A Wisconsin judge has struck down the politically divisive state law pushed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker that repealed most collective bargaining rights for public workers.

Update at 10:11 p.m. ET: Walker issued this statement in response:

The people of Wisconsin clearly spoke on June 5th. Now, they are ready to move on. Sadly a liberal activist judge in Dane County wants to go backwards and take away the law making responsibilities of the legislature and the governor. We are confident that the state will ultimately prevail in the appeals process.

Update at 6:34 p.m. ET: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the ruling "likely sets up another showdown in the Supreme Court."

The law remains largely in force for state workers, though a federal juge struck down part of that section of the law as well earlier this year. But for city, county, and school workers the decision by Dane County Judge Juan Colas returns the law to its status before Walker signed his law in March 2011.The ruling means that, unless it is overturned on appeal, school districts and local officials will have to return to the bargaining table with their workers in a much more significant way. The decision raises a host of questions about changes in pay, benefits and work rules that have taken place in the meantime while bargaining was essentially dead.dge struck down part of that section of the law as well earlier this year. But for city, county, and school workers the decision by Dane County Judge Juan Colas returns the law to its status before Walker signed his law in March 2011. "The decision essentially creates the (2011) status quo for municipal employees and school district employees because it declared that the essential provisions of Act 10 to be unconstitutional," said Lester Pines, an attorney for the Madison teachers and city of Milwaukee employees who are plaintiffs.

Original post: A Wisconsin judge has struck down the politically divisive state law that gutted collective bargaining rights for most public workers, the Associated Press reports.

Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled today that the law, which was championed by Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers, violates both the state and U.S. constitutions. AP writes that it wasn't immediately clear whether the law, enacted in March 2011, was suspended immediately.

Unions representing Madison's teachers and Milwaukee city employees had sued to overturn the law. Walker survived a June recall attempt driven by unions.

A Walker spokesman said the state would appeal and he voiced confidence the law would be upheld.

In March, a federal judge upheld most of the law but struck down provisions that sought to bar public unions from voluntary collecting dues through payroll deductions and that sought to require that unions be recertified every year.