Republicans Deny Motion to Repeal QEO

Republicans on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee Tuesday (May 27, 2003) rejected a motion to repeal the Qualified Economic Offer law.

WEAC President Stan Johnson said the late-night vote "attacked Wisconsin teachers and the state’s tradition of open government."

The co-chairs of the budget-writing committee unilaterally rejected a motion to repeal the QEO, calling it non-fiscal policy. However, Democrats who introduced the motion pointed out the QEO was created in a state budget, so it could be repealed in a budget.

The QEO law puts Wisconsin’s great schools in jeopardy, strips teachers of their collective bargaining rights, and has stagnated teacher salaries over the last 10 years, Johnson said.

“This action was a sneak attack on the people who create great schools for Wisconsin’s children,” he said. “The QEO is putting our ability to create classrooms that work for our children in jeopardy. The legislators who decided to keep the QEO in the budget know it is a bad law, and waited until the dark of night when the public was not present to witness what can only be described as an assault on teachers.”

Johnson said co-chairs Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. Dean Kaufert did not even allow a vote on the motion to repeal the QEO, thereby denying the public the opportunity to see how individual legislators voted.

“The QEO must be repealed now,” Johnson said. “We urge the Joint Finance Committee to reconsider its action and restore repeal of the QEO law to the state budget.”

Johnson thanked the four Democratic members of the committee who spoke in favor of the proposal: Sen. Russ Decker, Sen. Gwendolynne Moore, Rep. Spencer Coggs, and Rep. Dan Schoof.

“These lawmakers had the courage to stand up for what’s right,” Johnson said. “The committee co-chairs hid behind procedural motions and took the easy way out. Their action was a slap in the face of Wisconsin’s great schools and great teachers.”

WEAC members: Let your legislators know how you feel about repeal of the QEO. Go to the OnWEAC Cyberlobby on the Members Only site and send them an e-mail now.

Resource page on the Qualified Economic Offer law
Resource page on the 2003-05 state budget

Posted May 28, 2003