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The legislative session that recently adjourned was a session full of firsts. It took partisan rancor to levels never previously imagined. The public was shut out of the legislative process - and even of the Capitol building. Rules were ignored, open meetings laws were broken and any alternate opinions or ideas were completely disregarded.

Politics has become too partisan, and both sides must work to change that. But the past year took this to extremes we have never before experienced in Wisconsin. A hundred thousand people who were petitioning their government on the steps of our state Capitol were completely ignored. Republicans signed secrecy oaths at the offices of their taxpayer-funded lawyers to hide what they knew about redistricting from their constituents. Laws were passed that alienated voters and were nothing more than blatant power grabs.

These are actions that go beyond partisanship and threaten longstanding Wisconsin traditions of openness and transparency that both political parties have respected in the past.

This divisive, extreme session has thankfully adjourned, and it must not be allowed to set new precedents - no matter who is at the helm.

Ironically, Republicans had the complete control and votes to do what they wanted to do in a fashion that didn't break rules, rush things through without feedback and end up with numerous measures tied up in court. One of our Republican colleagues has called for ending late-night sessions. We agree. But that is one symptom of what was wrong with this past session, not the root cause.

The cause was the biggest power grab our state has ever witnessed. It was based on an extreme right-wing national agenda that hurts working families and helps interests that already have plenty of power and influence. It damaged our public schools, our technical colleges and our state's most vulnerable individuals.

And the timing could not be worse, given the economic situation still hurting Wisconsinites. As the nation continues to add jobs every month, as it has for 17 months now, Wisconsin led the nation in job loss in 2011. No other state in the nation even came close.

Yet two special sessions that were supposed to be focused on job creation were instead used to ram through special interest bills, take away workers' rights and add political appointees for the governor. And toward the end of session - as we pushed to take up job and job training bills - Republicans passed extreme policies that hurt women's health care and equal pay laws and did away with requirements for medically accurate sex education in schools.

Dismantling workers' rights, disenfranchising voters and ignoring court rulings are not governance - they are arrogance. It will take unprecedented, bipartisan efforts to repair the damage that has been done this year, but it is never too late to do the right thing in a session full of firsts.

Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) is Assembly minority leader. Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay) is Assembly assistant minority leader.