State Supreme Court reinstates union law; Assembly delays budget debate; Concealed carry clears Senate

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• Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in its entirety

Most collective bargaining powers will soon disappear for thousands of unionized public employees in Wisconsin.

A sharply divided State Supreme Court voted 4 to 3 Tuesday to reinstate the union limits sought by Gov. Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature.

The administration said it’s reviewing the court decision and gave no details on when the law’s provisions will take effect.

The justices found that a joint Senate-Assembly conference committee did not have to follow the state’s Open Meeting Law. The court struck down Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi’s decision to block the union law because the panel approved it with less than two hours of public notice on March 9.

Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said the ruling vindicated his fellow Republicans, whom he said broke no laws.

Assembly Democratic leader Peter Barca said the court found that the Legislature is above the law.

Democrats vowed to pass a constitutional amendment to make the Legislature follow the public meeting law, but it’s not expected to pass since they’re in the minority.

Lawmakers adopted the Open Meeting Law after the state’s finance panel virtually rewrote the entire 1975 state budget in secret.

The court’s four conservative justices voted to reinstate the union limits.

Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson gave a stinging dissent, accusing the majority of making a hasty decision and setting forth facts without evidence.

Had the court not acted, Republicans said they would have reinserted the union limits into the new state budget. They allow bargaining only for wage increases at or below the rate of inflation inflation. State employees must pay more toward their pensions and health care.

The proposed state budget would make police unions pay the higher benefit costs, but they would not have the bargaining limits. Many local governments and schools have also required the higher payments, while extending union protections for up to two more years. The bargaining limits won’t apply to the locals until their current contracts expire.

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Assembly delays budget debate as GOP members consider changes

The Wisconsin Assembly never started its debate on the new state budget Tuesday because Majority Republicans could not agree on the final details.

GOP lawmakers met privately for over 10 hours. They decided late last night to hold up the debate until today.

Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said a “ton of stuff” had been considered for possible changes. Among other things, they want to make sure the state does not lose $47 million in transit aid because of the new union bargaining limits upheld by the Supreme Court Tuesday.

They expect to roll back a last-minute Finance Committee decision to return $37 million in federal funds to expand high-speed Internet service to rural areas. That same measure would also prevent the University of Wisconsin from taking part in the WiscNet service for public schools and libraries because it competes with another group.

Other possible changes have not been disclosed for the two-year $66 billion budget.

The private discussions took place while an estimated 2,500 budget protestors gathered at the Capitol. The state’s largest teachers’ union and the AFL CIO held a late afternoon rally. About 100 protestors stuck around until late last night, when lawmakers decided to call it a day.

Capitol Police report three arrests – two for possessing drug paraphernalia and one for disorderly conduct.

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Senate passes concealed carry

Wisconsin is one step closer to letting its law-abiding residents carry concealed weapons.

The state Senate passed the measure Tuesday on a 25 to 8 vote. All 19 Republicans voted yes and so did six Democrats: Jim Holperin, Bob Jauch, Bob Wirch, Lena Taylor, Julie Lassa and Kathleen Vinehout.

The measure now goes to the Assembly where it’s expected to pass, possibly before the weekend.

Concealed carry has been a Republican goal for years, and Gov. Scott Walker said he’ll sign it.

People would have to get state permits and training to carry hidden guns – something Walker insisted on.

Democrats tried but failed to pass about 20 amendments, most of which would have expanded the number of places where guns are automatically not allowed. Those would be allowed in the State Capitol.

Middleton Democrat Jon Erpenbach said it should be a “no-brainer” to keep guns out of the Capitol, considering all the impassioned debate which goes on there. But Wausau Republican Pam Galloway said it would be hypocritical to exempt the Capitol. She said the same standards should apply everywhere.

Only Wisconsin and Illinois do not allow some type of concealed carry.

Tags: state news, news, legislature, politics