Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
The 2015-2016 session has begun in earnest. Last Monday, January 5th, was Inauguration Day for Governor Scott Walker, half of the State Senate and the entire State Assembly.
The occasion was filled with the usual pomp and circumstance, as family members and guests congregated at the Capitol in order to observe the spectacle.
It’s hard to imagine that Scott Walker has only been in office for 4 years. It seems much longer than that.
I vividly remember Walker’s first inauguration and how the State Capitol had been turned into an armed encampment overnight.
There were law enforcement officers surrounding the building, officers stationed on every street corner leading up to the building and a helicopter making passes over head.
The police presence was even more authoritarian once inside.
The Capitol Police and State Troopers were on high alert and were positioned every few feet from each other.
Attempting to navigate the Capitol halls became an inquisition: officers repeatedly asking for individuals to declare their intended destination.
What was most revealing — this was only the first day of Walker’s administration.
Little did we know it would be the harbinger of such political turmoil and unrest?
Fast forward to last Monday’s inauguration. Granted, there was less law enforcement this time around, but a considerable [security] presence nevertheless.
As was the case four years ago, it would appear that the Republican controlled Legislature is prepared to push through another controversial measure: right-to-work legislation.
If Wisconsin adopts a right-to-work law, it would join other union strongholds like Michigan and Indiana in weakening private-sector union strength with a goal of spurring the state economy.
Although it’s too early to tell what impact the 2012 laws in those Midwestern states (Michigan and Indiana) have had, studies of the other 22 states with right-to-work laws reveal mixed results, in terms of its impact on jobs, wages and private investment.
However, one impact remains clear: Enacting right-to-work would give conservatives another major victory over unions, a key supporter of Democrats, and burnish Scott Walker’s union-busting credentials as he contemplates a bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
This session has all the makings for being another political donnybrook, with Democrats powerless and in short supply.