After the announcement of the June 5 gubernatorial recall election, Wisconsin voters may have a few more reasons to be upset with Gov. Scott Walker. Although I have felt indifferent and even somewhat annoyed by the recall talk throughout the state, recent legislation signed by Walker in secrecy throughout the past week has made me think otherwise.
Thursday and Friday, Walker signed more than 50 bills covering a range of issues in the state. However, his administration did not announce signing the bills until Friday afternoon.
Several of the 50 bills address abortion and sex education in public schools. A measure in one of the abortion bills requires doctors to determine whether a woman is being pressured into having an abortion or not by another party. Doctors could face penalties if they ignore the law. I am no legal expert, but it seems that this measure is putting doctors across the state in a difficult and hazy position while trying to perform a legal medical procedure.
Another law aimed at the contentious teaching of sex education in public schools, states teachers should treat abstinence as the only way to prevent pregnancies. The law no longer requires teachers in public schools to address contraception options to students.
Wisconsin’s current law requires teachers to acknowledge and instruct students on various contraceptive options. In the long run, this legislation will only hurt students, because it could hide important elements of sex education from younger people.
Another bill addresses employee discrimination claims in the workplace. According to Jeff Haynes, president of the Wisconsin Employment Lawyers Association, the bill essentially asserts employers do not have to worry about employee complaints filed against them in cases of workplace discrimination or harassment. Fundamentally, the law is a repeal of the 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act that forced small businesses to pay out large in-court settlements to plaintiffs that won a workplace discrimination suit. While one should tip his or her hat to Walker in his attempts to ease the burden on small business growth with this new law, it may be more difficult in certain cases of employee discrimination to see the light of day.
I agree with some of the legislation that Walker has signed last week, and I believe some signed are not too bad or too socially conservative. New laws addressing earmarks, promoting visibility on school buses and ensuring trucks with hazardous materials are consistent with federal regulations can help the entire state. Yet, when the governor decides to sign scores of bills in secrecy, essentially informing Wisconsin citizens the day afterward, I understand why some disgruntled Wisconsinites want to recall him.
Admittedly, I am not a supporter of outside influences in the recall election process, and even the idea of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., backing Walker rubs me the wrong way. Nonetheless, with the exception of the groups or individuals that the majority of this legislation is directed toward, I cannot understand why anyone would support this type of political warfare Walker is exhibiting. While I respect the fact that Walker has the audacity to sign into law controversial legislation he believes is helping the state, Wisconsin citizens should take a closer look at these bills with a critical eye.
Ethan Safran is a freshman with an undeclared major. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
