Intelligent US Politics American Politics No Media Bias
As union thugs and liberals protested in the street to drumbeats chanting ‘Tell me what Democracy looks like,’ Judge Maryann Sumi, who apparently wanted to sound the refrain of ‘This is what Democracy looks like,’ became the poster child for liberals on Friday, when she blocked publication of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s new law which limits the collective bargaining of Wisconsin’s public employee unions.
The irony of the liberals chanting that ‘this is what democracy looks like’ is lost on liberals who are, by all of their actions, advocating the abandonment of democracy.
Sumi’s ruling does nothing more than temporarily prevent Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette from publishing the law. Publication is required for new legislation to take full effect in Wisconsin. That is, at least, until she can rule on a complaint brought by the Democratic District Attorney of Dane County, himself a liberal.
Walker’s collective bargaining measure was originally part of a larger budget-repair bill. However, when 14 Senate Democrats shamefully fled the state to prevent a quorum, thereby effectively blocking a full vote, Republicans stripped the collective bargaining portion from the main budget bill and sent it separately through a conference committee, negating the need for a quorum, which is required only for fiscal measures in Wisconsin.
Ozanne alleges in his complaint that the way in which the measure was passed violated the state’s open meeting law, which under normal circumstances requires 24 hours notice before a vote.
“It seems to me the public policy behind effective enforcement of the open meeting law is so strong that it does outweigh the interest, at least at this time, which may exist in favor of sustaining the validity of the [law],” said Sumi of her decision.
However, as Chief Clerk of the Wisconsin Senate Rob Marchant noted about the procedure used to pass Walker’s measure: “There was some discussion today about the notice provided for the legislature’s conference committee. In special session, under Senate Rule 93, no advance notice is required other than posting on the legislative bulletin board.
“Despite this rule, it was decided to provide a two-hour notice by posting on the bulletin board. My staff, as a courtesy, e-mailed a copy of the notice to all legislative offices at 4:10, which gave the impression that the notice may have been slightly less than 2 hours. Either way, the notice appears to have satisfied the requirements of the rules and statutes.”
Specifically, Rule 93 of the Wisconsin Senate declares:
“Unless otherwise provided by the senate for a specific special, extended or extraordinary session, the rules of the senate adopted for the regular session shall, with the following modifications, apply to each special session called by the governor and to each extended or extraordinary session called by the senate and assembly organization committees or called by a joint resolution approved by both houses. … No notice of hearing before a committee shall be required other than posting on the legislative bulletin board, and no bulletin of committee hearings shall be published.”
Walker’s collective bargaining measure passed when the Senate was in special session. Either Judge Sumi is (1) aware of this, yet blocked publication of the law anyway out of liberal ideological connection with the unions that are bankrupting Wisconsin, in which case she is a political hack of the worst kind; or (2) she is unaware of this, and therefore so shockingly ignorant of Wisconsin laws and legislative mores so as to be thoroughly unqualified to serve on the bench in that state.
From the 14 shameless lawmakers who abandoned their post, their constituents, and their constitutional duty, fleeing Wisconsin to Illinois to avoid voting and to prevent a quorum, so the measure cannot be voted on in their absence. The district attorney and compliant liberal judge are acting in oligarchic fashion to block legitimately passed legislation. Liberals in Wisconsin keep showing their utter contempt for democracy, fiscal sanity and the Constitution. To those liberals who lack the character to perform their constitutional duties, you will be forever known as Fleabaggers. Personally, I think it is much too kind a moniker.
Stick to your principles, Governor Walker. Millions of us non-liberals are proud of you Governor.
Scott Schaefer
