This diary contains links to the various wiseye.org video that illustrates the Wisconsin Republican Assembly outrages. The Assembly R majority has had the votes to push through what they want but, as these links show, they are trying to circumvent normal legislative process in order to get their version of the odious "budget repair bill" passed before the good citizens of Wisconsin get a chance to see all the badness it contains. As time goes by, and more Wisconsinites find out about the bill, the pressure increases on the Rs to drop it. There are already reports of Assembly Rs who don't support the current bill. As of today, Sunday the 27th, The Assembly has "passed" the bill to the Senate, but Assembly Ds are questioning the legality of the passage.
I don't think anyone has done this yet. If somebody has, I'm happy to delete the diary.
02.18.11 | Assembly Floor Session (Part 4)
Click on Part 4
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The Republican Assembly members are seen holding a vote on the budget repair bill (Special Session Assembly Bill 11) on Friday, February 18th, to try to sneak it through, short circuiting the minority right to offer amendments. There are no Democrats present because the Republican leadership lied to the Democrats and told them nothing would happen on the bill until 5:00 pm. Note that the clock shows it is still 5 minutes before 5 pm.
At 3:45 in on the recording, the Democrats come in (still a couple minutes before the time the Republicans told them the vote would be.)
After a series of fiery speeches in which the Ds shame the Rs regarding their deceit, the Rs capitulate and withdraw the vote from the record, postponing further work on the bill to the following Tuesday.
29:40 Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (brother Scott is Senate Majority Leader and dad Steve was just appointed head of Wisconsin State Patrol by Governor Walker) admits to chicanery in a very weasely way and agrees to go back to amendable part of the bill.
32:35 Fitzgerald calls for adjournment until Tuesday, February 22nd.
02.25.11 | Assembly Floor Session
This is a ten hour recording. At the 9:55:00 mark it is 1 am on Friday, February 25th. The Assembly members are pretty wiped out and Democratic Assembly Member Gary Hebl is finishing up his remarks. More members are waiting their turn to speak.
At 9:58:05, Hebl puts down the mic and the Republicans immediately bring up the two votes to get Bill 11 out of the Assembly and over to the Senate. This is without allowing the minority to continue their speeches and squashing any further amendments. The vote is held open for 18 seconds to get the required 51 yeas and then a lightning fast voice vote to transfer it to the Senate. It is right after this recording ends that the famous "Shame! Shame!" video occurs.
The Shame! Shame! video.
02.25.11 | News Conference: Assembly Democrats on Special Session Assembly Bill 11 Vote
The Assembly Dems held a press conference later Friday morning to testify to the outrage that the Republicans had passed in the wee small hours. As Assembly Minority Leader Barca points out, they slunk out of the Capital after doing their dirty deed. The press conference brings the situation as up to date as we await further action on Monday.
wiseye.org also streams live for those who have the time. Governor Walker is supposed to present his b.s. on the budget on Tuesday. Another great source for live and near live video of the protests in and around the Capital is theuptake.org. Anybody know of others?