Drops out of race
Walker drops out of the 2016 presidential race, and urged some of his rivals to do the same so the party can unite against the leading candidate, Donald Trump.
Today I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive, conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With this in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately. I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same, so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner.
Signs 20-week abortion bill
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.
Running for President
Walker declares his candidacy for President, portraying himself as a man who gets things done, who got a conservative agenda passed in a state that normally supports Democrats, and who has curtailed the power of labor unions.
In the Republican field, there are some who are good fighters, but they haven’t won those battles. And there are others who’ve won elections, but haven’t consistently taken on the big fights. We showed you can do both. I am running for president to fight and win for the American people.
Wins recall election
Walker wins the recall election against Tom Barrett by about 7%.
Tonight we tell Wisconsin, we tell our country, and we tell people all across the globe that voters really do want leaders that stand up and make the tough decisions.
Repeals Equal Pay Enforcement Act
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.
More than 1 million recall signatures filed
Democrats file more than one million signatures for the recall effort against Walker. Vice-chairman of United Wisconsin:
It is beyond legal challenge. The collection of more than one million signatures represents a crystal-clear indication of how strong the appetite is to stop the damage and turmoil that Scott Walker has brought to Wisconsin.
Recall effort begins
United Wisconsin files a petition to recall Walker and begins their campaign of collecting the 540,208 signatures necessary to trigger the election recall. Walker:
We’re going to be judged, whether it’s in 2012 or 2014, on what we’re doing on jobs and reform. I don’t think it changes what I focus on day to day.
Signs concealed-carry bill
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.
Signs budget
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.
Signs voter photo ID law
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.
Voids paid sick leave ordinance
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.
Signs bill
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.
Budget repair bill
Walker plans to reduce the $137 million state deficit by requiring state employees to contribute 5.8% to their pensions and 12.6% to their health care, and forbidding them to negotiate for anything but their wages. If the budget isn’t cut then 6,000 state employees will be laid off and more than 200,000 children will be removed from the Medicaid program. Democrats and unions oppose the plan. A union director:
Even if you don’t like unions, surely we all can agree that anti-freedom attacks that deny public employees the right to negotiate a fair contract . . . are outrageous and wrong.
Wins election
Walker becomes Wisconsin’s 45th governor on promises to bring jobs to the state, cut spending, lower taxes, and stop a federally funded passenger train from Madison to Milwaukee. With Republicans taking over both houses of the State legislature, it should be easy for him to pass his agenda.
You have given us a mandate for true reform, and I appreciate that. I will not let you down.
Seeks reelection
Walker seeks another four-year term as Milwaukee County Executive so he can continue streamlining county services and cutting costs. He wants to reduce the county workforce further, expand public-private partnerships, contract out or privatize county services, and encourage faith based groups to work with delinquent youth to increase public safety.
I look at a number of areas and say there’s a whole lot more we can do. . . . We’ve got to get even more aggressive at being innovative.
Drops out of race
Walker announces that he is dropping out of the Republican primary for the gubernatorial race due to a lack of money raised for his campaign and because Mark Green, his Republican opponent, already has the support of many Republicans throughout the state.
It became clear to me that our fundraising totals would only allow us to run a campaign in a fraction of the 72 counties in this state. In addition, our resources would be so limited that most of it would likely be spent on ads attacking our Republican opponent.
Announces run for governor
At a news conference in his Wauwatosa home, Walker announces that he will challenge Governor James Doyle in the 2006 election. He is campaigning on a message of tax reform and open government. He says his values are:
protecting the sanctity of marriage, the right to life, our ability to preserve our families and homes, the importance of voter integrity, and the value of the free market.
Debates
At the Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee, Walker debates David Riemer, for the office of County Executive. On funding for parks, Walker says that state government is the key. State mandated justice programs have limited county funding for quality-of-life services. On the increase of public transit fares, he says that it was caused by rising labor and fuel costs. But he is for shifting sales tax revenue from automobile sales that go to the state’s general fund to transit. He is also for a law allowing the carrying of concealed weapons. Riemer says that Walker should stop blaming labor unions, the state government and others for his failures to reverse trends that hurt county government:
You never hear any acceptance of responsibility to provide leadership.
Refuses to sign pledge
Walker refuses to sign a pledge given to him by his opponent, David Riemer, stating that he will serve out the full term if reelected as Milwaukee County Executive. Riemer says that to fix the problems in the county requires a full commitment. Walker, who has expressed a desire to run for governor in 2006, says this is a non-issue:
I have absolutely no intention at this point of running for any other office but for reelection as Milwaukee County Executive, and I plan on focusing all my energies and talents on meeting those tasks.
Kicks off reelection campaign
Walker kicks off his reelection campaign at a cocktail-hour event at Villa Terrace Museum hosted by 107 backers who pledge to give $500 to $1,000. The event brings in more than $80,000 for his first fund-raiser.