Wis. judge strikes down law limiting union rights
A Wisconsin judge struck down a law limiting most collective bargaining rights for public employees Friday. Opponents of Governor Scott Walker forced an unsuccessful recall election in June after the governor pushed to change the collective bargaining process for public employees in the state.
A judge struck down Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's law that repealed most collective bargaining rights for public employees Friday, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The deeply controversial law revoked nearly all collective bargaining rights from most workers and has been in effect for more than a year.
NPR reports that the original law signed by Walker in February sparked massive protests and even caused all 14 Democratic lawmakers to flee the state to Illinois in a failed attempt to stop its passage.
The Governor's staunch support of the law was partially responsible for the unsuccessful attempt at recalling him earlier this year.
AP reports that Judge Juan Colas ruled that the law violates both the state and U.S. Constitution and is null and void.
"The decision essentially creates the (2011) status quo for municipal employees and school district employees because it declared that the essential provisions of Act 10 to be unconstitutional," Lester Pines, an attorney for the Madison teachers and city of Milwaukee employees who are plaintiffs, told the Journal Sentinel.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen told the Journal Sentinel that he would likely appeal the decision.
"We believe the law is constitutional. We are reviewing the decision but we're planning to appeal," Dana Brueck said.
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