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      MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Senate Republicans voted
Thursday to find their AWOL Democratic colleagues guilty of
contempt and disorderly conduct, and order police to bring them
back to work by force, if the missing senators did not return by
late afternoon.

      The 14 Democratic senators escaped to Illinois two weeks ago to
avoid voting on Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to take away nearly
all collective bargaining rights from most state workers. Their
absence has blocked passage of the bill because at least one of
them must be present to have a quorum.


      The state constitution doesn't allow for senators to be arrested
simply for not showing up. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott
Fitzgerald said the resolution passed Thursday morning allows
police to take the Democrats into custody under Senate rules, not
criminal or civil law, and only if they are in Wisconsin.


      "I do believe senators are in Wisconsin," he said. "I know
they are driving back and forth to their homes."


      Senate Democrats disagreed with Fitzgerald about what's allowed
under the chamber's rules. Sen. Chris Larson said they hadn't done
anything illegal and couldn't be arrested.


      "All fourteen of us remain in Illinois, very strong in our
convictions," Sen. Jon Erpenbach said in a statement. "Issuing
arrest warrants at 4 p.m. isn't going to solve the problem."


      The resolution says the Democrats would be found guilty of
contempt and disorderly conduct if they don't return by 4 p.m.,
after which the Senate would issue an order similar to an arrest
warrant. The order would give the chamber's sergeant at arms the
power to take any necessary steps, including police assistance, to
bring the senators back.


      Fitzgerald called on any Wisconsin citizens who see the senators
to contact police. He argued the resolution is about restoring
order to the Senate and not the issues surrounding the union bill,
which has led to three weeks of demonstrations by tens of thousands
of protesters.


      The Wisconsin Professional Police Association, a union
representing 11,000 law enforcement officials from across the
state, released a statement from its director Jim Palmer slamming
the action.


      "The thought of using law enforcement officers to exercise
force in order to achieve a political objective is insanely wrong
and Wisconsin sorely needs reasonable solutions and not potentially
dangerous political theatrics," Palmer said.


      Marquette University Law School professor Dan Blinka said no
matter how it's described, the resolution calls for what amounts to
an arrest that would have to be justified under the law. If it's
found unconstitutional, any action taken by the senators after they
were forced to return could be invalidated, Blinka said.


      Howard Schweber, an associate political science and law
professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said Senate
Republicans can properly order police to enforce their rules, as
long as they don't try to impose criminal sanctions on the
Democrats.


      "The resources of the executive branch can be called upon by
the Legislature to enforce its rules," Schweber said. "I would
suspect the Republicans have this one right. They probably are able
to use police as a mechanism to enforce the rules of the Senate
even though they would not be able to make failure to appear a
crime."


      A memo provided by private attorney Jim Troupis, who was hired
by the Senate Republicans and often works with the GOP, said the
state constitution gives them authority to act to compel attendance
under its rules.


      Fitzgerald also cited a Wednesday circuit court ruling in Oconto
County that found Democratic Sen. Jim Holperin had violated his
duty to attend Senate sessions, but that only the Senate had the
right to enforce the rule that he be there. A citizen in Holperin's
district, who was also represented by Troupis, brought the legal
action.


      The Senate has twice sent state patrol officers to look for some
of the senators at their homes, but they left after not finding
anyone there. Before the resolution passed, Fitzgerald said police
could only try to persuade Democrats to return but not actually
take them into custody.


      Once the senators do return, Fitzgerald said they could face
reprimand, censure or even expulsion.


      Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this story.

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The Wisconsin Senate has passed a
resolution calling for police to take 14 Democrats into custody for
contempt after they fled to Illinois to avoid voting on a union
rights bill.

Wis. Senate may order police to bring back Dems

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