry when Oblahblah decided the Obamacare "penalty" was suddenly a "tax"?
No? Then go fall down a flight of stairs, you pusillanimous puddle of p!ss.
It'll be only a matter of minutes, maybe hours before the rent-a-thugs start burning and breaking sh!t…
Ah, the classy left, when a tantrum just isn't enough you can always count on them to send their goons to break, burn and loot.
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS
And the so-called "limited government" folks seem completely fine with it. Don't worry Koch Party (AKA: Tea Party), the same scumbags will be coming after you too.
Say g'bye for a while.
Just so you all understand what happened here, Commies.
Scott Walker: A tank-load of AWESOME!
Poor wittle libs got outwitted at their own game!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yeah, isn't it great when gangster extortionists lose some of their power!
Maybe in the short term, but in the long term, the Republicans will win the budget issues–and re-election. Yayz!
U r a spammercommie.
And one of them has a tantrum by spamming the board. I reported him & suggest others do the same.
Stones. Welcome back to the GOP!
"Anyone who claimed that this had anything to do with WI's financial situation is obviously wrong now."
Just because it didn't deal with an immediate financial issue doesn't mean it won't help the budget in the long term. Do try to keep up- the adults get tired of explaining this simple stuff to you slower trolls…
This is for all the Walker Nay sayers in here yesterday.
"Anyone who thinks he will change his mind has another thing coming," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Joe Sanfelippo, a Walker ally during his tenure as county executive. "He ignores the polls and the protests and does what he thinks is right. And I can tell you, he will not give in."
I live here in Wisconsin, anyone could have googled that from his days as County Exec. in Milwaukee.
Now that I have that done I will CELEBRATE the VICTORY with a good Scotch.
Feel better now? I didn't think so! BWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Srsly? That would be great!
I'm really starting to believe that liberalism is an actual mental disease. How else can you explain waht has happened in Wis over the last several weeks. Literally everything the Dems, unions, and the left in general has said, or rather screamed is the exact opposite of the truth. They run away and hide like spoiled children, refusing to participate in the process, and then finally after several weeks of the entire state, and country for that matter, waiting and begging for them to grow up and return to do the job they were hired for, they call everyone cowards. In the words of a famous song- "You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"
"Direct fiscal impact" and appropriating money via a budget are two DIFFERENT things.
Epic DUH.
I'm pouring two shots of tequila for my wife in I in Kalifornia!
Serve's them right.
WIS. GOP STRIPS RIGHTS FROM GREEDY UNIONS BEFORE THEY BANKRUPT THE STATE!
there, i fixed it for you.
This is great! I love it when conservatives prove that they are more cleaver than their pointed headed liberal progressive commie enemies. The elitist condecending SOB's at NPR must be choking on their vegan dinners about now at the thought of being outsmarted by a bunch of Neanderthal like Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin GOP members of the Senate.
Thank you Governor Walker for standing true to your convictions. The conservative side of the nation is with you!
loser
loser
loser
loser
loser
(repeat)
The unions didn;t have the rights. The workers did. Educate yourself you communist pig.
Yep, I understand you're bringing teh stoooopid.
I'm sorry, but please tell us where that is in the Constitution?
Already done. Reason for report: Spam, flaming, and general stupidity.
and you are NOT a communist? You certainly are emotional enough to be one…
And you're fine with this? Middle class Americans being stripped of their rights?
The true face of the Tea Party….hideous.
For crying out loud, stop referring to them as "bargaining rights" already. They're bargaining PRIVILEGES. The only bona fide rights currently in existence are those that our Founders embedded into the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and accompanying Bill of Rights. This isn't a democracy, so just because a supposed majority of the people believe that collective bargaining for public sector workers constitutes some kind of sacred right doesn't automatically make it so. They can believe whatever they want and voice their opinions on the subject as much as they want, but in the end, the Constitution has the final say on the matter, which clearly doesn't offer any kind of evidence to back up their claim (so long as it's read and interpreted exactly how the Founders intended it to be anyway… but that's a whole other debate best reserved for another day). If these people want to change that, then they're going to need to put forth efforts to try to have it amended.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID
Just so" youse" understand, knumbknutz, the commies abdicated their positions, and retreated to Illinois and hid.
Gov. Walker has nads of steel. But I wouldn't be surprised if the spirit of Ronnie Reagan had a wee bit of influence here.
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I can actually hear you sobbing.
Idiotchild, public sector employees don't have a right to collective bargaining. Because you want it doesn't make it a right. You may want to sit around in your underwear all day finger painting and talking to unicorns but you don't have a right to that nor is the taxpayer required to subsidize your slothfulness based on terms agreed to by a union goon and a bought off democrat.
no Viagra for you!
Like you give a rats ass about the REAL middle class that has to pay the taxes that fund these bloated pensions and salaries.
Drop dead, parasite.
They will come back and join the protestors like the whiners they are.
It is about time the conservatives started using the rules to their advantage instead of just getting beat up by them. In all honesty, the democrats do this and just say tough s@#t. I believe they did this on health care in the US Senate. The rules have been made and Hoyles says they work for all players. Its about time.
Actually, the legislators are very brave, to have stood up to the veiled threats and mob tactics used by the public employee union supporters.
Good on them! It's about time they figured out that they didn't need the fleebaggers for non-spending legislation — there's a bunch more stuff they can do if the fleebaggers stay away. I doubt they'll stay away for long now that their little temper tantrum has been for naught.
HELL NO! You despotic scumbags want your big government to declare war on working America….well now you've got it. Only thing done today redcoat was you pissed off a sh#tload of Americans!
"They’re changing the rules."
Since when is running out of the state part of the rules? The hypocrisy is staggering.
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