Update: Just got word that the informal portion of this hearing continues now-11:22AM Wednesday. Which means Democratic legislators are still listening to constituents in a marathon that is over 24 hours long.
Right now, 1:00AM Central Standard Time, a hearing room in Wisconsin’s Capitol Building remains packed and testimony rolls on. [I’m watching online: http://www.wiseye.org/] This despite the fact that the Joint Finance Committee first ejected 100 of those people from the room at 10PM.
Those testifying are almost uniformly against a “budget reform bill” unveiled by Governor Scott Walker Friday the 11th.
The committee ejected 100 people from the room to join 100’s more waiting for their turn just outside of the marble room. At that point, the group of primarily college students began chanting and yelling and succeeding in making the committee feel quite uncomfortable. Footage of this intense moment is below and is from @news3David, David Douglas of Channel 3.
I’ve been following tweets on this topic like my cat with a laser from the comfort of my couch. It’s a lot cushier than the floor and sleeping bags that some students are sleeping on in the Capitol rotunda right now while they wait their turn to speak.
One of those testifying called this the “public’s filibuster”.
Co-Chair Representative Robin Vos of Rochester tried to cut off testimony, declaring that no additional speakers would be allowed over the 300 or so that had already signed up. However Representative Jennifer Shilling said she would stay until sun-up and demanded she hear more testimony.
I am quite sure that Senator Lena Taylor, Democrat, of Milwaukee pushed hard for the committee to continue.
Around 4PM she told an evening crowd of 2,000 (dwindled down from over 10,000) that it was imperative that they speak, not just comment. She compared it to that moment in a wedding when you are asked to speak now or forever hold your peace.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “If Republicans who run the committee cut off debate, minority Democrats plan to keep the hearing going, said Mike Browne, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona). That could mean the hearing will stretch well into Wednesday. ”
One of my friends complained that “only” about 1,500 University of Wisconsin students rallied at the Capitol on Monday to advocate for the teachers assistant union and a professional union. Clearly the UW students are earning major citizen street cred this evening.
I fear some stubborn students could still be dragged out in their own sleeping bags. But this is a simple job for on-duty police and Capitol security. Certainly the Governor won’t call out the National Guard.
However those students leave our Capitol, they are now heroes of this city. May their reusable beer mugs and/or herbal tea decanters remain full to brimming for the duration of the semester.
Events on deck in Madison:
- A second day of rallying at the Capitol to follow today’s rally of 10,000-13,000.
- Likely a vote on the “Budget reform bill” by the Wisconsin Senate on Thursday.
3AM Post-Hearing Hearing in the Rotunda
Co-Chair Robin Vos went home at 3AM at which time the committee agreed to end their hearing. A reporter from WKOW tweeted that Vos mentioned he would reconvene the executive committee at 12PM noon Wednesday February 16.
Ryan Rainey stayed up tweeting and writing about a 2nd informal hearing conducted with UW students & others who did not have a chance to speak in the formal hearing: Democrats Convene Informal Committee to Hear Testimony.
blue cheddar 