A protester's message in Madison, Wis.
A state judge recently imposed a restraining order preventing implementation of the union-busting “budget repair bill” that was passed March 9 under questionable circumstances.
From Talking Points Memo:
The judge’s order “restrain[ed] and enjoin[ed] the further implementation” of the law, including the prevention of Secretary of State Doug LaFollette (D) from publishing the act in the Wisconsin State Journal, which acts as the state’s official newspaper for the purpose of giving the public official notice of new laws — the final step for the law to take effect. That decision is now going through an appeals process, which remains up in the air.
But this past Friday, state Republicans had the bill published in a different office — the Legislative Reference Bureau, which handles drafting and research for the legislature — according to the LRB’s statutory requirement to publish legislation within ten days of enactment. Notably, the LRB itself has said that this publication does not constitute action that would put the law into effect.
But state Republican leaders, including Walker’s office and the state Attorney General, say that the law is now in effect. In addition, Huebsch told reporters that the judge’s ruling applied to LaFollette’s office, but not to the LRB and the Department of Administration.
The state Democratic Party gave the Talking Points Memo web site this comment from chairman Mike Tate:
“Are there any laws that yet bind Scott Walker and the Republicans? With the arrogance of the zealot, they act as if they were laws unto themselves. Ultimately, our Constitution and our courts will protect us from their warped ideologies, but in the meantime, our democracy in Wisconsin is being flayed.”
