Today Judge Sumi issued a permanent injunction against the bill, that takes away public workers collective bargaining rights.
In her ruling, Sumi wrote: “This case is the exemplar of values protected by the (state) open meetings law; transparency in government, the right of citizens to participate in their government, and respect for the rule of law.”
She added: “It is not this court’s business to determine whether 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 (the budget repair bill) is “good public policy or bad public policy; that is the business of the Legislature. It is this court’s responsibility, however, to apply the rule of law to the facts before it.”
There will be much written and said about this ruling and Judge Sumi(although it seems pretty cut and dry to me), so I will let others cover that. I just wanted to show a reminder of the events that led us to this point.
The Republicans tried to pass the bill in conference despite not giving adequate notice per the law. Rep. Barca tried to tell them they were breaking the law and they refused to listen. I think the republicans in committee here owe Rep. Barca and the taxpayers of Wisconsin an apology.
The the republicans passed it through the assembly in a 17 second vote, not allowing most members of the Democratic Party to even vote(thus disenfranchising thousands of Wisconsinites). After this 17 second vote they left the Assembly as quickly as possible to a unified Democratic party shouting (and rightly so) SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!….
They then ran it through the senate with little debate except to vote down any democratic amendments. Here we see the republican’s scampering away as quickly as possible, surrounded by a very expensive(to the Wisconsin taxpayer) police escort. They of course were heading to take a taxpayer funded bus to go whoop it up and party hard at the Esquire club.
Which led us to today and Judge Sumi’s order. If we were so broke maybe the republicans would start following the law, and help the Wisconsin taxpayer by keeping these thingss out of the court. Also maybe they should understand there is a reason that they have to grab the police and run from the building after placing their votes?
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