BREAKING NEWS: Judge Issues Injunction to Stop WI Collective Bargaining Law

The king is dead. Long live the people of Wisconsin!

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2011

MADISON - A Dane County Circuit judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday that will block the publishing of Governor Walker's collective bargaining law.

Judge Maryann Sumi granted the emergency order blocking publication after Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit alleging that a joint legislative committee violated Wisconsin's open meetings law when it hastily scheduled a hearing on Walker's bill.

The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the measure and Gov. Scott Walker signed it last week. The law can't take effect until it's formally published, and Democratic secretary of state Doug La Follette had planned to wait the full 10 days allowed to publish it March 25.

Judge Osumi made no ruling on the merits of the collective bargaining law, only that its passage through the joint committee violated the open meetings law and could therefore not be published until Ozanne's lawsuit is adjudicated.

"This legislation is still working through the legal process," said Governor Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie. "We are confident the provisions of the budget repair bill will become law in the near future."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

 

Those poor Wisconsinites. I hope Gov. Walker doesn't have to lay off some employees if this thing drags on.

 

Talk about drinking the Kool Aid.