Wisconsin Republicans rush agenda before recalls

MADISON — Republican Gov. Scott Walker and GOP leaders have launched a push to move several years' worth of conservative agenda items through the Legislature this spring before recall elections threaten to end the party's control of state government.

Republicans, in a rapid sequence of votes over the next eight weeks, plan to legalize concealed weapons, deregulate the telephone industry, require voters to show photo identification at the polls, expand school vouchers and undo an early release for prisoners.

Lawmakers may also act again on Walker's controversial plan removing most collective bargaining powers from most public employees. An earlier version, which led to massive protest demonstrations at the Capitol, has been left in limbo by legal challenges.

"Everything's been accelerated," said state Rep. Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel, who is working on the photo ID bill. "We've got a lot of big bills we're trying to get done."

The speed-up is the latest move in a tumultuous legislative session that followed last fall's midterm elections in which Republicans won the governorship and control of both houses of the Legislature.

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http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110508/APC0101/105080559/Wisconsin-Republicans-rush-agenda-before-recalls?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|APC-News

These assholes know we'd come after them and that Walker had 12 short months to do as much damage as he can. We REALLY need to kick it into gear and gain 3 seats with the recalls.

Pushing their unpopular agenda before the recalls is just going to motivate the pro-labor, pro-people side.

They will have some victories and will lose the war that they chose to make.

This will further encourage the recall of Walker, and probably the recall of a lot of the Assembly once those deadlines pass. If the Wisconsin Dems can clean house in a series of recalls, then maybe a lot of the damage can be undone.

much of the damage. The repubs look at politics as a life or death war, Democrats always seek to compromise. It's been a long time since the Democrats have shown the bulldog tenacity necessary to really push an agenda through. That's unfortunate because Wisconsin and the nation really needs that right now.

See: the fab 14. :)

But if we held both houses and the governor's office, I don't see us pushing through a radical agenda. We might make some inroads, but not as far back as it should swing.

At the Wisconsin Capital again and perhaps THIS time the mainstream media will take notice.

The GOP aren't looking good right now, their agenda has been exposed and no matter how much they continue to try to lie, more and more people are waking up.

What I would love to see is a push by our congressmen and congresswomen to get this out in the national news, step up and speak up for what is going on in Wisconsin and then bring attention to Ohio, Detroit, Florida - all of the states where this cookie-cutter middle class destruction is happening.

This would also be a great time for Candidate-President-Obama to get on his bully pulpit and state the facts. He has the country's attention right now, use it Mr. President!!! Your people need you.

Annette

:kick: