By Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - A Dane County judge issued a decision Friday blocking Wisconsin officials from enforcing a law barring labor contracts that require workers to pay union fees.

The order by Dane County Circuit Judge C. William Foust comes a week after he ruled the measure, known by advocates as a right-to-work law, violated the state constitution.

GOP Attorney General Brad Schimel has promised to appeal.

Schimel wasn't able to appeal the ruling until Foust issued Friday's order. The attorney general hasn't said yet what his next step will be.

Schimel could ask Foust to put his ruling on hold while he appeals the decision. He could also make that request to a higher court.

For his appeal, Schimel could go to the Court of Appeals or try to get the case more quickly before the state Supreme Court. Conservatives control the high court 5-2.

Gov. Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature last year approved the law, which bars businesses and unions from reaching labor deals that require workers to pay union fees.

The AFL-CIO of Wisconsin and unions representing steelworkers and machinists sued soon afterward. Foust's ruling last week concluded the law violates the state constitution's prohibition on taking property without fair compensation. That's because the law interferes with the unions' ability to generate revenue from all the workers it protects, Foust found.

Schimel said he would likely ask Foust to stay the ruling while he pursues an appeal, which would keep the right-to-work law in place for now. Schimel could ask higher courts to stay the decision if Foust doesn't.