By Kevin Lee Wisconsin Reporter
MADISON – A marathon session from the Wisconsin Assembly lasting more than sixty hours ended in a sprint of “shame.”
With 15 members waiting to debate Gov. Scott Walker’s budget adjustment bill, Assembly Republicans pulled the plug on discussion, pushed a roll call vote through and passed the bill to the Senate for consideration.
The official roll call vote was 51 to 17, though many opposing Democrats were too busy shouting their protests at the presiding officer, state Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, to submit their vote.
Immediately following the vote, Kramer adjourned what may be a record-long Assembly session. Democrats shouted “Shame!” as their GOP colleagues walked single-file out of the chamber. They would be escorted from the Capitol by police.
Walker introduced his budget adjustment proposal on Friday, Feb. 11, to address a $136.7 million budget shortfall the state is facing between now and July. Democrats and union supporters have opposed the proposal because of provisions that would severely limit collective bargaining rights for state and local employees.
Walker has said stripping collective bargaining gives local governments the flexibility to manage their budgets, but thousands of public employees have visited the state Capitol to demonstrate against the proposal. Dozens have stayed at the Capitol overnight.
Lawmakers have had their own opposition tactics. 14 Senate Democrats have been absent from the Wisconsin Capitol since last week in order to prevent the Senate from obtaining a quorum necessary to vote, with no sign of when they will return.
When discussion of Walker’s proposal began In the Assembly on Tuesday, Democrats had more than one hundred amendments ready to go and continued to filibuster before Republicans began limiting debate.
Republicans began to accelerate the legislative process on Thursday before engaging in a final vote Friday morning, to the surprise of Assembly Democrats.
All eyes now turn to the Senate and what happens with the Senate Democrats.
MADISON – A marathon session from the Wisconsin Assembly lasting more than sixty hours ended in a sprint of “shame.”
With 15 members waiting to debate Gov. Scott Walker’s budget adjustment bill, Assembly Republicans pulled the plug on discussion, pushed a roll call vote through and passed the bill to the Senate for consideration.
The official roll call vote was 51 to 17, though many opposing Democrats were too busy shouting their protests at the presiding officer, state Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, to submit their vote.
Immediately following the vote, Kramer adjourned what may be a record-long Assembly session. Democrats shouted “Shame!” as their GOP colleagues walked single-file out of the chamber. They would be escorted from the Capitol by police.
Walker introduced his budget adjustment proposal on Friday, Feb. 11, to address a $136.7 million budget shortfall the state is facing between now and July. Democrats and union supporters have opposed the proposal because of provisions that would severely limit collective bargaining rights for state and local employees.
Walker has said stripping collective bargaining gives local governments the flexibility to manage their budgets, but thousands of public employees have visited the state Capitol to demonstrate against the proposal. Dozens have stayed at the Capitol overnight.
Lawmakers have had their own opposition tactics. 14 Senate Democrats have been absent from the Wisconsin Capitol since last week in order to prevent the Senate from obtaining a quorum necessary to vote, with no sign of when they will return.
When discussion of Walker’s proposal began In the Assembly on Tuesday, Democrats had more than one hundred amendments ready to go and continued to filibuster before Republicans began limiting debate.
Republicans began to accelerate the legislative process on Thursday before engaging in a final vote Friday morning, to the surprise of Assembly Democrats.
All eyes now turn to the Senate and what happens with the Senate Democrats.
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