Wisconsin Republicans rush agenda before recalls

[Poiuyt]

MADISON — Republican Gov. Scott Walker and GOP leaders have launched a push to move several years' worth of conservative agenda items through the Legislature this spring before recall elections threaten to end the party's control of state government.

Republicans, in a rapid sequence of votes over the next eight weeks, plan to legalize concealed weapons, deregulate the telephone industry, require voters to show photo identification at the polls, expand school vouchers and undo an early release for prisoners.

Lawmakers may also act again on Walker's controversial plan removing most collective bargaining powers from most public employees. An earlier version, which led to massive protest demonstrations at the Capitol, has been left in limbo by legal challenges.

"Everything's been accelerated," said state Rep. Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel, who is working on the photo ID bill. "We've got a lot of big bills we're trying to get done."

The speed-up is the latest move in a tumultuous legislative session that followed last fall's midterm elections in which Republicans won the governorship and control of both houses of the Legislature.

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