Walker recall heats up after union win in Ohio

The Associated Press:

Madison, Wisconsin — The resounding rejection of an anti-union law by Ohio voters provides a huge boost for Democrats and union officials preparing for their next major battle -- the attempted recall of Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker -- but their prospects could be clouded by the differences between the two Midwestern states and their election laws.

After the nearly 2-1 defeat of the Ohio law, union opponents of Walker are finalizing plans to gather the more than 540,000 signatures needed to put his recall on the ballot next year. The petition drive is expected to start next week.

After he assumed office this year, Walker pushed through a new law that sharply restricted the bargaining rights of most state employees. The action made him a central figure in a push by conservatives across the nation to weaken public employee unions to ease state fiscal problems. On Tuesday, a similar law championed by Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich was rejected by voters.

But Wisconsin law does not allow a public referendum on such a question, so opponents are hoping to use the recall mechanism to replace Walker and then repeal the law.

The Ohio vote shows that some voters believe that conservative governors have overreached, but it's not clear they would go beyond striking down a specific law to oust a governor.

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