The stand-off between the Walker administration and thousands of protesters continued Thursday as legislators curbed TAA influence within the capitol building and demonstrators protested the Walker administration's resistance to negotiation in front of Koch Industries' new lobbying office on Doty St.
David and Charles Koch are co-owners of Koch Industries, and energy company that contributed $43,000 to Walker's campaign, and are key supporters of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative lobbying group that organized the presence of Tea Party protesters last Saturday.
Protesters accused Gov. Scott Walker of lacking transparency and catering to corporate interests after a recorded phone interview with Buffalo news website editor Ian Murphy created national buzz. Murphy impersonated David Koch and spoke with Walker for 20 minutes about a variety of topics including the labor protests.
First-year graduate student Andrew Stefan said Walker seemed to be making great distinctions between his supporters and the protesters in the prank phone call.
""The line [that separates those two groups] is money,"" Stefan said. ""The disparity between the rich and poor is growing. They're depriving people out here today of their rights, resources and livelihoods.""
As a drum circle continued in the rotunda, the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization voted Thursday to ban protesters from occupying specified offices and hearing rooms within the capitol building during the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. starting on Feb. 26. Since protests started over a week ago, the TAA has used various rooms to organize.
According to a statement released by the TAA released Thursday, ""Offices and hearing rooms have been used to organize the protest, and removing us from them cripples our ability to continue to make the voices of the people of Wisconsin heard.""
According to the TAA, The large presence of protesters in the rotunda has been a factor in delaying the vote of the budget repair bill.
""The vote is a blatant move to end the democratic occupation of the Capitol, which is the only thing that is making time to debate this bill,"" the TAA said in a statement. ""We call on the State to protect our democratic rights to be heard.""
People will still be allowed to congregate in open spaces throughout the night and use offices and hearing rooms from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
