Excerpt from:Wisconsin Democrats flee state to block passage of anti-union bill
Wisconsin Sen. Jon Erpenbach said Democrats, after seeing massive protests, fled to delay consideration of the bill in the hopes that Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers would discuss changes.
Protestors of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's bill to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers pack the rotunda at the state capitol in Madison.
(Andy Manis / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press
As ever-growing throngs of protesters filled the Capitol for a third day, the 14 Democrats disappeared from the Capitol. They were not in their offices, and aides said they did not know where any of them had gone.
Hours later, one of them told The Associated Press that the group had left Wisconsin.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach said Democrats fled to delay consideration of the bill in the hopes that Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers would discuss changes.
"The plan is to try and slow this down because it's an extreme piece of legislation that's tearing this state apart," Erpenbach told the AP in a telephone interview.
He refused to say where he was. Other Democratic lawmakers sent messages over Twitter and issued written statements, but did not say where they were.
Republicans hold a 19-14 majority in the state Senate, but they need at least one Democrat to be present before taking a vote on the bill.
As Republicans tried to begin Senate business Thursday, observers in the gallery screamed "Freedom! Democracy! Unions!" Opponents cheered when a legislative leader announced that there were not enough senators present to proceed.
Authorities said an estimated 25,000 people participated in Thursday's protest, and nine demonstrators were arrested.
Link to complete article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-naw-wisconsin-protests-021711,0,1670806.story
MADISON, Wisconsin —A group of Wisconsin lawmakers blocked passage of a sweeping anti-union bill Thursday by ignoring orders to attend a vote. Instead, they left the state to force Republicans to negotiate over the proposal.
As ever-growing throngs of protesters filled the Capitol for a third day, the 14 Democrats disappeared from the Capitol. They were not in their offices, and aides said they did not know where any of them had gone.
Hours later, one of them told The Associated Press that the group had left Wisconsin.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach said Democrats fled to delay consideration of the bill in the hopes that Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers would discuss changes.
"The plan is to try and slow this down because it's an extreme piece of legislation that's tearing this state apart," Erpenbach told the AP in a telephone interview.
He refused to say where he was. Other Democratic lawmakers sent messages over Twitter and issued written statements, but did not say where they were.
Republicans hold a 19-14 majority in the state Senate, but they need at least one Democrat to be present before taking a vote on the bill.
As Republicans tried to begin Senate business Thursday, observers in the gallery screamed "Freedom! Democracy! Unions!" Opponents cheered when a legislative leader announced that there were not enough senators present to proceed.
Authorities said an estimated 25,000 people participated in Thursday's protest, and nine demonstrators were arrested.
Link to complete article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-naw-wisconsin-protests-021711,0,1670806.story
This is a Historic Moment for all of us!
ReplyDeleteAll the state Senators demonstrated their individual democratic rights to not be present during a "forced process" they did not believe in. They are currently "in hiding" in another state or states. Why did they have to resort to these drastic measures in order to voice their opposition to a bill and a process? Why did the Governor "call out the cops and state patrol"? This is very concerning for all Americans who value living under a Democratic Process!
And a certain network is hell bent on portraying the Wisconsin demonstrators as potentially violent ("kill that bill" means they are about to become violent) and the Unions (those pesky folks who brought us the weekend and the 40 hour work week) as greedy and unholy.
ReplyDeleteThank God for the sane voices on MSNBC, and especially the "Big Eddie" Schultz Show. These folks have been covering the protest in Wisconsin since day one, when it was not possible to find a report on Wisconsin.
This country is so messed up right now that up is down, good is bad, and killing unions is high on the corporate list of things to do, right above killing all the trees and, by extension, all of the superfluous population we no longer have jobs for - said jobs having been shipped over seas.
Go Wisconsin, go MSNBC, go Shelton Progressive Blog!!!!