A state lawmaker wants Governor Walker’s controversial union law to also apply to police and fire fighters. The law enacted two years ago exempted those two groups from the changes that effectively eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees.
State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) says he’s working on a bill that would expand the law to include them. The Milwaukee Democrat argues their exclusion was a political pay-off for groups that supported the governor and there should be “equal treatment for everyone.”
AUDIO: Sen. Tim Carpenter (:19)
If introduced, the proposal is not likely to gain much traction in the Legislature. In fact, Carpenter has already offered a bill that would fully repeal Act 10, which he says majority Republicans have refused to hold a hearing on. He says, “given that scenario, I think it’s only fair that all public employees be treated equally.”
Carpenter says the proposal is an attempt to highlight exemptions that were carved out in the law, which he says many people in his district oppose. He hopes the idea of expanding Act 10 will encourage the public to contact Legislators about making sure “all public workers’ rights are protected.”