Gov. Scott Walker's administration is no longer collecting dues on behalf of state unions and as of Sunday began charging employees more for health care and their pensions, even though nonpartisan legislative attorneys say the changes are not yet law.
Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said Monday administration attorneys have determined the law is now in effect. State workers will receive paychecks April 21 that reflect the changes, he said in a conference call with reporters.
In addition to requiring state, local and school employees to pay more for their benefits, the measure ends most collective bargaining for public workers. The law also bars the state from charging dues to employees and passing them on to unions, as it has done for years.
The changes to collective bargaining drew massive protests at the state Capitol and prompted Senate Democrats to leave the state for three weeks in an effort to block the bill.
Other attorneys do not agree the law is now in effect, and the courts will be the final arbiter of whether the law goes into effect. Huebsch said he would abide by a ruling from a judge.
Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi earlier this month blocked Secretary of State Doug La Follette from publishing the law, while she considers a case that argues lawmakers improperly adopted the law because a committee violated the open meetings law. But on Friday, the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau - which is not under the court order - published the law.
The House voted Tuesday to end a nearly four-day partial government shutdown, approving spending through September...
