Protestors to be Removed from Capitol Rooms; Common Spaces to Remain Open
by Defend Wisconsin
Today’s vote to ban protestors from legislative offices and hearing
rooms at the Capitol starting Saturday is a blatant attack on our
democratic rights to be heard on the very important matter of the
union-busting budget repair bill.
Protestors, supported by up to 60,000
protestors outside, have occupied the Capitol for more than a week,
slowing down the vote on the bill and forcing the state government to
hear the voices of workers on a bill that would crush the ability of
public sector workers to unionize. Offices and hearing rooms have been
used to organize the protest, and removing us from them cripples our
ability to continue to make the voices of the people of Wisconsin heard.
Without the presence of the protestors, it is likely that the bill
would have been voted on by the Senate last Thursday, after the
Republican Co-Chairs of the Joint Finance Committee cut off debate early
Wednesday morning despite having promised on Tuesday to hear everyone
who wanted to speak.
The presence of vast numbers of anti-bill
protestors encouraged Senate Democrats to make the highly unusual move
of leaving the state to slow down the vote in favor of debate. That has
allowed Democrats to hear more than 100 hours of testimony, lasting well
through the weekend and into this week, from people who are opposed to
the budget repair bill.
The vote by the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization to remove
from hearing rooms and legislative offices everyone other than
legislators and legislative staff between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., effective
Saturday, is a blatant move to end the democratic occupation of the
Capitol, which is the only thing that is making time to debate this
bill. We call on the State to protect our democratic rights to be heard.
The ballot vote:
“I vote (yes|no) that it is the policy of the Joint Committee on
Legislative Organization that no one, other than legislators and
legislative staff who possess a valid legislative identification card,
may be in any legislative office or hearing room between the hours of
6:00 PM to 8:00 AM. This policy is effective beginning at 6:00 PM on
February 26, 2011, until modified by joint directive of the Senate
Majority Leader and the Speaker of the Assembly.”
For immediate release
Feb. 24, 2011
