Let the Fallout Begin: Wisconsin Bill Is Now Law

Wisconsin's month-long drama came to a quiet end this morning as Gov. Scott Walker signed into law the bill curbing the power of unions. The bigger fight isn't over though: Next come expected court challenges and maybe recall elections for the Republicans who pushed the measure through, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Meanwhile, those AWOL Senate Democrats will presumably be heading home soon, after three weeks in Illinois.

One bright spot: Walker rescinded layoff warnings that went out to state workers last week, a move he said had been necessitated by the budget impasse. Responded one Democratic lawmaker: "How has our financial condition changed so drastically that layoffs are no longer imminent? I'm glad that Walker decided to rescind the layoff notices, but public employees should have never been used as his political pawns." (More Wisconsin stories.)