The Wisconsin Senators who left the state to prevent a vote on a bill that would severely curtail public workers' collective bargaining rights, and the Governor, Scoot Walker are at odds over how to end the impasse. Democrats say that they are looking for a way to return to the state, even if it means allowing a vote on the bill. Republican Senators have questioned the Democrats' tactics and their sanity, but Democrats say that the bill goes too far. Though aids for the Governor met with Democrats on Wednesday, they did not reach an agreement, with both sides blaming the other. The Senators left the state on February 17. Protests against the bill have continued in Wisconsin, with thousands rallying in the capital.
See "Talks to Resolve Impasse in Wisconsin Flounder", Monica Davey, The New York Times, March 7, 2011