Friday, February 18, 2011

Troopers Search for Senate Democrats, Assembly Adjourns Until Tuesday Out of Security Concerns -- MacIver News

MacIver News Service | February 18, 2011

[Madison, Wisconsin] With thousands of protesters occupying the Wisconsin State Capitol for the third consecutive day, the Wisconsin State Assembly adjourned late Friday.

The Assembly Republican leadership released a statement shortly after shutting down debate for the week.

"The leadership of the Assembly has decided to recess due to security concerns," the statement read. "We will reconvene on Tuesday morning and are confident that the security concerns will no longer exist. We are committed as ever to pass Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill and will do so next week."

GOP leaders in the State Assembly feared for the saftey of their staff but say they were not bowing to the pressure of the crowd, which had diminished from earlier in the day.

"Millions of taxpayers spoke in November and we will not let them down.," they said. "We have a fiscal crisis that can’t be ignored. We have the votes to pass the bill; it is only a matter of time."

The moves come after another curious day at the Capitol.

Senate Democrats fled to neighboring Illinois on Thursday. As session began on Friday, State Troopers were dispatched to the homes of two Dane County Democrat Senators.

However, neither Senators Mark Miller (D-Monona) nor Fred Risser (D-Madison) were home when law enforcement arrived to take them back to work.

The Senate is adjourned until the call of the chair, meaning they could meet at anytime.

The Assembly will be back in on Tuesday morning.

At the center of the debate is the Governor's Budget Adjustment Bill.

To fix the current budget gap of more than $130 million, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to limit state employees' ability to collectively bargain, and hopes to require them to pitch in 12 percent of health care premiums and match the State's contribution to their pension plans.

Bill Osmulski reports from Madison in this story filed last week: