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Wisconsin Assembly goes ahead with controversial bill

By Bill Spaulding
February 25, 2011 - 10:34 am
Thousands continue to protest in state's capital.

The Wisconsin State Assembly passed a controversial bill that strips most public workers of their collective bargaining rights, CNN reports. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it looks like a whole new battle is set to begin.

Fourteen Democratic Senators have fled to Illinois to prevent a quorum which keeps the bill from being voted on. Republicans are calling on the Democrats to come back and do their job.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller said Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker should realize he already got the concessions he wanted and shouldn't push for the curbing of Collective Bargaining Rights.

Gov. Walker said the cuts and concessions need to be made by state employees in order to balance the $137 million shortfall Wisconsin now faces and the $3.6 billion budget gap it will have by 2013.

Walker said if the Senate doesn't pass his bill, state aid to local governments could be cut by $1 billion.

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