A bill was quietly introduced Tuesday that would expand on Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to strip most collective bargaining rights from public employees by extending bargaining restrictions to police and firefighters.

"We're not surprised a bill has been introduced to bring us in," said Mahlon Mitchell, state president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, on Thursday. "We've been hearing rumors this would be done since Walker first introduced his plan in February."

Unlike Walker's proposal, Assembly Bill 127, introduced by Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, would only prevent public safety employees from negotiating over pension and health-care contributions. Ziegelbauer's bill would allow local governments to determine these contribution levels.

Ziegelbauer, the Legislature's only independent, voted for Walker's proposal and said he still supports it.

Ziegelbauer, also executive of Manitowoc County, said it is "disruptive to have a two-tier system in the public sector that treats its employees differently."