The Wisconsin legislature have waited long enough for 14 senate Democrats to return to Madison and fulfill their roll in the Democratic process.As such the more adult members of the legislature have decided to push the process forward and move on with the people’s business.
Before the night is over the 14 Democrats who have been holding voters of Wisconsin hostage, will be rendered irrelevant.
The Millwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the state Senate abruptly sent the state's budget-repair bill Wednesday to a committee of legislators from both houses, perhaps to strip out items on collective bargaining for separate action.
The budget-repair bill by Gov. Scott Walker would end most collective bargaining for public employees and has been at a stalemate for three weeks because Democrats have boycotted Senate sessions. Those 14 Senators have been in Illinois since Feb. 17, denying quorum to majority Republicans.
Wednesday's move puts the bill in front of a committee of six legislative leaders. They will re-craft the bill and then send it to the Assembly and Senate for votes. The bill could not be amended in either house.
What changes would be made remains unclear, but Democrats said they had not been consulted on them. They raised concerns that Republicans would take out all the spending in the bill and leave only the changes to collective bargaining.
To pass spending measures, 20 senators must be present, but Republicans hold just 19 seats. But Republicans would not need any Democrats to be present to pass the collective bargaining changes as a standalone bill because it is not fiscal in nature.
Republican senators quickly assembled at 4 p.m. to send the bill to a conference committee, which convenes at 6 p.m. They largely declined comment after the meeting.
More details here
Memeorandum
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