In 2011, former Republican Governor, Scott Walker, issued a budget repair bill known as Act 10. The Act cut 900-million dollars from funding K-12 schools in Wisconsin and hobbled public employee unions and their coffers. What Walker claimed was a “modest change” ended with a history-making storm of protest at the State Capitol.
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Did Act 10 Create Extreme Partisan Divide?
Frederica Freyberg:
Now turning to political news, did what happened ten years ago in Wisconsin usher in an era of extreme partisan divide here and across the nation? Former Republican Governor Scott Walker introduced his budget repair bill, Act 10, in 2011. The act cut $800 million in funding from K-12 schools and backfilled that by requiring public employees to pay into their retirement and health care benefits. It also hobbled public employee unions and their coffers. What Walker called a modest change resulted in a history-making storm of protests at the state Capitol. We revisit that now with this report we produced in 2011.
Man # 1:
Tell me what democracy looks like!
Crowd:
This is what democracy looks like!
Man # 1:
Tell me what democracy looks like!
Crowd:
This is what democracy looks like!
[drumming]
Man # 2:
Scott Walker is a good governor. He’s doing nothing more than he said he would do.
Scott Walker:
This is making changes in terms of the collective bargaining process.
Man # 3:
And it essentially killed unions for all teachers around the state.
Man # 4:
I understand that they do teach our kids but there’s a cost to everything and Wisconsin is broke.
Scott Walker:
I don’t think it should be a shock to anybody.
Crowd:
Scott Walker has got to go!
Scott Walker:
I believe the people of the state elected me and the members of the Legislature to be bold and aggressive.
Crowd:
Kill the bill!
Scott Walker:
This is making changes in terms of the collective bargaining process so that we can accurately and effectively get the sort of modest changes we’re talking about when it comes to health care and pension contributions.
Man # 5:
It’s one thing to do fiscal business. It’s another thing to do political business and take people’s rights away.
Woman # 1:
Wisconsin is broke and that’s why I made the trip down here from Wausau today. I’m — I’m — I’m concerned. I have two little boys. I’m concerned about their futures.
Scott Walker:
These modest changes are reasonable.
Rick Badger:
This is not a modest proposal. This is a radical proposal. This is something that puts — it upends years and decades of labor relations.
Crowd:
Shut it down! Shut it down!
Robert Jauch:
This bill is about an assault on workers’ rights and it doesn’t need to happen.
Mike Huebsch:
Senator, we have nothing to give. The state is broke.
Scott Walker:
The bottom line is the taxpayers of the state need to be heard as well.
Crowd:
Shut it down! Shut it down!
Tim Cullen:
It becomes obviously just sort of a waiting game. It’s a way to protest the process. I tremendously disagree with the process. I disagree with the bill.
Scott Fitzgerald:
We find ourselves in a situation where now we’re on final passage, and we’re waiting. I mean, we’re waiting for one Democratic senator to show up for work so we can finish the process.
Lena Taylor:
We can balance the budget on the concessions that the unions have already done. This is strictly union busting. That’s all it is.
Scott Fitzgerald:
No, you can’t. No, you can’t.
Lena Taylor:
This is strictly trying to deny workers their rights.
Scott Fitzgerald:
You know and I know it. You can’t balance this budget on the concessions that the unions are willing to make right now. There’s not a chance. If you don’t make changes to collective bargaining and allow the flexibility for school boards, county boards, mayors throughout the state, they’re never going to be able to survive the cuts that are coming in the governor’s budget next week.
Teacher:
Working on your Civil War package. That’s exactly what we want you to do.
Scott Walker:
We need a commitment to the future so our children don’t face even more dire consequences than what we face today.
Tony Evers:
The kids in this state, the students in the state didn’t create this mess and unfortunately looks to me like the budget is being balanced on their backs.
Teacher:
You’re taking your quiz, please, quietly.
Mike Huebsch:
We can manage these cuts. We can figure out a way to get through this by asking a little bit more from our employees for benefits they receive in their healthcare and pension and we can manage those cuts.
Alan Bergstrom:
We’re just trying to make everyone pay their fair share.
Lisa Flax:
This is not about money. This is about protection. It’s about safety. It’s about working conditions.
Mary Bell:
What is most important and what these people are vitally concerned about is that their right to a voice in the workplace that has been established here for 60 years doesn’t disappear in five days.
Scott Fitzgerald:
Clerk, call the roll.
Peter Barca:
No. Excuse me! No!
Scott Fitzgerald:
Call the roll. Call the roll.
Peter Barca:
Listen, it says here if there’s any doubt as to whether good cause exists, the governmental body should provide 24 hours notice.
Mike Ellis:
There are 18 ayes, one no. The conference report is adopted.
Crowd:
Shame, shame, shame!
Jeff Fitzgerald:
We feel it’s the right thing to do to get this state on the right track. We feel it.
Peter Barca:
You are voting with a giant storm cloud above your head.
[chanting]
Peter Barca:
Charade is up.
Man # 6:
Those in favor will vote aye. All opposed will vote no. The clerk will open the roll.
Crowd:
Shame! Shame! Shame!
Scott Walker:
We were elected to make tough decisions last November to ensure that we didn’t pass these tough decisions onto our children and the next generation and that’s exactly what we’ve done here today.
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