MADISON, Wis. — Republicans in charge of the Wisconsin Senate have apparently discovered a way to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, bypassing Democrats.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker’s so-called “budget repair bill” — a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, and a special conference committee of state lawmakers approved that bill a short time later.
The move set up a vote in the Senate.
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