After insisting for three weeks that smashing public worker unions is a necessary “budget repair” measure, the Wisconsin Republicans went into Executive Session this evening to delete the fiscal parts of the “budget repair bill” (which lack a Constitutional quorum without the absent Democratic Senators) and voted to pass the non-fiscal parts, including most collective bargaining rights for public workers. Reports are that a thousand people converged on the Capitol and that protesters inside the Capitol opened the doors to let in other protesters and the police could not stop them. The Capitol is now re-occupied and Facebook is full of calls to people to head to the Capitol, although the twitter stream seems to say that Madison teachers are being advised to go to work tomorrow. The Assembly is scheduled to vote at 8am tomorrow. Twitter feed seems to say that the Assembly hall has been occupied by protesters. Part of the rush appears to be that the legislature plans to recess for a month beginning tomorrow.
March 9, 2011
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Morning update: Protesters are now being dragged out of the assembly foyer; Capitol doors are opened, then closed; Democratic representatives and press from mainstream outlets have been prevented from getting into the Capitol. Policing at the Capitol is being done by state troopers and uniformed Dept of Natural Resources officers; city of Madison police, UW police, and county sheriff have refused to help clear the Capitol. It’s not 100% clear where the Capitol Police are on this, although they have clearly been overruled. There are pictures of doors handcuffed shut from the inside — a clear fire code violation. Several sociology grad students have already appeared in pictures of protesters being dragged away — news reports are that they are being dumped outside without arrest.
Comment by olderwoman — March 10, 2011 @ 12:56 pm