Posted on 03/10/2011 6:47:21 AM PST by milwguy
Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) said Thursday that the 14 Senate Democrats who have been in Illinois plan to meet this afternoon to discuss their options in the wake of the Senate vote Wednesday night to eliminate collective bargaining provisions for most public workers.
Larson said the group will examine what legal options are available to them to contest what they believe was an illegal action Wednesday night when a committee stripped some financial elements from the bill, which they said allowed them to pass it with the presence of a simple majority.
Democrats say that meeting was a violation of the state's Open Meetings law.
Larson said Democrats also want to study further whether the actual Senate vote on the measure followed proper procedure.
The Democrats also will discuss whether they will return to Madison or stay put, as they have for weeks.
"We've got to see what the best course of action is moving forward," Larson said in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location in Illinois.
Larson said he and other Democrats received telephone calls from lawyers volunteering strategies from a legal standpoint.
Larson acknowledged that events moved quickly last night. Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona), the Senate's minority leader, had sent conflicting signals on Wednesday night whether the Democrats would return to Madison.
"Right now, we are kind of dealing with how bad this was," Larson said. "There are people waking up and not realizing what just happened."
“Hurry, Gov. Walker - sign that bill!”
He should invite the Koch Brothers to the signing ceremony. Just for emphasis and a chuckle
“Wisconsin this winter is the perfect example of why we should be a Republic and not a Democracy”
Well said.
The fleabaggers are weighing their options which are few indeed. They got played and now they will have to crawl back to Madison and face the music. They look ridiculous. They are ridiculous.
It passed Senate committee.
It goes to Assembly for up down vote. No amendments allowed.
Then I believe Walker can sign it.
Yes we are.
My thoughts and prayers and a good chunk of admiration are with the brave Wisconsin Republicans.
These poor Democrats don’t know what to do now. They were rushing back yesterday so they could at least say to their constituents that they were there to fight it, but (I assume)the national union heads told them to go back to Illinois.
Instead of being able to get some of the compromise for their unions they just got PWNED... LOL!!!
Thanks. :-)
Their best option is to wait 2 years and hope they’ll have a legislature that can reinstate whatever it is they want back. That’s how we do things in America.
No doubt the lawyers calling the Fleebaggers are BO’s goon lawyers from D.C. via Chicago. As though the mere law ever kept BO from doing what he wants to do. Why should the GOP be afraid of this charlatan, whose own record of lawlessness is well documented?
It’s vitally important that conservatives in WI support Gov. Scott and the Republican Senators on call-in shows and in the Letters to the Editor of the WI papers, thus making a strong contrast to the conduct of the paid howler-monkey mobs that are infesting the capitol in support of the Dem Fleebaggers.
LOL!
Got a good chuckle out of me!
I thought they voted yesterday...?The Senate voted last evening. The Assembly (equivalent to the House of Representatives) are scheduled to vote today.
“It is starting to look like I owe the Wisconsin Republicans an apology. I really thought they would fold up like a cheap tent. But from what I am seeing, they are holding fast.
Way to go folks. My hat is off to you.”
I, too, figured they’d cave. I’m heartened to see that they did not.
HOWEVER....
The “test” is now whether the Republicans on the Assembly side of things will follow through.
They _must_ respond to the State Senators’ courageous actions by passing the modified bill without delay.
And it will be up to Governor Walker to clear the statehouse by whatever means necessary of the “occupation” that is going on right now.
Like Franklin said — hang together or hang separately.
You can be sure they checked out the legality of it before they voted.
Has the state stopped paying them yet?
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