On Wednesday, the standoff between Republican and Democratic members of the Wisconsin state Senate came to an abrupt end, due to some GOP ingenuity that made the absence of 14 senators moot for the purpose of passing Gov. Scott Walkers’ infamous union-busting bill. –KA

MSNBC:

Republican senators separated the provision from Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget bill, removing the requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote on the anti-union measure.

The vote in the Senate was 18-1. Sen. Dale Schultz was the sole no vote. No Democrats were present.

Spectators in the gallery screamed at the Republicans on the floor, “You are cowards.”

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