Wisconsin Assembly passes bill to curb collective bargaining

After weeks of demonstrations in the state capital, Wisconsin Republicans managed to surpass the final hurdle preventing them from passing their controversial bill. On Thursday the state passed an amended version of a bill that would curtail the bargaining rights of most state workers. The vote was 53-42 in favor of the bill. The State Senate Republicans managed to approve the bill Wednesday night even though 14 Democratic senators had fled the state in order to prevent the necessary quorum of 20 votes to pass the bill amendment. The amended bill enabled the State Senators to pass their measure with fewer votes. The bill will soon be delivered to the governor’s desk where his will sign the bill into a law. With regards to the missing senators, they are expected to be returning soon, but all of their efforts seem to have been to no avail. Senate Democrats have called the bill an attack on the negotiating rights of state employees. Complaints have already been files with the District Attorney's office, stating that the hearing for the collective bargaining bill violated Wisconsin's Open Meetings Law as they did not mention that they had intended to pass the law that very night. Despite the fact that public employee unions had already agreed to a financial compromise to make up for the State’s fiscal needs, State Republicans still held the position that the limits on public bargaining were the main components of achieving fiscal stability. Unions rallied their supporters to oppose the bill, drawing tens of thousands of workers to rallies opposing this bill. Sen. Mark Miller, the Democratic Senate leader, said Republicans "In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin."