Republican governor pushed for law – which took away public workers' collective bargaining rights – to help balance budget
Wisconsin's law taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most public workers has been struck down by a circuit court judge – but the ruling will not be the final say in the battle over union rights.
The state Supreme Court will decide on 6 June whether it will take the case. Republicans who control the legislature also could pass the law a second time to avoid the open-meeting violations that led to the judge's voiding the law.
Wisconsin's governor, Republican Scott Walker, pushed for the law as a way to help balance the state budget that was projected to be $3.6 billion short when he introduced the proposal in February. His spokesman, Cullen Werwie, said the governor would have no comment on the ruling.
Republican Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald and his brother, assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, said in statements they believe the Supreme Court will rule in their favour.
"This overdue reform is still a critical part of balancing Wisconsin's budget," Scott Fitzgerald said.
Wisconsin department of justice executive assistant Steve Means said the ruling was disappointing, and that he was confident the Supreme Court would overturn the decision. The justice department argued that the lower court judge had no authority to block enactment of a bill passed by the legislature.
While Walker and Republican legislators have said they legally passed the bill, they say they would pass it again if necessary to have it take effect when Walker's two-year budget begins on 1 July.
But the judge's ruling is a victory, said Marty Beil, executive director of the state's largest public employee union.
"It tells legislators: 'You can't be arrogant,'" Beil said. "You have to do it in the light of day. You can't take stuff away from people in a backroom deal."
Mary Bell, president of the state's largest teachers' union, said she hoped the judge's ruling would lead to lawmakers reconsidering passing the law again.
"It is not in the best interest of students, schools or Wisconsin's future to take the voices of educators out of our classrooms," Bell said. "We've seen how this issue has polarised our state."