Source:
FireDogLake.comWe’re starting to get an outline of how Wisconsin Republicans will proceed on their anti-union bill stripping most collective bargaining rights for public employees. The version they passed back in March is tied up in court, due to procedural missteps. Republicans have so far pronounced themselves innocent of the charges – but they could end that court action by simply passing the bill in the proper manner. And now, they’re setting the parameters to do that.
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This means that the Supreme Court wouldn’t take over the case until early June at the very earliest, which coincides with FitzWalker’s drop-dead date for holding off on simply placing the anti-union provisions into the budget. FitzWalker believes that they cannot balance their budget without the savings from health care and pension contributions in the bill.
I’m trying to figure out how this doesn’t pose the exact same problem for Republicans that it did when they stuck the anti-union provisions in the budget repair bill. Because of the fiscal nature of the bill, they require a quorum. So if they tried this with the budget, Democrats could leave the state again. And there would be something of a deadline – on July 12, the recall elections in nine Senate districts will take place. Democrats could hold the Senate after that, rendering passage of the anti-union provisions impossible.
However, this carries risks for a few Senate Democrats who are on the ballot in these recalls. Would they really stay out of state the last month before an election? It’s unlikely. With the pickup of a state Assembly seat, Democrats in THAT chamber could walk out this time. However, at least one Assembly Democrat, Jennifer Shilling, is running in the recall election – she’s taking on Dan Kapanke – and she would have to stay out of state. So there are electoral complications as well as electoral benefits.
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Read more:
http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/05/05/wisconsin-republicans-set-deadline-to-pass-anti-union-bill-again/
It looks like the GOP is trying to plan passing the budget again closely before the recall elections, so that they can avoid Democrats being out of town then (with some of them facing recall elections). Perhaps they also figure if they time it as close as possible to the election, then there won't be an ability for voters to go after Republicans to the extent they might if they voted far enough in advance of the election. That way perhaps a lot of people will already have voted and the Republicans targeted for recalls won't have to worry as much for them supporting Walker then if a lot of early votes have already been cast for them then.
Would be useful to piece together what they will do as the "optimal" timing of this vote to come up with a counter strategy to what they are doing.
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