Christmas Comes Early For Wisconsin Workers!
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost confirmed what we all knew for the past 13 years - that Scott Walker's self-proclaimed legacy, Act 10, was indeed illegal and unconstitutional. Furthermore, Frost proclaimed that the law is so broken, there's no way it can be fixed:
“Nobody could provide this Court an explanation that reasonably showed why municipal police and fire and State Troopers are considered public safety employees, but Capitol Police, UW Police and conservation wardens, who have the same authority and do the same work, are not," Frost wrote in his July ruling. "Thus, Capitol Police, UW Police, and conservation wardens are treated unequally with no rational basis for that difference."
In his Monday ruling, Frost determined that more than 60 sections of Act 10 are no longer enforceable — as well as several sections of Act 55, a 2015 follow-up to Act 10, which the plaintiffs in the 2023 lawsuit also allege violate the state Constitution by treating certain public sector employees differently.
“Act 10 as written by the Legislature specifically and narrowly defines ‘public safety employee.’ It is that definition which is unconstitutional,” Frost wrote.
Many of the sections struck down by Frost pertain to setting wage increases for municipal employees and bargaining power of such employees.