Gov. Scott Walker called out state Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, in a press conference Monday, saying Miller has been holding up negotiations and preventing Democratic state senators from returning to Wisconsin for a vote on Walker's budget repair bill.
Miller sent an open letter to Walker and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, asking to meet near the Wisconsin-Illinois border to discuss a compromise on the controversial bill. Walker called Miller's offer ""absolutely ridiculous,"" saying he has been attempting to negotiate with Democrats and ""reaching out to reasonable senators"" for weeks.
Walker said staff from his administration and Fitzgerald met at a McDonald's in Kenosha with Democrats who they said have ""a sincere interest in coming back"" over the past few days to work on a compromise.
""We have a way home for at least some of those state senators so we can get a vote on this measure and more importantly move this state forward,"" Walker said.
Sen. Fitzgerald said he met with Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, and Sen. Robert Jauch, D-Poplar, and had constructive negotiations. But according to Fitzgerald, Miller is preventing any further progress.
""Your stubbornness in trying to ignore the last election and protect the broken status quo is truly shameful,"" Fitzgerald said in a letter to Miller.
In response to Walker and Fitzgerald, Miller said, ""the people of Wisconsin have spoken loudly and clearly over these last three weeks"" against Walker, and said he has repeatedly tried reaching out to Republicans for negotiation.
""I have personally called Sen. Fitzgerald and the governor and his office on a regular basis but have not received return calls,"" Miller said in a statement.
UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said negotiations between the two sides have been done mostly in secret, making it difficult to tell if any progress is being made. Franklin said it may take just one or a few wavering Democrats who think the stalemate has gone on long enough to come back to Wisconsin and allow the bill to pass.
Should one Democrat return to Wisconsin, Republicans would have the quorum they need to vote on the bill.
""Without an open dialogue you don't really know what's on the table,"" Franklin said.
