Former Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker They spoke out after a Madison county judge struck down key parts of a 2011 law targeting public employee unions.
Dane County Judge Jacob Frost ruled that a provision of the law known as Act 10 that selectively exempts certain public employees from restrictions on unionization and collective bargaining is unconstitutional. The controversial law aims to eliminate the budget deficit by restricting collective bargaining, which would ease benefits for public employees and help address the fiscal situation, Walker said. he said at the time.
Its initial passage in 2011 sparked weeks of protests inside the state Capitol and forced Democratic lawmakers to flee to neighboring Illinois to prevent Republicans from reaching a quorum for a vote. I could even see the situation. Walker then survived a 2012 recall election over the law's passage, and built on that success to perform reasonably well in the 2016 presidential election, where he ultimately defeated Donald Trump in the primary. I declined.
Walker, who now heads the Young Americas Foundation (YAF), a nonprofit organization that trains conservative talent, said Tuesday that his legislation would simply take power “out of the hands of the leaders of the big unions and put it in the hands of hard-working taxpayers.” “I have left it firmly in the hands of those involved,” he said.
“And what this court decision did, in a brazen political act, was to abandon that and put power back into the hands of union executives,” he said in an interview, arguing that collective bargaining is not a right; “It's an expensive right,” he said.
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Asked about Frost's claim that unequal treatment of collective bargaining rights for certain “public safety” workers and other public employees is unconstitutional, Walker said it was a “sham political argument.”
Frost removed more than 60 sections of the law from the books.
The law has been upheld numerous times at the state and federal level, Walker responded, adding that the new issue is a challenge to the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin Supreme Court, which could hear appeals from the ruling, because “a large number of liberal activists He added that there is a possibility that the number of “sects” will increase.
Walker said if the case is appealed, it would first be argued in Waukesha court, which Frost predicted would be overturned. But a subsequent appeal by the left would take the case to the state's highest court.
“That's why this spring's (2025) Wisconsin Supreme Court election is more important than ever.”
Walker went on to talk about the roots of Act 10 and how it was his way of complying with Wisconsin's balanced budget requirements. He noted that the original name was the “Budget Repair Act,” and previous Democratic administrations instead chose to cut funding to local governments, which in turn led to layoffs.
Rather than risk job losses or Medicare cuts, Walker chose to require public employees to increase their contributions to entitlements in exchange for keeping pensions solvent.
Walker says Wisconsin Republicans are motivated
Demonstrators protested where Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was delivering his budget speech. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Additionally, Wisconsin Senate President Chris Kapenga echoed Walker's assertion that partisan politics influenced the ruling.
”[I]It has been proven that there is little justice left in our judicial system. The Wisconsin Legislature should be discussing impeachment because it is the only check on their power,” said Kapenga, R-Oconomowoc.
“Believing that the Dane County judges and the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court are independent jurists is as far-fetched as believing that the border is secure and inflation is not a problem.” [President Biden] Will not forgive his son. ”
“The left keeps telling us, 'Don't believe what you see,' but the people of Wisconsin see right through it,” he said.
Regarding Walker's current role as YAF president, he said his organization is preparing for the return of conservative leadership to Washington, just as it brought conservative leadership to Madison in 2010. Ta.
Walker said he is excited to meet many YAF alumni in the new Trump administration, including former U.S. Sen. Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump. Jeff Sessions, Republican, Alabama.
Sergio Go, a longtime aide to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), was named Trump's presidential personnel director last month. Mr. Walker praised Mr. Goh's previous work leading the George Washington University chapter of YAF.
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Code Pink members hold signs protesting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Four years ago, young voters favored Biden by 25 points,” Walker said. “In this election, that margin has narrowed to five or six points. And what's most interesting is that four years ago young people were supporting Biden by a 15-point margin. In this election, they were supporting Biden by a 15-point margin. It went to Trump by a point margin. What we have to do is lock it in.” ”
