Senator Mary Lazich Takes Senate Floor About Missing Democrats

Earlier today, State Senator Mary Lazich took to the senate floor to talk about her missing Democratic colleagues. She spoke about what their absence is doing to the state and the public workers who could get layoff notices if the Democratic senators do not return to Madison to vote on the Governor Scott Walker's proposed budget repair bill.

Here are her full remarks:

It is a challenging time right now for Wisconsin. Our finances are out of control. Decisive action needs to be taken to get the state on a sustainable course, and we are trying to take that action.

Now that the Assembly has approved the budget repair bill, all eyes in the state are on the Senate. We need to approve this bill and restore fiscal sanity to the state, and we need to do it now. Every day we wait, our debts increase and the challenge becomes greater. Time truly is money.

Unfortunately, 14 of our colleagues don’t have the same sense of urgency about our fiscal situation. For the last eight days, the Senate Democrats have ignored the rules of the Senate and tried to shut this body down. They have not only stalled the vote on this badly-needed budget repair bill, they also slowed other worthy legislation by ignoring the rules we are all supposed to abide by.

This bill was an opportunity for Senate Democrats to set an important example: That when facing defeat through the democratic process, the dignified thing to do is cast your vote and respect the institution and the will of the people.

Instead, Senate Democrats displayed a lack of leadership.

The dignified thing to do would be to voice opposition with a speech on the floor of the Senate, then voice opposition with a vote against the bill. Those are the responsibilities of a legislator in our government. Our Democratic colleagues not only ran away from the state, they ran away from their responsibilities as elected officials, too.

Fleeing the state to delay the vote on a badly-needed budget repair bill was not only childish, it was, and continues to be, a slap in the face to the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

I am pleased we have not let this stunt stop Wisconsin government. We may not be able to do everything we want to do or need to do, but we have continued to do our jobs. We continue to do that today by taking up legislation that will help foster economic development. The people see that and respect that.

For the last 13 years, it has been my honor to serve the people of the 28^th District in this body. The respect I have for the Senate and the Senators I have served with is immense. But I am

disappointed Democrats have chosen partisan posturing over fulfilling their duties as legislators and serving their people and the state.

I urge any of the 14 Democrats watching somewhere to come back to work. If not out of a sense of obligation to do the job they were hired for and are paid for, then out of respect for the Senate and the state of Wisconsin.”