Currents
January 2019
> continued from page 3
electorate, much like Florida and class room size lim-
its imposed via constitutional amendments which
Governor Bush and the Republican legislature
openly flaunted.
The Wisconsin Senate voted just before sunrise
Wednesday December 5th, following an all-night
session to pass a sweeping bill to empower the
GOP-controlled Legislature and weaken the Democ-
rat replacing Republican Governor Scott Walker.
Republicans pushed on through protests, internal
disagreement and Democratic
opposition, passing the bill 17-16
with all Republicans except one in
support. All Democrats voted
against it. Governor Walker has
signaled support for the codifica-
tion.
In any democratic system,
there’s an implicit social contract.
There’s a recognition, which often
goes unstated and unappreci-
ated, that voters have the final
say when they cast ballots in free
and fair elections, choosing repre-
sentatives who will act within the
limits of the law to advance the
people’s interests. If and when
the people grow unsatisfied, as
part of the contract, voters know
another election will soon follow,
at which time they’ll have an
opportunity to make changes to
better suit their goals and priori-
ties. Those who earn the public’s
trust will get the chance to gov-
ern; those who don’t will offer an
alternative in the next cycle. What
Wisconsin Republicans are mak-
ing clear is that they have no use
for such a contract. Political sci-
entist Seth Masket wrote “Wis-
consin has been one of the best
functioning democracies in the
US for at least a century. What’s
going on in Wisconsin today
shouldn’t be dismissed as just
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