Former Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker spoke out after a county judge in Madison overturned key parts of a 2011 law aimed at public unions.
Dane County Judge Jacob Frost It ruled that a provision of the law known as Act 10 that selectively exempts certain public employees from restrictions on unionization and collective bargaining is unconstitutional. Controversial legislation attempts to close the budget deficit by limiting collective bargaining. So scrutinizing public employee benefits, Walker said at the time, helped address the fiscal situation he needed to address.
The original passage in 2011 led to weeks of protests inside the state Capitol. and even saw lawmakers flee to neighboring Illinois. To prevent Republicans from reaching a quorum to vote, Walker later survived the 2012 recall election by passing the bill. And he successfully performed well in the 2016 presidential race, eventually bowing out of the primary that ultimately went to Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Walker, who now leads the nonprofit Young America’s Foundation (YAF), which trains conservatives, Said his laws only seize power. “Out of the hands of the big union bosses. And put it in the hands of hardworking taxpayers… “
“And what this court decision does, while brazenly political, is to throw that away and put power back in the hands of those union leaders,” he said in an interview. It called collective bargaining not a right but an “expensive right.”
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When asked about Frost’s assertion that workers’ collective bargaining rights would be respected, “Public Safety” and other public employees That is against the constitution. Walker said it was. “Fake political arguments”
Frost removed more than 60 pieces of legislation from the books.
The law has been upheld many times at the state and federal levels. Walker replied. Adding that the new issue is A growing “liberal activist majority” on the officially nonpartisan Wisconsin Supreme Court. which may hear appeals of decisions
Walker said that if the appeal is granted The first place the case goes is the Waukesha courthouse. which he predicts will defeat Frost. But a later appeal from the left would bring it before the high bench of state.
“This is why this spring’s (2025) Supreme Court race in Wisconsin is more important than ever,” he said.
Walker went on to share the roots of Act 10 and how he met Wisconsin’s balanced budget requirements. He noted that the original name was The “Budget Repair Act” and previous Democratic administrations It chose instead to cut funding for municipalities. This resulted in the layoff of employees instead.
Rather than risk losing his job or having his Medicare cut, Walker chose to require public employees to make greater contributions to their rights in exchange for preserving their pensions.
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Wisconsin protesters Scott Walker is delivering his budget address (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Wisconsin Senate President Chris Kapenga also echoed Walker’s claim that partisan politics played a role in the trial:
“(I)t is proof that our justice system is very little fair. The Wisconsin Legislature should discuss impeachment. Because we are the only ones that check their power,” said Kapenka, R-Oconomowoc.
“To believe that the Dane County judges and the liberal majority on our state Supreme Court are independent jurors is about as far-fetched as it gets. and believing that the border is safe Inflation is not a problem, or (President Biden) won’t pardon his son.”
“The left tells us that ‘Don’t believe what you see,’ Wisconsinites saw through that,” he said.
As for Walker’s current role as YAF president, he said his organization is preparing conservative leadership to return to Washington as he brought the organization to Madison in 2010.
Walker said he is excited to see more YAF alumni in the new Trump administration, including top Trump aide Stephen Miller and former Sen. Jeff. Sessions, Ar-Ala.
Sergio Gor, a longtime aide to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was named Trump’s presidential personnel chief last month. Walker praised Gore’s previous work leading the George Washington University chapter of YAF.
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Code Pink members hold signs protesting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Four years ago Younger voters sided with Biden by 25 points,” Walker said. “This election it dropped to 5 or 6 points, and the most interesting thing is that young men four years ago had Biden by 15 points, this election they moved to Trump by 14 points, what we have to do is lock it. Keep that thing.”
