How the Wisconsin Labor Protests Changed Politics

The Takeaway

In response to the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill  that sought to end collective bargaining, thousands of people throughout Wisconsin protested Governor Scott Walker and what they saw as a violation of their rights.  At its peak, 100,000 people had congregated at the State Capitol in opposition.  Though the bill eventually passed the state legislature, seemingly overnight, a movement was born.  And it didn’t end in Wisconsin –  the critical mass that began in the Midwest quickly spread to nearly every state in the country, taking the form of the Occupy Wall Street movement. John Nichols  is a Madison-based journalist and author of the new book, “UPRISING: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest from Madison to Wall Street.”

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