Wisconsin's GOP lawmakers have packed a lot of punch into a provision in the state's budget bill, with most of it undercutting labor unions and workers along with reducing oversight of law enforcement. The measure, known as Motion 999, gained notoriety when
one initiative that would have quashed the state's open record laws came to light. It was so deeply unpopular that lawmakers led by Gov. Scott Walker shelved it.
Tierney Sneed takes a look at what still remains in Motion 999:
- One initiative would stack the state pension board with lawmakers weighted toward the controlling party (rather than a mix of lawmakers, state agency representatives and one citizen).
The change comes as Walker has struggled to push through measures that would alter the state’s current pension plan. Though Wisconsin’s retirement program is one the most financially sound in the nation, Walker has signaled he would be willing to overhaul the system, only to receive pushback.
- Another would redefine the state's "living wage," scrapping verbiage stipulating that Wisconsin's minimum wage must "not be less than a living wage." The state's minimum wage is currently $7.25, which has faced legal challenges as a "living wage" standard. Changing the language would reduce the threat of lawsuits.
- It would undercut factory limits on the seven-day work week mandating that 24 hours off be folded into every seven days of consecutive work.
- It requires public sector unions to get 51 percent support of all the affected workers in order to unionize rather than a simple majority of those who voted.
- And finally it attacks transparency requirements for law enforcement—restricting what investigators of civilian deaths can include in public reports and eliminating a provision that required law enforcement to report any requests military equipment.