Milwaukee Gets Court Orders To Stop Enforcing Residency Requirements

Milwaukee remains under temporary court order to stop fighting the state budget’s relaxing of local public employee residency requirements.

The Milwaukee police union has gone to court, asking that the city of Milwaukee drop its plans to ignore state budget orders to let police and fire department employees to live outside the city. The city argues that a home rule provision of the state Constitution trumps the budget. But this week, a Milwaukee County judge put a temporary hold on the city policy.

Governor Scott Walker says eventually the state will win a more permanent victory.

“We think ultimately the courts will uphold the law, just like they have the last two and a half years,” says Walker. “They’ve repeatedly upheld laws I’ve signed into effect here in this state.”

Walker hasn’t always won the courts, but the city has agreed to the temporary hold, as another judge looks at the merits of the police union’s case. Yesterday after a status conference, the second judge set another conference for next week.