The 14 missing Senate Democrats have until 4 p.m. today to return to the Capitol or face apprehension tantamount to arrest “with or without force." But at least one of those Democrats -- Sen. Jim Holperin, who represents the 12th Senate District that includes Vilas and Oneida counties, said they would not return until a compromise could be reached. (see his comments, as made to NN.N) below.
GOP Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) earlier today ordered the apprehension of the senators who fled the state two weeks ago to Illinois to avoid a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.
Republicans voted 19-0 to give the Democrats until 4 p.m. Thursday to appear before the Senate.
"They have pushed us to the edge of a constitutional crisis," Fitzgerald said. "We simply cannot have democracy be held hostage because the minority wants to prove a point."
The Senate also voted for a "call of the house," which is the mechanism used to compel senators to return to the chamber.
That means the Senate sergeant at arms Ted Blazel can "with or without force" and with or without the help of any law enforcement officers in the state to take them into custody and bring them to the state Capitol.
Blazel will be ordered to "take any and all necessary steps, with or without force, and with or without the assistance of law enforcement officers, by warrant or other legal process, as he may deem necessary in order to bring that senator to the Senate chambers so that the Senate may convene with a quorum of no less than 20 senators," according to the resolution that was adopted.
At least 20 senators must be present to pass the bill, but Republicans hold just 19 seats.
Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Eagle River), reached for comment by NN.N for this article, said that the Democrats remain in Illinois and won't come back to Madison until a "compromise' on Gov. Walker's budget bill can be reached.
Holperin told NN.N by telephone from Illinois, "This is another in a long line of attempts by Senate Republicans to entice us to return to the Capitol. I can understand why they've taken this step. This is a vote they badly wanted to make and get over with. But we remain firm until a compromise can be reached. I firmly believe there is a middle ground that we can reach a compromise that will not eliminate workers' rights that will allow the governor to balance budget with the concessions offered but would not prohibit the right of workers to bargain collectively. So long as there is a whisper of a hope that can happen, we need to remain out and pursue that possibility."
Asked about the chances of a compromise, Holperin said, "I'm not in those talks because I am not in a leadership position. As long as the two sides are talking, I need to hold out hope for a compromise. I think the media needs to ask the governor why he remains so stubbornly insistence on eliminating workers' rights. Every governor before him going back as far as I remember -- I'm 60 years old -- said that these are the rights I'm going to respect and people should have in Wisconsin. To completely eliminate them, no governor has been so stubborn and bullheaded and said, 'nope, I'm simply not going to negotiate on this one.'
Asked what type of hardships, financial or otherwise, the 16 days away from the Capitol has had on him and fellow Democratic senators, Holperin responded: "Well, certainly it's a fiscal inconvenience for many of us to be down here. For me personally it's going to cost me around $1,500 as of today. But we've got to remember that workers' rights in Wisconsin were fought for and won over decades by people who made more sacrifices than we did. People in the 1920's and 1930's fought and died in labor disputes for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively."
How long can the Democrats hold out? "We know we can’t stay out forever. We know we have to return to the Capitol at some point. Elections matter. We’re in the minority, we're gonna lose, and don’t have the votes, but we still believe there is an opportunity for some middle ground," Holperin responded.
Holperin said the fact that unions generally support Democrats and big business supports Republicans is a "secondary issue and cuts both ways/" He said Gov. Walker "doesn't care about workers' rights. All he cares about is busting the unions so he can get more money from his rich benefactors so that his agenda can be advanced.
Asked when the Democrats might be returning to Madison, he said he had "no idea."
