at least it's an ethos...

In early June dane101 reported on information from anonymous state workers who claimed that an emergency response team operating out of the GEF-2 building downtown had been set up to monitor the social media activity of protest related organizations.

A recently released report (pdf) put together by the Wisconsin National Guard and Wisconsin Emergency Management now seems to confirm there was, in fact, state-run internet monitoring happening during the protests.

The report, which makes recommendations for how the state might better handle large protests in the future and points out specific shortcomings in the response that did happen earlier this year, was released as the result of an open records request made by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The MJS had earlier questioned Capitol Police spokeswoman Lori Getter about the existence of such an emergency team. Getter denied that one had ever been used by the division’s Joint Information Center.

On page 11 of the report, however, a “Telecommunications Emergency Response Team” is specifically mentioned as having “provided essential staff for this prolonged event.” The report also cites a lack of earlier “monitoring of social media during events to anticipate crowd psychology, actions and reactions” as an area of needed improvement. It suggests that state/law enforcement engaged in social media and networking “much too late,” supporting the late May/early June-leak of the creation of an emergency response team.

[emphasis mine]

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was greeted by a healthy display of cheese heads and blue solidarity fists when he took part in a Republican fundraiser in New York City on Tuesday. The fundraiser was being held in honor of Wisconsinite and Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus at a home of Gilbert Haroche.

(via dane101)

Wisconsin’s Act 10 to take effect June 29. bit.ly/jssRlr

The Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Dane County circuit court Judge Maryann Sumi’s ruling against the state legislature’s procedure in passing Act 10, which eliminates collective bargaining for state employees, effectively making the controversial legislation law Tuesday.

In its 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court declared that the legislature was not bound by the state’s Open Meetings Law, and therefore did not violate them.

The ruling voided the lower court orders passed by Judge Sumi, but Rep. Robin Vos (R-Juno) said state employees would not face back-payments from the months Act 10 spent in legal limbo.

well, this happened tonight…anyone have a guess at who the deciding vote was?  this is a pretty big setback, but if the recalls and 2012 go well, we may be able to overturn this.  sadly there are thousands of wisconsin families who will have to deal with lost wages and a complete lack of bargaining power until then.

surrounding the capitol, arms linked and holding hands. firefighters. teachers. public works. solidarity.

a few thousand gather at state street. feels like we may be picking up steam again…

• Current view inside the Capitol Rotunda via Senator Chris Larson
• Rally ouside the Capitol happening NOW!  Go, Go, Go!
• Another march is slated for 5:30 pm tonight.
• Why is the WiscNet provision important?
• Go to wisceye.org for live coverage of the Senate floor session.
• See tons of #walkerville pics on their facebook page.
• GOP is still threatening to attach collective bargaining language to new budget bill if it doesn’t get resolved in the courts this week.

The ruling is as follows:

This case requires the court to determine whether members of the Wisconsin Legislature violated Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law on March 9, 2011, and if so, whether any governmental actions taken as a result are void…the State has shown by clear and convicing evidence that the March 9, 2011 meeting of the Joint Committee of Finance violated 19.82, 19.83 and 19.84 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Today this court has issued separete Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Judgement. The Findings of Fact set forth the evidence establishing the Open Meetings Law violations. This decision clearly explains why it is necessary to void the legislative actions flowing from those violations…The Judgement accordingly delcares that the March 9, 2011 action of the Legislature’s Joint Committee of Conference is void, and that 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 is consequently has not force or effect.

A group of more than 60 students convinced Biddy Martin to come out of her Bascom Hall office Tuesday afternoon to chat about the state budget and future of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

With five members of the UW Police Department looking on, the students and UW-Madison chancellor held a sometimes tense but mostly friendly conversation in a first-floor hallway.

“I respect what you’re doing,” Martin told the students during the impromptu gathering, which lasted more than an hour-and-a-half. “I really do. We can disagree with one another, but I do care about what you have to say.”

The students were protesting Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011-13 budget proposal, which contains a controversial plan — which Martin supports — to break UW-Madison away from the UW System and give it some long-sought autonomy from state oversight by granting Wisconsin’s flagship institution public authority status. Walker’s budget also all but guarantees another series of tuition increases as it cuts $250 million in state funding for UW System schools over the next two years, with UW-Madison slated to absorb half of that blow.

The letter outlining the students’ demands can be found in full here.

As the deadlines for the majority of both Democrat and Republican recall efforts approach news is rolling in on both fronts. As of April 20, 2011 the score of officially submitted petitions is 4-0 in the favor of those recalling Republicans. We expect that to be at the least 4-1 by the weekend, possibly 5-1. The drop dead date for all Republican recalls is on May 2 and a source close to the eight efforts tells me he’s willing to say he’s confident they’ll have enough signatures to launch elections for a minimum of six Republicans, but they could tentatively have enough for seven. Below is an update on recall campaigns by Senatorial district.

(click through for the list - via dane101)