Democracy in action in the State Assembly.
Republicans and Democrats agreed to limit debate after a 40-hour marathon session in which Democrats offered amendment after amendment to Gov. Walker’s bill to limit collective bargaining for gummint unions.
The Assembly could vote on the bill itself later today.
The deal was announced shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday following an unprecedented 40-hour debate that began Tuesday morning with only short breaks in between.
Democrats agreed to limit further amendments to just 38 with a 10-minute time limit on each one. If they take the maximum time for each, with no breaks, that would put the vote around noon.
There was one Democrat clearly unhappy with the deal, Rep. Mark Pocan:
Pocan says democracy is being limited with the agreement and Democrats still plan to strenuously make their arguments over the last hours of debate.
Sorry, Mark, but democracy is not being limited by the agreement. Your ability to stall the inevitable is, however. As we were lectured after the 2008 election, elections do have consequences, and voters booted the Democrats out in record numbers to try to turn things around here. You guys had eight years, and all you did is turn the state budget and state economy into a trainwreck.
Now it’s time to get out of the way and let the adults clean things up.
Go ahead and make your arguments as strenuously as you feel necessary, however. No one wants to deprive you of your right to do so.
