Wisconsin Governor Scott Brown was handed two big victories by the state supreme court. The court upheld the guts of Act 10 - the controversial law that prohibits public employee unions from negotiating for anything except base wage increases. It also requires public unions to collect dues from members rather than having the dues deducted from paychecks. The court also OK'd the state's voter ID law, although that is being challenged in federal court. LA Times: In a 5-2 ruling, the court upheld Walker's law, which, among other things, prohibits public worker unions from bargaining for anything beyond base wage increases tied to inflation. "No matter the limitations or 'burdens' a legislative enactment places on the collective bargaining process, collective bargaining remains a creation of legislative grace and not constitutional obligation. The 1st Amendment cannot be used as a vehicle to expand the parameters of a benefit that it does not itself...(Read Full Post)