| Retired Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin |
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Legislative Report February 2011 No progress of any type today. Gov Walker seems to be hardening his position along with GOP legislative leadership. They are saying there will be no negotiating. The Senate Dems, still in Illinois, continue to call for negotiations but are continually rebuffed. The Senate Dems are staying away but they probably cannot hold out indefinitely. On Tuesday, the State Assembly will be meeting and are planning to pass the Assembly version of the bill. Bill is identical to Senate bill. The Assembly Dems have at least 100 amendments they plan to offer. None are likely to get approved. The State Senate is also meeting on Tuesday but will not be taking up the budget repair bill. They will be acting on several other minor non-controversial bills. Earlier today rumor had it that the Senate GOP would take up a new bill with all the collective bargaining changes in it that could pass without the Senate Dems. Twenty senators are needed to meet on "appropriations bills" like the budget repair bill. However if the bill is only about policy then 20 are not needed. Senate GOP leader Scott Fitzgerald announced this afternoon that they would not do that. There are two things that RPFFW members can do to continue our efforts to either kill the bill but more realistically get the collective bargaining provisions out of the bill. You can email the moderate GOP senators and ask them to support a compromise. You should also contact your Democratic state senator and thank them for their support and for the courageous stand they are making. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. I would expect you know who your Democratic state senator is. Their email address is: Sen.(insert last name)@legis.wisconsin.gov The GOP state senators are below and they have same email address as above. Rob Cowles - Green Bay area Mike Ellis - Appleton-Neenah-Menasha-Oshkosh area Randy Hooper - Fond du Lac-Oshkosh area Terry Moulton - Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls area Luther Olsen - Portage Van Wanggaard - Racine Please let me know if you have any questions. Joe |
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