MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin officials couldn’t agree Friday about whether an explosive law taking away nearly all public worker collective-bargaining rights was about to take effect after a nonpartisan legislative bureau published it despite a court order blocking publication.
The Legislative Reference Bureau’s action was noted on the state Legislature’s website Friday, sending lawmakers and legal experts scrambling to determine what’s next for the measure, which has brought waves of chaos to the state since it first was proposed by Gov. Scott Walker.
Legislative Reference Bureau director Steve Miller insisted the action doesn’t mean the law will take effect today. He said that won’t happen until Secretary of State Doug La Follette orders the law published in a newspaper.
“It’s not implementation at all,” Miller said. “It’s simply a matter of forwarding an official copy to the secretary of state.”
But La Follette wasn’t so sure, saying it wasn’t clear what the action means.
“I think we’re going to have to get some legal opinion on this,” he said.
And Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the action means the law takes effect today.
A judge last week issued a temporary restraining order blocking any further implementation of the law while the court considers challenges to its approval. The order specifically blocked La Follette from publishing the law.
But the Reference Bureau said it is required to publish every new law within 10 working days after it’s signed by the governor, on the date designated by the secretary of state. Walker signed the measure March 11, and La Follette had designated Friday as the date of publication.
Walker’s top aide, Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Department of Administration, issued a statement saying the administration would carry out the law as required.
