Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Fitzgerald Won't Allow Wisconsin 14 To Vote

From WisPolitics, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald sent out an email Monday afternoon saying he won't allow the Democrats to vote. He continues to think that the Wisconsin 14 are still in contempt of the Senate, but what else could they possibly do now that they're home? I'd say the Majority Leader's judgement is impaired.
"Please note that all 14 Democrat senators are still in contempt of the Senate. Therefore, when taking roll call votes on amendments and bills during executive sessions, Senate Democrats’ votes will not be reflected in the Records of Committee Proceedings or the Senate Journal. They are free to attend hearings, listen to testimony, debate legislation, introduce amendments, and cast votes to signal their support/opposition, but those votes will not count, and will not be recorded."
Fitzgerald doesn't say in the email how the Wisconsin 14 could reconcile the issue, and I don't think Fitzgerald has the authority to do this. He could care less about ethics, the votes of his peers, and the people of Wisconsin and their rights. Who is this guy?

Update: (10:13am) One Wisconsin Now reports that the Wisconsin 14 represent 2.2 million Wisconsinites who Fitzgerald is attempting to silence by denying their senators a vote.

Scott Walker must stop this abuse of power.

2 comments:

  1. What has to happen is this:

    "The Democrats will remain in contempt until they attend a session, said Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Fitzgerald. No sessions are scheduled, and Welhouse said he did not expect the Senate to meet this week." Journal Sentinal

    That is the way the law reads, but this is clearly an abuse of power by Fitzgerald and punitive.

    The other part of this story is that Fitzgerald is quoted as saying something to the effect that they are also working on something that will prevent another "stunt" by the democrats - which would be leaving the state again to block the full budget. Leaving the state is perfectly legal. It can be used as political act by a representative to do what they feel is right for the state.

    Why is it that when the Democrats follow the law it's a "stunt", but when the Republicans follow the law it's all fine? The answer to that is that all the Republicans have left in their "bag of tricks" is to continue to try to disparage the Democrats for sticking up for the working class. They don't have anything else. They are mad that their power grab is not working and that they are looking like fools.

    They become more transparent every day.

    There was another

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  2. Yes, that's just very convenient for Fitzgerald that there aren't any sessions scheduled for this week. If he's so upset that they're still in contempt, why doesn't he hold a session?

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