Wisconsin senate Republicans sent police yesterday to find at least one of the 14 runaway Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on a spending Bill that would curtail union bargaining rights.
Republicans sent state patrol officers to the homes of the Democrats in a failed attempt to break a standoff that has blocked Republican governor Scott Walker’s proposal to strip most collective bargaining rights from union workers in the public sector.
All 14 Democrats in the senate fled to Illinois last week to deny Republicans a quorum and a vote on the Bill, which has become a flashpoint in a growing national struggle over union power.
Republicans hold a 19-14 majority but need a quorum of 20 to vote on spending Bills. The Democrats fled the state out of fear they could be compelled to attend a quorum call if they remained.