Scott Walker's battle for Wisconsin

The union-busting Republican governor faces a recall vote next month that will resonate throughout the nation. What's at stake?

Wis. Gov. Scott Walker upcoming recall vote is widely seen as a precursor to the 2012 presidential race.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Why does Walker face a recall election?

He triggered an ideological civil war over the power of labor unions. When the Republican took office, in 2011, he faced a two-year budget deficit of $3.6 billion. To help close the gap, Walker pushed the "Scott Walker Budget Repair Law" through the state legislature, despite fierce resistance from Democrats. The law drastically curtailed collective-bargaining rights for all state government employees except firefighters and police, forbade the collection of union dues by payroll deduction, and required public employees to devote from 7 to 13 percent of their salaries to help fund their health insurance and pensions. Conservatives hailed Walker's efforts to curtail the salaries and benefits of public-worker unions, but unions throughout the nation were livid. In Wisconsin, pro-labor volunteers organized to recall Walker, gathering 900,939 petition signatures — about 360,000 more than needed. As the June 5 recall vote approaches, passions are white-hot. "I've never seen a division in our state like this," said Jon Dzurak, an assistant school principal in Milwaukee. "I'm not talking to some of my friends because of it."

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