The Fitzgerald brothers are complaining loudly about a Dane County judge holding up their collective bargaining bill.

But it's their own fault for winding up in court to begin with.

Had Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald simply given 24 hours of public notice before a key committee meeting and vote last month, their bill would now be in effect.

Instead, because the Fitzgeralds got cute with Wisconsin's open meetings law, the bill is stuck in an exhausting and complex legal battle that could drag on for weeks if not months.

We sure hope the Fitzgeralds have learned their lesson: Flouting even the spirit of Wisconsin's open government laws is a big mistake. It ruins public trust and exposes government actions to thorny legal challenges.

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled Thursday that Wisconsin's new law to limit collective bargaining for most public workers has not been published and is not in effect. The Wisconsin Supreme Court may ultimately decide if the law stands or not after reviewing the Legislature's rushed process.