Wisconsin State Senator Devin Lemahieu
A collective cheer could nearly be felt from those whose collective bargaining rights were tightly restricted 13 years ago by Act 10 as Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost ruled on Monday that the law violated the equal protection clause in the Constitution. The judge said that giving one set of public sector workers full rights while restricting those of another set was behind the ruling, just the latest – but most significant concerning Governor Scott Walker’s signature – and controversial effort – and yesterday’s word was likely not the last on the subject.
State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu of Oostburg said in his statement that “For over a decade, liberal activists have attacked reforms that have saved Wisconsin taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Despite Act 10 being upheld repeatedly by state and federal courts, an activist Dane County judge decided to issue a ruling suddenly deciding Wisconsin’s law is unconstitutional. We will appeal this decision immediately.”
Echoing his sentiment was Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce which supported Act 10’s passage and said that the judge’s ruling “…is wrong on its face and inconsistent with the law.”
But Betsy Ramsdale, a union leader and teacher in the Beaver Dam Unified School District, said that “We’re confident that, in the end, the rights of all Wisconsin public sector employees will be restored.”
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