You can look at this news as evidence that Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are willing to make the hard choices, even when it hits them personally . . . or you can wonder if particular powers in the education establishment in that state are lashing out at spouses because they can’t lash out at lawmakers:
HUSTISFORD — The wife of the Wisconsin Senate Majority leader is among state employees who have received preliminary layoff notices.
Lisa Fitzgerald is a counselor in the Hustisford school district and is married to Republican Senator Scott Fitzgerald.
Superintendent Jeremy Biehl says the school board decided Wednesday night to send preliminary layoff slips to all 34 members of the teaching staff, including librarians and counselors.
Biehl says the action was taken because of the uncertainty of the state budget bill.
Biehl says the district is following the advice of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards which urged local school officials to decide on staff cuts by Monday, or risk having those layoffs challenged later in court.
Since every employee in the district is at risk of a layoff, it’s hard to argue that the superintendent targeted Fitzgerald to send a message to her husband. But it’s hard to believe that the school authorities were completely oblivious to the political implications of the potential layoff.