Wisconsin’s Anti-Union Bill Stalled

The Wisconsin Assembly approved the infamous anti-union budget bill on Friday, but Republicans still lack a quorum to bring it to a vote in the state Senate.

Meantime, Madison’s police chief released a statement on Gov. Scott Walker’s claim that he considered planting rabble-rousers among the Capitol protesters.
The chief declared, “I find it very unsettling and troubling that anyone would consider creating safety risks for our citizens and law enforcement officers.”

For updates on the Wisconsin union struggle, check out Democracy Now’s coverage of the Madison protests.

New York Times:

The State Assembly approved a bill early Friday to limit the collective bargaining rights for most public workers, but the measure stalled because Senate Democrats remained out of the state as part of an effort to derail the legislation.

After the vote, Democratic Assembly members shouted at their Republican counterparts, who were escorted from the chamber by the police.

The State Senate cannot vote on the legislation without a quorum of 20 members. There are only 19 Republicans in the Senate, and their Democratic counterparts remained in Illinois to prevent a vote. Wisconsin troopers do not have jurisdiction to order them back home.

Before the vote, Senate Republicans once again issued a “call to the house,” sending out troopers in the hope of finding at least some of the Senate Democrats at home. They found none.

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Flickr / miss jennifer jupiter

Protesters crowd the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., on Thursday.