[Wisconsin] Secretary Of State Weighs In On Law Publication: Bill Has Not Become Law

[Chappy]

“I don't understand why some people are claiming the bill has become law, because I don't think it has.” — Doug La Follette, Wisconsin Secretary of State​

To my eyes, Wisconsin Republicans appear to be increasingly grasping at straws in what has been a disastrous political strategy to attack the public employee unions in the state.

Excerpted from “Secretary Of State Weighs In On Law Publication; La Follette: Bill Has Not Become Law” by WISC-TV/Channel3000.com (Madison, WI), Updated: 12:15 pm CDT March 28, 2011
[SIZE="+2"]W[/SIZE]isconsin's secretary of state weighed in Sunday amid ongoing confusion over whether the state's collective bargaining law is truly in effect.

The nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau published the collective bargaining law on Friday, but it was unclear if this meant the law should be in effect. Traditionally, the secretary of state needs to publish it in a newspaper, but that was blocked when a Dane County judge issued a restraining order blocking the law's publication earlier this month.

Doug La Follette, who is a Democrat, didn't take this action in compliance with a order. …

 

[MaggieD]

Re: [Wisconsin] Secretary Of State Weighs In On Law Publication: Bill Has Not Become

“I don't understand why some people are claiming the bill has become law, because I don't think it has.” — Doug La Follette, Wisconsin Secretary of State​

To my eyes, Wisconsin Republicans appear to be increasingly grasping at straws in what has been a disastrous political strategy to attack the public employee unions in the state.

If I had to guess what's going on here, I'd guess that unions are going into emergency sessions trying to get contracts signed before the new law takes effect....as Madison's Democratic mayor did while the Dems were hiding in Illinois.

Thus, Walker wants to do everything he can to assure that, if the law is deemed to have been legally passed, the line is drawn in the sand as quickly as possible....to avoid unions/Democrats signing all kinds of contracts without taking it into consideration.

Will it work? Time will tell. Whatever happens, Walker is working in what he believes to be the best interests of the state. Can't fault him there.

 

[Chappy]

Re: [Wisconsin] Secretary Of State Weighs In On Law Publication: Bill Has Not Become

… Walker is working in what he believes to be the best interests of the state. Can't fault him there.

Oh, I'll disagree with that; I rather think we can fault Walker's strategy and tactics in this legislative assault on public union members' collective bargain rights; he has harmed the traditional Wisconsin political comity for potentially years to come. Wisconsin state voters are now saddled with the astounding spectacle of sixteen separate state senate recall signature drives with more promised as office holders become eligible. This is a terrible legacy for someone who claims to be acting in the best interests of the state.

“These particular Republicans have exercised power in abusively nontransparent ways that represent such a radical break from the state’s tradition of open government.” — William Cronon, professor of history, geography and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison​

See also: Wisconsin's most dangerous professor