AFSCME Legislative and Battleground Campaign Report on Wisconsin

Since last year, AFSCME has been building a State Battleground campaign program that has grown to include 11 states, each with a campaign manager, organizational structure and resources. The statewide campaigns are individually designed to confront the specific challenges AFSCME members face, in each of those states, this year. AFSCME has also taken a lead role in the unified labor effort in the states where that has come together.

Wisconsin

Gov. Scott Walker (R); Senate (19R-14D); House (60R-38D-1Ind.)

Governor Walker and legislative leaders Jeff and Scott Fitzgerald have thus far held their caucuses in nearly complete lockstep despite the looming threat of voter repudiation. The battle that began in the cold and snow of February will continue into summer. Nine state Senate recall elections are likely to be held on July 12. If either party fields multiple candidates in the first round in a particular district, a primary will be held on July 12 followed by a general election on Aug. 9. Meanwhile our coalition continues to engage in an aggressive grassroots lobbying campaign against Governor Walker’s proposed budget, and our challenges to the collective bargaining bill continue to work their way toward a ruling in the State Supreme Court. The state budget is due to pass by June 30, and Governor Walker and the Legislature are currently budgeting savings from the union-busting bill passed in March. The State Supreme Court has announced that it will not hear jurisdictional arguments on the open meetings lawsuit that has stopped implementation of the bargaining bill until June 6. Governor Walker, the Co-chairs of Joint Finance and Scott Fitzgerald have all responded to the news by saying that if the lawsuits are unresolved before they pass the budget, they intend to include the union-busting provisions again in the state budget itself.

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