Very clever. This action may or may not make the bill a law... I am no expert on Wisconsin law... but without any room for doubt it defies the clear intent of the judge's injunction, which contains the following words:...
Last week, a judge in Dane County (Madison) blocked the law on procedural grounds, ruling that a key conference committee used to advance the bill -- and to get around the state Senate Dems' walkout from the state -- had violated the state open-meetings law by failing to give proper 24-hours notice.
The judge's order "restrain[ed] and enjoin[ed] the further implementation" of the law, including the prevention of Secretary of State Doug LaFollette (D) from publishing the act in the Wisconsin State Journal, which acts as the state's official newspaper for the purpose of giving the public official notice of new laws -- the final step for the law to take effect. That decision is now going through an appeals process, which remains up in the air.
But now, state Republicans have had the bill published through a different office -- the Legislative Reference Bureau, which handles drafting and research for the legislature -- according to the LRB's statutory requirement to publish legislation within ten days of enactment. Interestingly, the LRB itself says that this publication does not constitute action that would put the law into effect. But the state's Republican leaders disagree. Senate Majority Scott Fitzgerald (R) says the LRB publication constitutes official publication and the insists the law will take effect Saturday.
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I do, therefore, restrain and enjoin the further implementation of 2011 Wisconsin Act 10. The next step in implementation of that law would be the publication of that law by the secretary of state. He is restrained and enjoined from such publication until further order of this court.
I am certain that every Republan official... Gov. Walker and all the GOP legislators, including the Fitzgeralds... took an oath of office in which they swore to uphold the laws of the state of Wisconsin. They are now in violation of that oath. It's probably time for two actions: the judge should throw their lawbreaking asses in jail, and the Wisconsin public should initiate a general strike in an attempt to force their resignation.
the Fitzgerald brother control both the House and Senate and their father was appointed against advise after losing his last election by a substantial majority by Walker to head up the State police force. Yet, there's been nary a tweet by the media over this incredible corrupt nepotism. This prototype of neo-American feudalism is spreading like cancer.
ReplyDeletemandt, all we can hope for is a lot of recall elections of Wisconsin GOPers who have served a year... in office, I mean; I'd be more than happy to see them serve a year or more in jail!
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