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Capitol Notes
WI: Weekly Political and Legislative Update |
TO: Clients/Friends of Capitol Consultants, Inc./Wimmer & Company, S.C.
FROM: Capitol Consultants, Inc.
& Wimmer Company, S.C.
DATE: March 10, 2011
SUBJECT: Assembly Passes Modified Budget Repair Bill; Governor's Signature Expected Very Soon
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Assembly Passes Modified Budget Repair Bill
At 3:45 p.m. this afternoon, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed on a 53-42 vote,
the conference report on SS-AB-11, which is the stripped-down (non-fiscal related version) of the budget repair bill
The same measure passed the Senate late yesterday by an18-1 vote.
All Republicans and Independent Representative Bob Ziegelbauer (R-Manitowoc) except for Representative Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah), Representative Travis Tranel (R-Platteville), Representative Dick Spanbauer (R-Oshkosh) and Representative Lee Nerison (R-Viroqua) voted for the final passage of the bill. No Democrats voted for the bill.
Representative Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz) was absent for the final vote.
To view the complete package of the bill, click here:
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/2011-13%20Budget/2011_03_09%20Modification%20to%20SS%20SB%2011_AB%2011.pdf
To view the Assembly Roll Call vote, click here:
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/insession/insessiondocs/Votes/av0184.htm
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Reaction to Assembly's Vote
Governor Walker:
"I applaud all members of the Assembly for showing up, debating the legislation and participating in democracy."
"Their action will save jobs, protect taxpayers, reform government, and help balance the budget. Moving forward we will continue to focus on ensuring Wisconsin has a business climate that allows the private sector to create 250,000 new jobs."
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald: "Today's passage is a momentous step toward getting our state's fiscal house in order. Local municipalities and school districts will now have the tools they need to deal with the pending budget crisis without widespread layoffs.
"In November, we ran on solving the state's economic crisis by cutting spending and not
raising taxes. That is exactly what we are doing today."
"The actions taken today by the State Assembly were in keeping with the rules of this body. Legislating is not always pretty but the minority party's continual attempts to block Democracy demanded that we take the steps necessary to complete the people's business."
Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Representative Kelda Helen Roys:
"In the last 24 hours, Wisconsin and the world witnessed a most egregious abuse of power in
direct violation of the will of the people and the rule of law. Poll after poll has demonstrated that an overwhelming majority of Wisconsin voters oppose Governor Walker and his radical agenda,
while his Republican cronies in the Legislature willfully ignore the sanctity of Wisconsin's law
requiring open meetings."
"As members of the Legislature, we all took oaths to support the state constitution. Article IV,
Section 10 requires the doors of each house to be kept open. The constitution provides an
exception only when the public welfare requires secrecy - yet the Republicans have kept the
Capitol under lockdown for the better part of two weeks, in violation of court orders. Of course,
this proposal itself is a direct attack on the public welfare - and it requires full transparency."
"After spending weeks falsely claiming that they need to eliminate the rights of middle class
workers and give an unelected bureaucrat the power to ignore state statutes relating to health care
to balance the budget, legislative Republicans have just sent Governor Walker a revised 'Budget
Repair Bill' that, absurdly, contains no budgetary provisions. By approving this illegallyproposed
amendment, Republicans can never claim that they were simply voting to pass a budget
and 'had to take the good with the bad.' Each and every one of them will have to account for
their choice to strip away workers' rights, SeniorCare, BadgerCare, and Family Care to their
constituents. Many will also be compelled to defend their actions in a court of law."
"I will continue to fight this abuse of power. My Assembly Democratic colleagues and I will not
rest until the wrongs that Scott Walker and legislative Republicans have inflicted on the public
and Wisconsin's democracy are rectified."
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