When state Rep. Chris Kapenga was asked by a constituent why cops and firefighters would be exempted from the collective-bargaining changes, the freshman Republican lawmaker left no doubts what he thinks.

Kapenga pointed a finger directly at the police and firefighter unions.

“We have pushed for police and fire to be included with all other public employees,” said the Delafield Republican. “Bottom line is the unions have bought out several people and we can not get it put through. It has been very frustrating.”

That’s very strong language.

Especially since it’s coming from a lawmaker who was endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association.

“I’m flabbergasted by it,” said Mike Crivello, head of the Milwaukee cops union. “Certainly, we do not have the power or authority — and certainly not the financial resources — to buy anybody off. Nor would we ever.”

But for critics of Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining changes, the email served as confirmation of what they’ve been saying.

“He speaks the truth,” said Patrick Curley, chief of staff for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “I’m pleasantly surprised by his candor.”

The governor’s plan, which is tied up in court, would limit collective bargaining to wages for all public employees in Wisconsin, except for police and firefighters, and impose cuts in their health and pension benefits to help balance a massive state budget shortfall.

Members of the Joint Finance Committee last week pushed through an amendment to the 2011-’13 budget bill that would force newly hired police and firefighters to pay 5.8% of their pension benefits and 12% of their health care costs, just like other public workers under the bill passed earlier. That provision still needs to be voted on by both legislative houses.

Critics have maintained that Walker carved out protections for police and firefighters because their powerful Milwaukee unions came out in a big way for him in last year’s gubernatorial election. The head of the Milwaukee Professional Fire Fighters and a member of the city police union starred in one of Walker’s most powerful TV ads late in the campaign.

Walker has denied that the exemption was a result of this support.

The constituent who contacted Kapenga late last week said in his note that he thinks that public safety workers should pay the same toward their health care and pensions as other public employees.

But the constituent, Jim Germain, suggested that at the very least lawmakers could phase in these changes over several years. He said the sweetheart deal for police and firefighters was “a failure in your fiduciary responsibilities, given the other changes you are pushing.”

Germain wasn’t expecting Kapenga’s response.

“Just surprised they would be that frank and open about their own legislators,” he wrote No Quarter. “Since Republicans control the legislature, they must be the ones paid off.”

Reached Wednesday, Kapenga acknowledged sending the Saturday morning note and said he stood by what it said.

He said the governor originally justified excluding public safety workers from his budget-repair bill because Walker said he was concerned about possible strikes or protests that might occur in response to the plan.

Kapenga said any threat is now over and that several Republicans would like to remove any exceptions in collective bargaining for police and firefighters. Plus, municipalities have told him that the provision would restrict their ability to balance their budgets since public-safety salaries make up a large percentage of their expenses.

But any attempt to remove police and firefighters, Kapenga said, has been met with firm resistance.

“We’ve been told the governor will not sign it,” the GOP representative said.

Asked if he was suggested Walker had been bought out by the unions, Kapenga resisted going further.

“Um,” he said, “I can’t give you specific names.”

A spokesman for the governor dismissed Kapenga's suggestion.

"I don't know who Representative Kapenga would be referring to; if he is referring to the governor, Rep. Kapenga is wrong," said Cullen Werwie, press secretary for Walker. "As you know, the overwhelming majority of police and firefighter unions backed the governor's opponent."