You know when a parent asks a kid, “how many times do I have to tell you to do X?” For Scott Walker, the answer is three.
From TPMDC:
In a major development in Wisconsin, Secretary of Administration Mike Huebsch (R) has announced that the Walker administration is suspending implementation of its new law curtailing public employee unions — after Dane County (Madison) Judge Maryann Sumi declared that the law was not validly published and thus had not taken effect, in the wake of Republican efforts to circumvent her previous orders against publication.
And from AWisPolitics:
Huebsch again said he believes the act was legally published and is law, but is pulling back given Judge Sumi’s order this morning.
“DOA will continue to abide by the court orders, like the department has done all throughout this process,” he said.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has it this way:
Madison — A state law to sharply curb union bargaining by public employees is not in effect, a Dane County judge ruled Thursday, continuing the turmoil over a measure that sparked massive protests and prompted Democrats to boycott the Senate for three weeks.
Gov. Scott Walker’s administration said it would comply and discontinue the implementation of the law.
“Based on the briefs of counsel, the uncontroverted testimony, and the evidence received at the March 29, 2011, evidentiary hearing, it is hereby DECLARED that 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 has not been published within the meaning of (state statutes), and is therefore not in effect,” Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled in a two-paragraph order.
On Tuesday, Sumi reiterated an earlier order that Secretary of State Doug La Follette was barred from designating a date to publish the law and said no steps should be taken to implement the law. But at that Tuesday hearing, she declined to issue a declaration that the law had not yet been published.
For nearly a week, attorneys and state officials have disagreed over whether the law was in force. That’s because late last week the Legislative Reference Bureau – which was not named in the restraining orders – published the law on the Legislature’s website.
The law has been challenged by Democratic Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who says Republicans who run the Legislature violated the state’s open meetings law when a committee was quickly convened to advance the bill to the Senate.
In response to the order, Walker’s administration said it was halting action on putting the law in force.
“While I believe the budget-repair bill was legally published and is indeed law, given the most recent court action we will suspend the implementation of it at this time,” said a statement from Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch.
“I am pleased that now we have a clear statement that the law is not in effect and that we have to straighten this out,” said La Follette, a Democrat.
The paper’s editorial board concurs.
And we now have a new phenomenon spreading nationwide: what Markos Moulitsas has dubbed “The Walker Effect.” Here it is at work in Nevada.
Poll: People like public employees, don’t like governor’s unwillingness to compromise, want to tax banks, mining
Gov. Brian Sandoval’s numbers are also under water in the poll.
Here it is at work in Ohio:
Columbus — Ohio voters surveyed in a new poll liked Democratic President Barack Obama more than Republican Gov. John Kasich.
Ohioans questioned by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute also preferred the president’s policies over those of Ohio’s chief executive.
“There is little change in President Barack Obama’s approval rating in Ohio, which historically has been among the most important swing states in presidential elections, as he’s hovering about where he was during most of 2010,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the polling institute, said in a released statement. “The small lead over an unnamed Republican and the split verdict on whether he deserves another term indicate that, as has been the case in most presidential elections over recent decades, Ohio will be closely contested.”
He added, “It is also clear that despite misgivings about his policies, President Obama remains personally popular with Ohioans.”
Connecticut-based Quinnipiac regularly gauges Ohioans’ opinions of politicians and issues.
Over the past week, it asked 1,384 registered voters about their views of Obama, Kasich and Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. The results have a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
According to the poll:
* Forty-three percent said they like Obama personally and his policies. Thirty percent said they like him but not his policies, while 21 percent said they don’t like him or his policies.
A total of 73 percent said they like him personally.
That compares to 26 percent who like Kasich and his policies, 17 percent who like him but not his policies and 34 percent who do not like the governor or his policies.
A total of 43 percent like Kasich personally.
* Voters were almost equally split on whether Obama deserves a second term, with 45 percent saying he does and 46 percent saying he doesn’t.
Respondents sided with Obama over an unnamed Republican challenger, 41 percent-34 percent.
