Repubs sneaking out of Capitol, and other updates from Wisconsin

Wisconsin Updates: Historic Recall Efforts; How Republicans Have Been Sneaking Out of Capitol
By AlterNet
Posted on March 9, 2011, Printed on March 11, 2011

Late Wednesday, Wisconsin Republicans rammed a measure through the Senate stripping collective bargaining rights from most public workers in the state. Although the 14 Democrats who fled the state to block Governor Walker’s union-busting bill remain in Illinois, Republicans were able to push through the measure anyway by separating the collective bargaining provision from the other elements of Governor Scott Walker’s “budget repair bill.” (This, after claiming for months that killing public workers’ right to negotiate was all about reining in the state’s debt.) The measure passed 18-1, with Republican Sen. Dale Schultz voting against. Critics say the rushed legislative session — with only one Democrat in attendance — may have violated the state’s open meetings law. Democratic Senators from the street (the “fourteen”) are beginning to trickle back home and start the next round of the fight.

So what’s next? AlterNet has the latest updates and analysis:

Update: How Republicans have been making their getaway:

“Amid unprecedented protests, Republican lawmakers have at times been escorted by officers out of the Capitol through a tunnel – and in one case this week were given their own bus to get away from demonstrators.

Shortly after abruptly voting to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public employees, senators boarded a Madison city bus and Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs stationed himself near the driver to tell him where to go, according to video from the bus released Friday.

Read more.