The 2011-12 state legislative session culminated late Thursday after a contentious bill requiring a doctor to be present when administering an abortion passed despite persistent Democratic opposition.
Republicans argue the bill will ensure no one is coerced into an abortion, though Democrats say it amounts to “a war on women” because it makes it harder for women to get abortions. The bill already passed in the Senate and will now go to the governor to be signed into law.
Thursday’s heated dialogue epitomizes the tone of the state Senate and Assembly this session, which has seen both Republicans and Democrats accuse each other of political strong-arming and mutual blaming for lost opportunities.
Democrats say Walker and Republicans are responsible for Wisconsin leading the nation in job loss in 2011, while Republicans touted changes they made to the state’s budget, saying they created a pro-business culture through a successful “pro-jobs agenda” this session.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, was largely positive as he reflected on the past year, pointing to the 15,700 private sector jobs gained in January. He said Wisconsin’s jobless rate is down to 6.9 percent, the lowest level since 2008.
“Thanks to Republican reforms, 94 percent of businesses now say that Wisconsin is on the right track, up from 10 percent last session,” Fitzgerald said in a statement Thursday.
Fitzgerald did, however, mention his disappointment about the failed bill that would have eased regulations on mining in Wisconsin and brought a large iron ore mine, and supposedly thousands of jobs, to northern Wisconsin.
But Democrats said Republican’s “pro-jobs agenda” was really just an attempt to impose a Conservative social ideology on the state, pointing to bills promoting abstinence-only sex education in high schools and the abortion bill that passed Thursday.
Democrats also blame the struggling economy and dismal jobs numbers on Republican’s unwillingness to pass any of the more than 20 “pro-jobs” bills the Democrats introduced.
“While the Legislature fumbled on job creation, the state lost tens of thousands of jobs for six straight months as our surrounding states added jobs,” state Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, said in a statement Thursday.
However, Fitzgerald pointed out that of the 123 bills signed into law, the vast majority of them passed with bipartisan support.
“I think that’s a testament to the fact that there’s more that brings us together than brings us apart,” Fitzgerald said as the Senate closed up shop until they reconvene this summer.
