Protestors to be removed from Capitol rooms; Common spaces to remain open

[kpete]

Source: Defend Wisconsin

Protestors to be removed from Capitol rooms; Common spaces to remain open
– February 24, 2011Posted in: Press Releases

For immediate release

Feb. 24, 2011

Contact TAA co-presidents:

Alex Hanna, 765-404-6996
Kevin Gibbons, 813-466-0952

Today’s vote to ban protestors from legislative offices and hearing rooms at the Capitol starting Saturday is a blatant attack on our democratic rights to be heard on the very important matter of the union-busting budget repair bill. Protestors, supported by up to 60,000 protestors outside, have occupied the Capitol for more than a week, slowing down the vote on the bill and forcing the state government to hear the voices of workers on a bill that would crush the ability of public sector workers to unionize. Offices and hearing rooms have been used to organize the protest, and removing us from them cripples our ability to continue to make the voices of the people of Wisconsin heard.

Without the presence of the protestors, it is likely that the bill would have been voted on by the Senate last Thursday, after the Republican Co-Chairs of the Joint Finance Committee cut off debate early Wednesday morning despite having promised on Tuesday to hear everyone who wanted to speak. The presence of vast numbers of anti-bill protestors encouraged Senate Democrats to make the highly unusual move of leaving the state to slow down the vote in favor of debate. That has allowed Democrats to hear more than 100 hours of testimony, lasting well through the weekend and into this week, from people who are opposed to the budget repair bill.

The vote by the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization to remove from hearing rooms and legislative offices everyone other than legislators and legislative staff between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., effective Saturday, is a blatant move to end the democratic occupation of the Capitol, which is the only thing that is making time to debate this bill. We call on the State to protect our democratic rights to be heard.

The ballot vote:

“I vote (yes|no) that it is the policy of the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization that no one, other than legislators and legislative staff who possess a valid legislative identification card, may be in any legislative office or hearing room between the hours of 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM. This policy is effective beginning at 6:00 PM on February 26, 2011, until modified by joint directive of the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the Assembly.”

Read more: http://www.defendwisconsin.org/2011/02/24/protestors-to-be-removed-from-capitol-rooms/

[steve2470]

1. k&r nt

[pam4water]

2. Damn

[plumbob]

3. Funny how that whole right to peacefully assemble can be trashed so

easily.

Every weasel who votes for this needs to have 100 people pitch tents in the public street outside their homes. Gonna be heard one way or another.

[defendandprotect]

8. ... especially by GOP officials who represent the most corrupt and criminal among us!!

Anyone believe the results of GOP computer voting machines over the last 40+ years?

[rpannier]

14. Should have brought firearms and claimed they were there to hold a 2nd Amendment Rally

It's the only part of the Bill of Rights the Republicans won't touch

edited: spelling

[plumbob]

15. true dat

nt

[jtuck004]

4. kick

[Q3JR4]

5. If it were me I'd organize the mass of people

in the statehouse as a human shield around whatever room I wanted to keep available for meetings. The police can arrest and hold ten or fifty people, what about a thousand or ten thousand?

The legislature can pass whatever bill it wants, but we have the numbers.

Q3JR4

[nebenaube]

6. We have one of those 'camps' here. n/t

[defendandprotect]

7. Now, we all have to decide if we are going to let fascism overcome rights of the people -- !!

Will we?

[dtmfman]

17. fascism, tyranny...call it what you will...

the absolute corruptness of congress, especially the teabagger/republicans should come as no surprise

[snappyturtle]

9. How dare they? It's a child-like pout. Pushing people around scares me. nt

[lovuian]

10. oppression

and one more example of it which will only signal to people
that this government is intent on shutting people up

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

11. You just thought we have freedoms,

until you tried to use them.

[Lifelong Protester]

12. K & R

they (the repubs) are really scared now.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

13. contact the White House and demand our president walk that picket line!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/24/obama-wisconsin_n_827770.html

[Uncle Joe]

16. Kicked and recommended for the protesters.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[Marnie]

18. Get a good lawyer and go to a federal court and try for a

restraining order based on the points that the article made. This is taking constitutional rights away and is the selective enforcement of rules and regulations that have not gone through the proper vetting channels.

If they can find a lawyer who knows what he is doing they can get an emergency hearing and get a restraining order in 24 to 48 hours, maybe even in business hours today.

Depending on Wi law and the rules set up by the Leg, it might be possible to do the same in a State court right there in Madison.