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Scott Walker

Scott Walker73 posts

Scott Walker is governor of Wisconsin, born in 1967 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After college he entered politics as a Republican starting as an Assemblyman in the state legislature, then as Milwaukee County Executive. He is running for president in the 2016 elections. He is best known for standing up to unions, limiting collective bargaining rights, and balancing budgets by cutting spending. He is married to Tonette Tarantino and they have two sons.

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20 Jul, 2015

Signs 20-week abortion bill

Law approved0 Comments

Walker signs bill into law that bans abortion beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy. The law applies to non-emergency abortions only. No exceptions apply for those pregnancies that result from incest or rape. Abortions may be performed beyond the 20 week period if the mother is likely to die or suffer irreversible injury within 24 hours. A violation of the law constitutes a felony and may result in a fine up to $10,000 and 3 1/2 years in prison. Civil suits and penalties are also possible.

For people, regardless of where they might stand, when an unborn child can feel pain I think most people feel it’s appropriate to protect that child.

Scott Walker Press Conference - FLS 2015

5 Apr, 2012

Repeals Equal Pay Enforcement Act

Law approved0 Comments

Walker signs a bill repealing the 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act which allowed workers to sue employers for wage discrimination in the cheaper and more accessible state courts rather than in federal court. Senator Grothman argues the act was hurting businesses who had to defend themselves from false accusations of discrimination:

It’s an underreported problem, but a huge number of discrimination claims are baseless. Most of them are filed by fired employees, and really today almost anybody is a protected class. As a result many companies are forced to pay fired employees to go away [and it has] raised the cost of doing business in the state to intolerable levels.

Senator Sinicki, who co-authored the act, opposes its repeal:

This whole session has been anti-woman and anti-middle class, and this fits right in with that agenda.

8 Jul, 2011

Signs concealed-carry bill

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Walker signs a bill allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons after going through training, passing a background check and obtaining a permit. The bill also bans guns from certain locations and allows private businesses to ban guns on their premises.

By signing concealed carry into law today we are making Wisconsin safer for all responsible, law abiding citizens.

26 Jun, 2011

Signs budget

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Walker signs a two-year $66 billion budget that cuts almost $800 million from public schools, expands taxpayer support for private voucher schools, cuts taxes for businesses, and keeps property taxes the same, helping to eliminate a $3 billion deficit without raising taxes. It is estimated the state’s main account will have a $300 million surplus by June 2013. Walker uses his power to veto fifty items in the budget.

Our balanced budget makes tough choices while also providing a path to prosperity for our state and our people. Through honest budgeting, we are providing an alternative to the reckless tricks and gimmicks of the past. To move forward together, we are acknowledging that we have to make sacrifices to protect the next generation by decreasing the serious debt that they would otherwise inherit.

Assembly Minority Leader Barca criticizes Walker’s budget and vetoes as helping businesses but hurting the poor and middle class.

His vetoes don’t change the fact that his budget serves corporate special interests at the expense of Wisconsin’s small businesses and middle class. Time and again, Gov. Walker has gone out of his way to limit public scrutiny of his extreme agenda and it comes as no surprise that the governor used many of his vetoes to take away public accountability and further consolidate power in his administration.

25 May, 2011

Signs voter photo ID law

Law approved0 Comments

Walker signs a bill requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls.

To me, something as important as a vote is important whether it’s one case, one hundred cases or one hundred thousand cases. Making sure we have legislation that protects the integrity for an open, fair and honest election in every single case is important.

5 May, 2011

Voids paid sick leave ordinance

Law approved0 Comments

Walker signs a bill voiding Milwaukee’s paid sick leave ordinance which was passed by a popular referendum. The ordinance required large businesses to provide nine days and small businesses five days of paid sick leave per year. The ordinance has been challenged in the courts and has never gone into effect.

This law removes another barrier in the road to creating 250,000 private sector jobs by 2015. Patchwork government mandates stifle job creation and economic opportunity. This law gives employers the flexibility they need to put people back to work and that makes Wisconsin a more attractive place to do business.

11 Mar, 2011

Signs bill

Law approved0 Comments

Walker signs a bill to take away most of the union’s collective bargaining rights. The State Assembly stripped the budget repair bill of its spending language so they were not required to have a quorum of members present since the Democratic senators still refuse to return to the Senate.

What we’re doing here, I think, is progressive. It’s innovative. It’s reform that leads the country, and we’re showing there’s a better way by sharing in that sacrifice with all of us in government.

Democrats and union leaders continue to oppose the Republican bill. Senate minority leader Miller:

Republicans may have achieved a short-term policy goal, but their radical agenda, the war on working families, has been exposed, and the people of Wisconsin and across the country are united against it as never before.