Former Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker spoke out after a district judge in Madison struck down large portions of a 2011 law targeting public employee unions.
Dane County Judge Jacob Frost ruled that provisions of a law known as Act 10, which selectively exempts certain public officials from restrictions on unionization and collective bargaining, are unconstitutional. The controversial law attempted to close a budget deficit by restricting collective bargaining, thereby moderating benefits for government employees, which Walker said at the time helped solve a budget situation he needed to address.
The original 2011 passage sparked weeks of protests at the state Capitol, and even saw legislative Democrats flee to neighboring Illinois to prevent Republicans from reaching a quorum to vote on it. Walker later survived a recall election in 2012 over the passage of the law and rode his success to a decent showing in the 2016 presidential race, where he ultimately withdrew from the primaries that ultimately went to Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Walker, who currently heads the nonprofit Conservative Training Organization Young America Foundation (YAF), said his law simply took power “out of the hands of the big union bosses and placed it firmly in the hands of hard-working taxpayers….”
“And what this court decision did as a brutal political action was throw that away and give power back to the union bosses,” he said in an interview, calling collective bargaining not a right but an “expensive right.”
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Asked about Frost’s claim that the disparate treatment of collective bargaining rights of certain “public safety workers” and other public employees was unconstitutional, Walker said it was a “bogus political argument.”
Frost deleted more than 60 articles of law from the books.
The law was enforced several times at the state and federal level, Walker responded, and a new problem was that of a potentially growing “liberal activist majority” on the officially nonpartisan party. Wisconsin Supreme Court who can handle any appeal against the ruling.
Walker said if an appeal is filed, the case will end up primarily in Waukesha District Court, which he predicted would overturn Frost. But a subsequent appeal from the Left would take it before the state’s high bench.
“It’s all the more reason why this spring (2025) Wisconsin Supreme Court race is more important than ever,” he said.
Walker then discussed the roots of Act 10, and how it was his way of meeting Wisconsin’s requirement for a balanced budget. He noted that its original name was the “Budget Repair Act” and that a previous Democratic administration instead chose to cut funding for municipalities, resulting in layoffs instead.
Instead of risking job loss or… Cuts to healthcareWalker has chosen to require public servants to contribute more towards their entitlements in exchange for keeping their pensions solvent.
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Protesters protest where Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker delivered his budget speech. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Additionally, Wisconsin Senate President Chris Kapenga echoed Walker’s claim that party politics played a role in the ruling:
“This is proof that there is very little justice left in our legal system. The Wisconsin Legislature should discuss impeachment as we are the only check on their power,” said Kapenga, R-Oconomowoc.
“Believing that the Dane County judges and the liberal majority on our state’s Supreme Court are independent jurists is almost as far-fetched as believing that the border is secure, that inflation is not a problem, or that (President Biden) won’t let his son will grant pardon.’
“The left keeps telling us, ‘Don’t believe what you see’ — Wisconsinites see right through it,” he said.
As for Walker In his current role as YAF president, he said his organization is preparing for the return of conservative leadership to Washington like the one he brought to Madison in 2010.
Walker said he is excited about the prospect of seeing many YAF alumni in the new Trump administration, including Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide and former ex-senator. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.
Sergio Gor, a longtime aide to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was named head of Trump’s presidential staff last month. Walker praised Gor’s previous work leading the YAF chapter at George Washington University.
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Members of Code Pink hold signs to protest Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Four years ago, younger voters sided with Biden by 25 points,” Walker said. “These elections have fallen to 5 or 6 points. And the most interesting thing is that four years ago, young men agreed with Biden by 15 points. In this election they switched to Trump by 14 points. What we need to do is fix that. .”
