Author: jplucas

Thousands of protesters rushed to the state Capitol Wednesday night, forcing their way through doors, crawling through windows and jamming corridors, as word spread of hastily called votes on Gov. Scott Walker?s controversial bill limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers. The budget repair bill was stalled in the Senate since the body?s 14 Democrats fled Wisconsin on Feb. 17 in a desperate gambit to slow or stop passage of the measure, which affects about 175,000 public employees. Representatives of the union that represents blue-collar, technical and safety officers at UW-Madison said the possibility of a general strike has been discussed.

MADISON (WKOW) — 27 News? crews inside the Capitol say at least one door to the Capitol remains open. Protesters are beating drums as they chant against Gov. Walker?s bill which ends most collective bargaining rights for most public workers. A modified version of the bill passed the Senate tonight, and the Assembly is expected to vote on the measure Thursday morning.

MADISON (WKOW) — Protesters converged on the Capitol as soon as word spread that Senate Republicans passed a bill taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, but the building was supposed to close at 6 PM.

Thousands of people poured into the state Capitol following a surprise vote by state Senate Republicans to pass elements of a bill taking away most collective bargaining rights from public workers.

Following the Senate?s vote on a stripped down version of the budget repair bill, massive crowds began converging on the State Capitol in protest. Those not already in the building when the Senate began taking action though were left locked outdoors initially. However, just after 8pm, doors were opened by those still inside the Capitol and thousands began rushing in to the building.

The bitter political standoff in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker?s bid to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public-sector workers ended abruptly Wednesday night as Republican colleagues in the State Senate successfully maneuvered to adopt a bill doing just that.

Gov. Scott Walker?s office released documents Tuesday showing he?s willing to give on some points of his union bargaining bill to break the Capitol standoff and bring Senate Democrats back from Illinois.

The e-mails showed ideas and counteroffers – panned Tuesday by state labor leaders and some Democrats – that were made by the Republican governor?s aides and two Democrats as they sought some resolution that would allow Democrats to come back to Wisconsin. Senate Democrats have been holed up in Illinois since Feb. 17, when they left the state to block a vote on Walker?s budget-repair bill.

Quoted: But University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said that while it certainly shows the group was ready to go right out of the gates, it doesn?t mean Walker?s administration is working with them.

It?s hard to imagine any team in the state capable of matching up with the new starting 11 representing the University of Wisconsin-Madison. No, we?re not talking about the Badger football team.

A UW-Madison political scientist says the recall efforts launched against 16 state Senators are unlike anything ever seen before.

At the second New Badger Partnership forum this month, Chancellor Biddy Martin answered questions and provided more specifics concerning the proposed public authority status for UW-Madison Tuesday.

Noted: Fewer than two dozen of the 182,000 students in the University of Wisconsin system have used the program, said university spokesman David Giroux. The Wisconsin Technical College System did an informal survey last fall of how many undocumented immigrants were paying instate tuition, “and there were virtually none,” said spokeswoman Morna Foy.

A Democrat?s offer to meet with Gov. Scott Walker to break the budget impasse produced no agreement or even progress Monday, only a burst of accusations on both sides that some said could set back negotiations.

Walker lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona), saying Miller?s request to meet with him was ridiculous because Miller hasn?t delivered a deal with Republicans despite several meetings between the two sides. Democrats remained holed up in Illinois to block action on Walker?s budget-repair bill and fired back that the governor had given little on the proposal, which would end most collective bargaining for public employee unions in the state.

A state agency that manages retirement and health insurance plans for public workers is reporting an increase of as much as 600-percent in questions from public workers about benefits and early retirement.