Ash Wednesday Surprise: Wisconsin Senate Moves to Hold Separate Collective Bargaining Vote

The chess match continues, even on Ash Wednesday.

The latest development in the ongoing standoff between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic opponents in the state Legislature came tonight, when Senate Republicans voted to try to ram through the contentious restrictions on collective bargaining by breaking the current legislation in two.

With 14 Senate Democrats still AWOL -- denying the Republican-controlled body the chance to form a proper quorum and pass the anti-union bill -- today's move was an attempt at an end-around. Cleaved in two portions, the collective bargaining parts of the legislation now reside in a bill without "fiscal components," which does not require the same number of legislators to be present to pass.

Some commentators pointed out that this move seems to undercut Walker's assertion that ridding state workers of collective bargaining rights is a matter of fiscal necessity.

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein was one of them.

Wait, I thought collective-bargaining was all about the Wisconsin's fiscal condition. Now it's unrelated? Did Scott Walker mislead me?less than a minute ago via webEzra Klein
ezraklein

But union foes like Tammy Bruce saw the Wisconsin Senate move as a positive one.

Bravo! Unions Lose in Wisconsin; Senate Passes Bill http://bit.ly/fvtg7p #tbrsless than a minute ago via twitterfeedTammy Bruce
HeyTammyBruce

So if the Democrat-less Legislature passes the stripped-down bill, will that be the last of it? Hardly, argues The Plum Line's Greg Sargent.

Gee, I wonder if this latest move is going to lend some energy to the recall drives.less than a minute ago via webGreg Sargent
ThePlumLineGS

And, as The Wall Street Journal reports, Democrats plan to challenge the validity of any new law passed without their presence as a violation of the state's open-meeting law.

In other words, this thing is still a long way from over.

Follow Surge Desk on Twitter.