Assembly passes union measure after bitter debate

After an epic month of political struggle and three final hours of bitter debate, Republican lawmakers in the Assembly on Thursday gave Gov. Scott Walker his bill to repeal most collective bargaining by public employee unions. Legislators voted 53-42 along largely partisan lines to pass the budget-repair proposal, but only after police carried demonstrators out of the Assembly antechamber. But even with the battle won by Republicans, a wider war now remains for both sides, one expected to be fought in the courts and through recall efforts against 16 state senators. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/11)