Government Workers vs. the Taxpayers

Wisconsin Senate Approves Use of Force to Arrest Absent Democrats

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he will start issuing layoff notices to state workers on Friday if his bill calling for them to pay more for their benefits and taking away collective bargaining. The statewide teachers union and state workers unions have said they would agree to the benefit concessions — as long as they retain collective bargaining rights. But Walker argues that move is necessary to deal with $1 billion in cuts to school districts and local governments that he proposed separately as part of his budget plan for the next two years. He says schools and local governments would have a tough time making the necessary cuts if they have to negotiate with unions. The Senate majority leader signed orders Thursday finding the 14 missing Democrats in contempt and allowing the chamber's sergeant at arms to use police force to detain them if necessary. Fitzgerald says his orders are binding only if the senators return to Wisconsin. - The Associated Press, Wis. governor warns of layoffs, talks to Democrats, March 4, 2011

March 3, 2011

The Raw Story -The Wisconsin Senate passed a resolution Thursday allowing for the arrest of 14 Democratic senators that left the state to prevent Republican Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting bill to pass.

Republican senators approved the measure by a 19-0 vote.

The Democrats must return to the chamber by 4 pm Central Time or Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) will declare them in contempt of the Senate, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.

Under the new resolution, Fitzgerald could order Senate Sergeant at Arms Ted Blazel to "take any and all necessary steps, with or without force, and with or without the assistance of law enforcement officers, by warrant or other legal process, as he may deem necessary in order to bring that senator to the Senate chambers so that the Senate may convene with a quorum of no less than 20 senators."

The measure said that Democrats were violating a Senate rule by not taking a leave of absence before being gone for more than one day.

"We simply cannot have democracy be held hostage because the minority wants to prove a point," Fitzgerald told the Journal Sentinel.

"This is not about a budget-repair bill or about politics," he said. "This is much bigger than that and the minority party has forced our hand... They're insulting the very fabric of our representative democracy."

Sen. Chris Larson told the paper that Republicans in the Senate were overreaching.

"They're just going around the bend on this stuff," he said. "I just think it makes them look like bullies, look more divisive, than they have been already."

Larson indicated the Democrats would "most likely" return, but "not today."

If passed, Walker's bill would require public workers to pay more for benefits. It would also strip them of some collective bargaining rights.