Wisconsin GOP Outsmarts Wisconsin Democrats. Again.

From jsonline: In a stunning twist, controversial legislation limiting collective bargaining for public workers was published on Friday despite a judge's hold on the measure, sparking a dispute over whether it takes effect Saturday.
The legislation was published Friday to the Legislature's website with a footnote that acknowledges the restraining order by a Dane County judge. But the posting says state law "requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to publish every act within 10 working days after its date of enactment."
The measure sparked massive protests at the Capitol and lawsuits by opponents because it would eliminate the ability of most public workers to bargain over anything but wages.
The restraining order was issued against Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette. But the bill was published by the reference bureau, which was not named in the restraining order.
Laws normally take effect a day after they are published, and a top GOP lawmaker said that meant it will become law Saturday. But the nonpartisan legislative official who published the law disagreed.....
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) claimed it didn't matter that it hasn't appeared in the paper.
"It's published," Fitzgerald said. "It's law. That's what I contend."
Fitzgerald and Miller met Friday. Miller said Fitzgerald asked him to publish the law and, after reading the statutes, Miller agreed that he could do so. He said he has never had something similar happen with the publication of a law during his 12 years running the reference bureau.
However, there is some disagreement: I think this is a ministerial act that forwards it to the secretary of state," said Stephen Miller, director of the Legislative Reference Bureau. "I don't think this act makes it become effective. My understanding is that the secretary of state has to publish it in the (official state) newspaper for it to become effective."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/118677754.html
Whether you are for the bill or not, you have to agree that the GOP has been 1 step ahead of the Dem's on this bill.
Whether the bill is enforced or not, you have to admit this has been good theater. And there have been a lot of drama queens, on both sides of the argument.
In other news, the Wausau, WI. School District showed some back bone when they docked 254 teachers. From the Wausau Daily Herald: The Wausau School District has released the names of 254 teachers who have admitted that they missed a day’s worth of work for illegitmate reasons on Feb. 18.
That’s the day when many teachers and other public workers — from Wausau and districts across the state — congregated in Madison to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, which is meant to strip most collective bargaining rights from public union contracts.
Around 350 of the Wausau School District’s 660 teachers missed school on Feb. 18, forcing administrators to cancel all classes, said Jeff Gress, the district’s director of human resources and employee relations.
The 254 teachers signed an affidavit stating that their absences were not in compliance with their contracts, and will be docked a day’s pay. No other disciplinary action will be taken against them.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20110325/WDH0101/110325077/1975&located=WISINFO
Just, think their actions saved the district $50,800 or almost 1 teaching position.