Press Release: Marathon Co. GOP: Response to Senate Passage of the Budget Repair Bill

Contact: Evan Nehring, Republican Party of Marathon County PR Chair, rpmc.wi.pr@gmail.com
March 9, 2011 (Wausau, WI) -

The build-up to the big vote on the Budget Repair Bill is over. After weeks of discussion and 24-7 nationwide media attention, senate Republicans finally took the step that was first considered early in the debate. They removed the financial provisions of the bill in order to call the question without needing a three-fifths quorum of 20 senators.

After the senate action, Republican senators were directed to leave Madison for their personal safety. The Assembly will take up the revised bill tomorrow, clearly having the votes to send it on to Governor Walker to be signed into law.

Local Democrats are questioning the legality of the vote. We encourage them to investigate as thoroughly as necessary. Senator Fitzgerald stated that procedures were cleared with the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Reference Bureau.

The irony of this evening’s events is that the Democrats are complaining about the Republicans moving too quickly while every Democrat senator has been voluntarily avoiding the senate floor for 20 days.

Wausau Democrat Rep. Donna Seidel states tonight that the Republican senators “obstructed our democracy.” All 14 Democrat senators remain in Illinois.

Stevens Point Democrat Senator Julie Lassa, from an undisclosed location, stated that the bill is opposed by “the overwhelming majority of Wisconsin citizens.” We question her math.

Lassa also stated, “Governor Walker and Republican legislators have demonstrated absolute contempt for the democratic process.” On the contrary, we who supported and elected our Republican governor and senators assert that the democratic process was honored by those Republicans who were elected on a platform of fiscal responsibility and who showed up day by day to honor the confidence placed in them by the voters.

Lassa and other Democrats are calling this an attack on middle class workers. This claim is deeply offensive to millions of middle class workers in Wisconsin who are picking up the tab.