[Riot]

I hope Walker budgeted for this stuff (like the half-million he cost his county by illegally firing union workers in his last job)

http://www.wkow.com/global/story.asp?s=14225849

MADISON (WKOW) -- Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and County Board Chair Scott McDonell have directed Dane County attorneys to pursue legal action related to state Senate Republicans passing the budget repair bill without Democrats present.

Falk issued the following statement Thursday:

"In my 35 years of working with the state legislature, I've never seen such a blatant abuse of power and process as what took place in our Capitol Wednesday evening.

"State officials take an oath to uphold the law and regardless of their zeal to achieve political means, they don't get to chose what laws they'll follow and when.

"This morning, Chair McDonell and I directed our county attorneys to take legal action today to ensure the laws and rules followed by public policymakers in this state for generations are followed."

http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/b...dex.cfm?Id=472

This Will Not Stand
March 10, 2011 9:22 AM
by Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz

Madison's City Attorney Mike May believes that the action taken last night by Senate Republicans to pass union busting provisions of the budget repair bill was in violation of the state's open meetings law because it was not properly noticed. Their action may also have involved fiscal matters that still require a higher quorum than was present without Senate Democrats.

I've asked Mike to join any action he deems appropriate in the courts this morning to reverse the Senate's illegal action.

To quote Mike's email to alders and I this morning:

"The Office of the City Attorney (in compliance with State law) insists on 24 hours notice for any meeting, or adding any matter to an agenda, unless there is no way that 24 hours notice could have been given. Mere convenience or inadvertence is insufficient to meet the less than 24-hour notice. This is necessary to be in compliance with the Open Meetings Law. It is an essential element of government in Wisconsin.

"Today's action does not meet that test. It does not comply with Wisconsin Law.

"The action taken today will be struck down if challenged in court.

"Sec. 19.84(3), Stats.:

"'Public notice of every meeting of a governmental body shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of such meeting, unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in which case shorter notice may be given, but in no case may the notice be provided less than 2 hours in advance of the meeting.'

"Sec. 19.97(3), Stats.:

"'Any action taken at a meeting of a governmental body in violation of this subchapter is voidable ...'

"This aggression will not stand. If challenged in court, the action today would likely be voided as illegal."