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Mar. 25th, 2011 08:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
disneydream06Are Wisconsin Republicans trying to usurp a court order to halt their union busting law?
Wisconsin union law published despite court order
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press Scott Bauer, Associated Press
2 hrs 18 mins ago
.MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin officials couldn't agree Friday about whether an explosive law taking away nearly all public worker collective bargaining rights was about to take effect after a nonpartisan legislative bureau published it despite a court order blocking publication.
The Legislative Reference Bureau's action was noted on the state Legislature's website Friday, sending confused lawmakers and legal experts scrambling to determine what's next for the measure that has brought waves of chaos to the state since it first was proposed by Gov. Scott Walker.
Legislative Reference Bureau director Steve Miller insisted the action doesn't mean his action will result in the law taking effect Saturday. He says that won't actually happen until Secretary of State Doug La Follette orders the law published in a newspaper.
"It's not implementation of all," Miller said. "It's simply a matter of forwarding an official copy to the secretary of state."
But La Follette wasn't so sure, saying it wasn't clear what the action means.
"I think we're going to have to get some legal opinion on this," he said.
And Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the action means the law takes effect Saturday.
"It's my opinion it's published, it's on the legislative website, it's law," Fitzgerald said.
A judge last week issued a temporary restraining order blocking any further implementation of the law while the court considers challenges to its approval. The order specifically blocked La Follette from publishing the law.
But the Reference Bureau said it's still required to publish every new law within 10 working days after it's signed by the governor, on the date designated by the secretary of state.
Walker signed the collective bargaining measure March 11 and La Follette had designated Friday as the date of publication. But after the judge's restraining order, La Follette had sent a letter to the Reference Bureau saying he was rescinding his setting of that as the publication date.
Walker's top aide Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Department of Administration, issued a statement saying he had been notified that the law had been published.
"The administration will carry out the law as required," Huebsch said.
John Jagler, a spokesman for Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, said he assumed the action means the law takes effect on Saturday.
Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who filed the lawsuit challenging the law that led to the restraining order, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The new law requires nearly all public sector workers, including teachers, to contribute more to their pensions and health insurance, changes that amount to an average 8 percent pay cut. It also strips them of their ability to collectively bargain for anything except wages no higher than inflation.
Consideration of the proposal led to Senate Democrats fleeing to Illinois for three weeks in an attempt to block the measure by preventing a quorum. It also spurred massive protests that grew to more than 85,000 people the day after Walker signed the measure. It made Wisconsin the national focus in the fight over union rights.
___
Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report.
Wisconsin union law published despite court order
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press Scott Bauer, Associated Press
2 hrs 18 mins ago
.MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin officials couldn't agree Friday about whether an explosive law taking away nearly all public worker collective bargaining rights was about to take effect after a nonpartisan legislative bureau published it despite a court order blocking publication.
The Legislative Reference Bureau's action was noted on the state Legislature's website Friday, sending confused lawmakers and legal experts scrambling to determine what's next for the measure that has brought waves of chaos to the state since it first was proposed by Gov. Scott Walker.
Legislative Reference Bureau director Steve Miller insisted the action doesn't mean his action will result in the law taking effect Saturday. He says that won't actually happen until Secretary of State Doug La Follette orders the law published in a newspaper.
"It's not implementation of all," Miller said. "It's simply a matter of forwarding an official copy to the secretary of state."
But La Follette wasn't so sure, saying it wasn't clear what the action means.
"I think we're going to have to get some legal opinion on this," he said.
And Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the action means the law takes effect Saturday.
"It's my opinion it's published, it's on the legislative website, it's law," Fitzgerald said.
A judge last week issued a temporary restraining order blocking any further implementation of the law while the court considers challenges to its approval. The order specifically blocked La Follette from publishing the law.
But the Reference Bureau said it's still required to publish every new law within 10 working days after it's signed by the governor, on the date designated by the secretary of state.
Walker signed the collective bargaining measure March 11 and La Follette had designated Friday as the date of publication. But after the judge's restraining order, La Follette had sent a letter to the Reference Bureau saying he was rescinding his setting of that as the publication date.
Walker's top aide Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Department of Administration, issued a statement saying he had been notified that the law had been published.
"The administration will carry out the law as required," Huebsch said.
John Jagler, a spokesman for Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, said he assumed the action means the law takes effect on Saturday.
Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who filed the lawsuit challenging the law that led to the restraining order, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The new law requires nearly all public sector workers, including teachers, to contribute more to their pensions and health insurance, changes that amount to an average 8 percent pay cut. It also strips them of their ability to collectively bargain for anything except wages no higher than inflation.
Consideration of the proposal led to Senate Democrats fleeing to Illinois for three weeks in an attempt to block the measure by preventing a quorum. It also spurred massive protests that grew to more than 85,000 people the day after Walker signed the measure. It made Wisconsin the national focus in the fight over union rights.
___
Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report.
