Things got a little lively in Wisconsin on Thursday, as news hit the wires that the state Senate had voted to allow the arrest of more than a dozen Democratic senators who had fled the state in protest of Gov. Scott Walker’s contentious union-busting bill and that Walker was planning to pass pink slips to 1,500 state workers Friday if said bill doesn’t pass by then. –KA

AP via Google News:

Walker said he has to issue the layoff notices starting Friday so the state can start to realize the $30 million savings he had assumed would come from the state worker concessions contained in the bill. The layoffs wouldn’t be effective for 31 days, and Walker said he could rescind them if the bill passed in the meantime.

All state workers, except those in prisons, state hospitals and other facilities open around the clock, would be potential layoff targets, he said.

Read more

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig