Wisconsin Republicans Continue to Censor Democrats

Today, in an email to the Republican members of the Wisconsin Senate, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced that even though the Democratic senators have returned back to Wisconsin, they will not be allowed to vote in the Senate. This move effectively strips the 14 Senate districts of their representation in the state senate.

While they were absent, the Republicans imposed fines on them, ordered their arrest, and revoked parking privileges, all in an effort to get them to return. Additionally, Governor Walker called upon the absent Democrats to return and "do their job."

Now that they have returned, it seems that they will not be allowed to do their jobs. There have been no additional reports on whether or not they are able to use their parking spaces or the printers.

UPDATE 3/15/2011: Senator Fred Risser issues the following statement:

Who does Senator Fitzgerald think he is? Just because his brother is the Speaker of the Assembly and his best friend is the Governor of Wisconsin does not give him the power to decide who can and cannot vote in the State Senate.

His statement that Senate Democrats can no longer vote in committee is the height of arrogance. In my tenure in the legislature, I have never seen any attempt to deny duly elected legislators their right to vote.

Fitzgerald's statement has also come under fire from the group One Wisconsin Now. They claim that this action effectively denies the rights of 2.2 million Wisconsin voters.