Flap’s Links and Comments for March 9th on 16:52

These are my links for March 9th from 16:52 to 16:52:

• Without Democrats Present, Wisconsin Senate Voting on Largely-Intact Budget Repair Bill – Update 7:33 p.m.: As I was writing this up, the state senate voted 18-1 to pass the bill described below.Update 7:38 p.m.: Wisconsin senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald confirms in a statement that the bill passed includes both the collective bargaining provisions and the requirements for state workers to pay more for their pensions and health insurance premiums:

  “Tonight, the Senate will be passing the items in the budget repair bill that we can, with the 19 members who actually DO show up and do their jobs.  Those items include the long-overdue reform of collective bargaining needed to help local governments absorb these budget cuts, and the 12 percent health care premium and 5 percent pension contribution.

  Original post here:

  According to Wisconsin GOP sources, the state senate is moving towards a vote tonight on the budget repair bill–without senate Democrats present.

  The legislation being voted on tonight has few changes from the bill as initially proposed. It would save just $30 million less than the original budget bill by stripping out a refinancing provision. But it would still save the state $300 million over the next two years by requiring state employees to contribute about 5% of income toward their pensions and by requiring state workers to pay for about 12% of their health insurance premiums. It would also save $1.44 billion by requiring public employees in school districts and municipalities to pay 5% of their salaries toward their pensions and by removing collective bargaining for benefits, thus giving school districts and municipalities the option of requiring their employees to pay about 12% for their health insurance premiums.

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  Hardball