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Madison, WI, United States (AHN) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker detailed a budget plan late Tuesday seeking deep cuts to schools and local governments. Protesters were blocked from the chamber in which the speech was given and one lawmaker had to climb into a window to re-enter the capitol despite a court order to open the building to the public.

Walker outlined his proposal to close a projected deficit in 2013 of $3.6 billion as protests by unions continued into their third week.

He revealed a budget that would reduce aid to local governments by $1.25 billion and aid to schools by nearly $900 million, prompting some local and school officials to add their voice to public workers calling for him not to curb their collective bargaining rights.

The governor had planned to explain his speech before a joint session of the legislature after lawmakers had passed a bill based on the budget plan.

All 14 state Senate Democrats, however, fled to Illinois to prevent the passage of the measure, which would limit collective bargaining rights and reduce cash wages of public workers.

Walker’s two-year budget plan does not increase taxes, and reduces spending by 6.7 percent through cuts he said were vital to fix the state’s fiscal situation.

“We were elected –not to make the easy decisions to benefit ourselves — but to make the difficult ones that will benefit our children and grandchildren,” he said.

Oshkosh School board president John Lemberger said the governor’s proposal was “short-sighted.” He told the Northwestern, “Kids we educate today are the people who’re going to be running the world in a couple of decades. I’m seriously concerned about what this means to the quality of education we can deliver.”

The budget decreases aid to the University of Wisconsin-Madison by $125 million, half of the total cut proposed for the University of Wisconsin System.

Chancellor Biddy Martin said the reduction was “deep and painful” as expected. But she praised the governor’s decision to let the state’s flagship university split from the UW System. “It will give us the opportunity to rebound more quickly and enhance our quality over time,” Martin said.

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, a Democrat, blasted Walker for “continu[ing] to push policies that attempt to divide us.”

“We invest in our schools because there’s nothing more important to the health of our city than the health of our public schools,” the mayor said. “As soon as I learned of the massive cuts to schools, I reached out to Superintendent Dan Nerad and Madison teachers to commit to work together… to prepare our joint response to these drastic cuts.”

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, also a Democrat, warned the budget plan would negatively affect basic services.

“Over 70 percent of the dollars in our county budget pay for public safety and human services that protect our most vulnerable — our kids, families, seniors, and the disabled,” Falk said. “Unlike our Governor… we’ve worked with, not against employees to achieve savings for property taxpayers while treating our public employees fairly.”

Just as in the capitol, however, fellow Republicans supported the governor’s proposal. Dan Vrakas, Waukesha county executive, argued the plan is a “bold move that is much needed.”

“It is time to be honest about what taxpayers can afford,” he said. “It is also time to bring public sector benefits in line with private sector benefits.”

The governor announced details of his budget on Feb. 15, igniting concerns among teachers that quickly grew into statewide labor unrest that centered at the capitol, where protesters slept inside in sleeping bags and gathered in tens of thousands outside.

The budget bill increases the payments public employees make for their health care premiums to 12 percent, and for their pensions to 5.8 percent. It limits collective bargaining to base salaries, which means workers would have no power to negotiate benefits.

The measure gives workers the option not to pay dues to unions. It requires unions to conduct yearly certification.

Police, fire and state patrol workers are exempted from the collective bargaining reforms.

Democrats believe workers should not carry a heavier load of the state’s fiscal problems by having their cash wages reduced along with their ability to collectively negotiate terms of their employment.

They also cite the refusal of Republicans, including the governor, to engage in meaningful discussions about compromises, such as the union’s agreement to Walker’s plan for higher pension and health contributions.

On Tuesday, they heightened their criticisms against what they said were efforts to silence the opposition.

Officials began to limit access to the state capitol on Saturday, when more than 70,000 protesters converged at the building.

Each member of the Assembly was issued eight tickets to give to constituents to enter the capitol for the governor’s address, but only 20 protesters were actually allowed to watch the speech from the chamber.

Judith Claire Mitchell, one of the 20 chosen at random for the address, reported on Facebook, “We all swore to obey the rules, but at the end, while the pro-Gov audience was applauding, spontaneous booing broke out among us at which point a dozen state troopers came running in and began kicking us out. Then a staffer told them it was ok that we booed and they all ran out again.”

Some lawmakers also complained their constituents, despite having tickets, were not allowed into the building. One was denied entry in spite of being a member of the Assembly.

State Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, a Democrat, asked on Facebook, “WHY is it easier for corporate lobbyists to get in the Capitol than elected Representatives – 4 hours after a judge demanded public access be restored!?”

Later, she added, “I was not allowed to exit to greet thousands of people outside. When I finally got out, I couldn’t get back in. I had to climb in through a colleague’s window to get back to my office.”

The Wisconsin Department of Administration has responded to the court injunction by not making any changes. It maintains the public always had access to the capitol.

The agency has been letting visitors enter the building after a process involving law enforcement officers confirming appointments with lawmakers, constituents being “badged” and being escorted by law enforcement to their appointments, then being escorted back to the entrance by legislative staff.

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