Wisconsin Anti-Union Bill Gets March 18 Hearing
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s union-busting bill will face a legal challenge this Friday.
A Wisconsin county executive’s challenge to a bill curbing collective bargaining for most state government workers will be considered at a hearing March 18, a judge said.
The Wisconsin Assembly passed a modified version of Governor Scott Walker’s budget bill March 10, a day after the State Senate voted 18-1 for the measure. Senate Republicans ended a stalemate by stripping the bill of some fiscal measures to circumvent a requirement that three-fifths of members be present. The chamber’s 14 Democrats left the state Feb. 17 to prevent a quorum.
Kathleen Falk, Dane County Executive, sued Wisconsin, its secretary of state and four legislators March 11, asking the court to declare that the senate’s vote was unconstitutional and to stop the bill from becoming law. Judge Amy Smith, who later recused herself from the case, denied Falk’s request that day for a temporary restraining order.
“I see no conflict of interest or other need to recuse,” Dade County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi, who has taken over the case, said at a status conference today. She asked lawyers for both sides to decide whether they wanted a new judge and set a hearing on the lawsuit for March 18.