Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Wisconsin Tea-Publicans' disregard for the lawful court order of Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi pissed off the judge. "What part of my order did you not understand?"
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel rfeports on today's copurt hearing. Judge again blocks implementation of collective bargaining law – JSOnline:
"Further implementation of the act is enjoined," said Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi.
Sumi noted her original restraining order issued earlier this month was clear in saying that the state should not proceed with implementing the law. The Walker administration did so after the bill was published Friday by a state agency not included in Sumi's earlier temporary restraining order.
"Apparently that language was either misunderstood or ignored, but what I said was the further implementation of Act 10 was enjoined. That is what I now want to make crystal clear," she said.
But minutes later, outside the court room, Assistant Attorney General Steven Means said the legislation "absolutely" is still in effect.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) balked at that statement.
"It's just startling that the attorney general believes you should not follow court orders anymore," he said.
The restraining order is in effect until Friday, when more testimony will be taken. At that point, Sumi could rule on whether the law should be suspended for a longer period.
Judge Sumi noted the Legislature could resolve the matter by passing the bill again. Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), said there are no plans to try to pass the bill again.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who like Walker is a Republican, last week appealed a decision by Sumi to block La Follette from publishing the law. An appeals court said the matter should be taken up by the state Supreme Court, but the high court has not yet said whether it would take it.
On Monday, Van Hollen asked to withdraw the appeal after a separate agency, the Legislative Reference Bureau, published the law last week. The reference bureau was not named in the original restraining order.
On Tuesday, the appeals panel declined to do that, saying it didn't have the authority to allow Van Hollen to withdraw it because it had certified the case to the Supreme Court.
Shortly afterward, the Department of Justice tried to halt the hearing in Sumi's court, saying the law is now in effect and legislators are immune from civil proceedings. But Sumi said the case must continue for now.
"I think the court has a duty to proceed at this point," she said.
The next hearing is scheduled on Friday.