Legal News

Wisconsin Judge Blocks Union Law

By Nathan Koppel

It’s hard to recall a recent time when judges have locked horns with legislators on so many hot button issues: health care, gay marriage, and now unions.

A Wisconsin state judge today blocked the controversial recent law that limits the collective bargaining power of government employees. (Here’s an AP report and one from WSJ.)

A Democratic district attorney in Wisconsin filed suit challenging the new law on the grounds that Republican legislators violated the state’s open meeting laws when they moved the new law through committee last week.

Judge Maryann Sumi concluded that the suit had enough merit to warrant a temporary restraining order delaying the law from taking effect. But she said her ruling would not prevent the legislature from reconvening with proper notice and passing the bill again, AP reports.

The judge is due to consider another case today brought  by Wisconsin government officials who claim Republicans did not have a necessary quorum when they passed the law, WSJ reports.

“We are confident the provisions of the budget-repair bill will become law in the near future,” said a spokesman for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.

Senate Democrats, who fled the state last month in protest, said the ruling puts Republicans in a difficult position.

“They’re really on the horns of a dilemma now,” Democratic Sen. Bob Jauch told WSJ. He said he thinks if Republicans try to reschedule a vote on the bill they would be inviting tens of thousands of protesters back to the capitol.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 18, 2011 (boomark / email).