Wisconsin State Republicans Dissolve Union Rights as Democrats Continue to Show Little Interest in Off-Year Elections
Caryn Freeman 4:58PM EST
Republicans in Wisconsin's state senate continued today the recent trend of elected officials ignoring the civil liberties of constituents. The controversial legislation around union rights of workers and the bill that prohibits bargaining on health and pension benefits and restricts some aspects of pay negotiating passed today without Wisconsin’s democratic State Senators present. Republicans used a quorum to take up any measures that spends money. Republicans made several technical changes to the legislation — taking out the spending measures but leaving in collective-bargaining changes — that eliminated the need for any Democrats to be present.
The bill essentially blocks automatic deductions for union dues, impedes collective bargaining and erodes the abilities of unions to negotiate on behalf of workers. State legislatures across the country are working to get their fiscal houses in order protests continue to brew in many states. The tough lesson these workers may have learned is that not voting in critical of year elections has significant consequences.
The "shellacking" of Democrats in Congress and across the country last November has had severe consequences. , some of which have yet to be seen. Democratic initiatives on the State and Federal level from Union rights to education and health benefits are at risk. This is the high price that workers in Wisconsin are facing and may be the wakeup call that the party has needed for years in order to galvanize their constituent base & get Democrats to the polls in off year elections.
With obvious civil liberties at stake the one liberty that cannot be threated, due to the voting rights act, is the right for every American to get up and get to the polls. The nineteen state houses that were lost in November are all currently facing similar "budget cutting" legislation by Republican controlled legislatures. Although some Democratic members of Wisconsin’s state senate see Thursday's vote as a "violation of law" according to Peter Barca, Wisconsin Assembly minority leader. The political process remains in full swing with or without the approval of the voters who decide not to turn out in these crucial off year elections.
Senate Democratic leader Mark Miller said this earlier today "In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten," In an interview with the Associated Press, Miller said there is nothing Democrats can do now to stop the bill: "It's a done deal."
With that said what is yet to be seen is what the Democrats plan to do to insure that this "shellacking", the Democrats faced last November does not take the party ant further down the “rabbit hole.” With four state legislatures facing elections later this year, including Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia and the Presidency itself is at stake in just under two years. Will Democrats get off the mat before the next round of voters head to the polls? With today’s harsh blow in Wisconsin the count is now 82-0 in favor of the Republicans. Sixty-two seats in Congress, nineteen state legislatures and one blow to the unions. It is indeed an uphill battle for Democrats.