The state Assembly got heated Friday afternoon when voting began without the Democratic caucus present in the chamber.
The controversy started when the Assembly clerk began taking roll call five minutes before Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, had told the Democrats the body would convene.
About three minutes later, with no Democrats in the chamber, the Republicans voted on, and unanimously approved, the Joint Finance Committee's amendment to the budget repair bill. They then moved the bill to the third reading, which is the stage when no amendments can be offered.
Democrats entered the Assembly seconds later, raising protest to the earlier votes.
State Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, addressed the Republican legislators, calling their tactics outrageous, unprecedented and un-American.
"I know you are just so eager to trample on workers' rights, you just can't wait, can you?" he said.
Barca then filed a motion to strike the previous vote from the record. The motion eventually passed, meaning the bill returned to the stage where legislators could propose amendments.
The Assembly is expected to vote on the amendments when it reconvenes Tuesday morning.
During debate on Barca's motion, state Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, made an impassioned speech criticizing the Republicans' handling of the bill. Hintz said he first heard of the budget bill through a radio advertisement by a national conservative interest group—instead of from Assembly leaders—and said the speed at which it was being sent through the Legislature was unacceptable.
"If you want to jam through a bill, you've got to sit through the messy process that is Democracy," Hintz said.
Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, also made an emotional speech to the Republicans, reminding them that they have the votes to pass the bill, but they must do it honestly.
"None of us wants to see this institution and this state take this direction, because this is the United States of America," Roys said. "You can still do the wrong thing, but please, please look in your hearts, do it the right way."
Fitzgerald acknowledged that he started the session early because he thought the Democrats would not show up to the vote Friday based on an exchange he had with Barca. According to Fitzgerald, Barca told him Democrats would not be out of caucus until Monday.
