From the Article:
Public worker and teachers unions argued Tuesday that their lawsuit seeking to strike down a Wisconsin law that drew massive protests and made the state the center of a national fight over union rights should be allowed to proceed, even as the Republican-controlled Legislature sought to have it dismissed.
It is the first challenge to the law known as Act 10 since Wisconsin’s Supreme Court flipped to liberal control last year.
Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost questioned Tuesday whether there was another remedy to address alleged problems with the law short of striking it down. He did not rule from the bench and said he would issue a written order on the Legislature’s request to dismiss the case.
The unions’ attorney argued that the 2011 law should be struck down because it creates unconstitutional exemptions for firefighters and other public safety workers. Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed.
The judge questioned why different classes of employees were created under the law and some public safety workers were “cherry picked” to retain their collective bargaining rights while others were not.
About time. I do wish they’d invalidate it through the legislature and just repeal the law entirely, but WI is way too gerrymandered for that to be possible.
Goodness. Makes me glad I don’t live in Wisconsin.
If they keep pissing on their firefighters until they get really fed up, I expect it’ll be an informative lesson for the rest of us to learn from.
Sometimes it feels like the whole country forgot that “find out” comes after “fuck around”.
Edit: Wisconsin legislators still have to live and work in buildings, located in Wisconsin fire protection districts, right?
It feels like watching a skateboarder barreling full speed backwards toward seven flights of stairs… I mean, sure, maybe they’re about to pull an amazing dodge out of thin air. But more likely it’s just going to be painful to watch…