The embattled governor of a neighboring state will be in Iowa later today for a private event that’s going to draw protesters.
The governor of the State of Wisconsin is due in Des Moines this evening to deliver a private speech at a banquet. Tickets range from $65 for members of the conservative “Heritage Foundation” to as much as $250 for students who aren’t Heritage Foundation members. The media is barred from the event.
Earlier this year Democrats and unions staged huge protests in Wisconsin’s capitol over Governor Scott Walker’s vow to scale back collective bargaining rights for all governments workers. Iowa labor unions and “Occupy Des Moines” protesters plan to picket outside the hotel where Walker is set to speak tonight.
Walker’s office issued a written statement through the Wisconsin Republican Party, saying Walker would talk tonight about the “successes seen in Wisconsin as a result of the recently enacted budget reforms.” Democrats in Wisconsin are gearing up to start collecting petition signatures in mid-November, with the goal of trying to force Walker into a recall election next year. The chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin issued a statement Monday, saying Wisconsin voters won’t be distracted by the effort.