Both chambers of the Legislature, which met with all the members present for the first time in almost two months Tuesday, passed the fiscal components of Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.
Walker was said he was pleased by the Senate's action.
""I commend the legislature, both Democrats and Republicans, for working quickly to allow us to finish this year with a balanced budget and protect middle?class taxpayers,"" Walker said in a statement.
The bill will increase state workers' pension and health care contributions. The portion of the law taking away collective bargaining already passed, but is being temporarily blocked by Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi for what she says were violations of the state's Open Meetings Law.
The original version of the bill, which included both fiscal and bargaining aspects, spurred the 14 Democratic senators to leave the state for a few weeks to prevent its passage. Without the collective bargaining measure, the bill received bipartisan support.
In the Senate, the vote was 22-11, with all Republicans and three Democrats voting for the bill. State Sens. Jim Holperin, D-Conover, Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, and Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, voted in favor.
However, there was not the same level of bipartisanship in the Assembly. The tally was 58 votes to 36, with 2 abstaining. The body is made up of 60 Republicans and 38 Democrats.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, criticized the bill for putting Wisconsin's financial burden on state workers and Walker for being irresponsible with state hires.
""In a time of frugality we are asking qualified state employees to take a huge financial hit, how can we ask them to share in the sacrifice when Gov. Walker is hiring political cronies and giving them huge raises for jobs they do not appear qualified to hold,"" Barca said in a statement.
Barca was referring to Brain Deschane, a 27-year-old with no college degree who received a significant promotion before Walker ordered him to his previous position Wednesday.
