Wisconsin Assembly Passes Anti-Union Bill; GOP Senators Introduce National 'Right-to-Work' Bill to Restrict Unions
Wisconsin Lawmakers Pass Anti-Union Bill as Police Remove Protesters
Published March 10, 2011
| FoxNews.com
The state's Assembly passed Republican Gov. Scott Walker's explosive proposal 53-42 Thursday. The state's Senate approved it the night before after using a procedural move to bypass its AWOL Democrats.
Walker says he'll sign the legislation as quickly as possible.
"I applaud all members of the Assembly for showing up, debating the legislation and participating in democracy," Walker said in a statement. "Their action will save jobs, protect taxpayers, reform government and help balance the budget."
Wisconsin Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca filed a complaint Thursday with a local district attorney's office claiming that Republicans violated the state's open meetings law with the Senate's actions Wednesday. He complained that the conference committee that first took up the proposal did so without a prior vote in the Senate and that lawmakers were not given sufficient notice.
Earlier Thursday, protesters were removed from the Wisconsin capitol building as Republicans under police escort used a tunnel entrance to return to the chamber.
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald predicted his chamber would pass the bill, after the Senate on Wednesday broke a three-week impasse by passing a pared-down version of Walker's budget proposal. Senate Democrats held up the bill by fleeing the state, but Republicans crafted a version that allowed them to advance it in their absence.
The scene in Madison was raucous as lawmakers prepared for a final vote. At least 100 protesters packed a hallway leading to the state Assembly, pounding drums, while the Democratic representatives gathered in front of the doors, which were opened just before 11:30 a.m. At least 50 protesters were carried out by police, and the building was locked down briefly while officers did a security review.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/10/police-remove-protesters-wisconsin-capitol/#ixzz1GF6ihsFN
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