Despite the governor’s calls for their return, the missing Senate Democrats still refuse to come back to Wisconsin, and their Republican colleagues will begin voting on non-fiscal bills today.

The Senate needs at least one Democratic senator to be present to vote on the budget repair bill. But the Republican senators represent enough of the Senate to begin proceedings on non-fiscal bills today without the Democrats present, said Andrew Welhouse, spokesperson for Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.

Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, said he anticipated the Republicans would continue Senate proceedings without the Democrats because the governor is very serious about pushing his agenda to put the fiscal house in order. He said the Republicans’ decision to convene a Senate session would not persuade the 14 senators to come back because there is little the Democrats could do against a party with majority in the chamber.

“[The Republicans] have a pretty radical agenda and they’ll go through with it whether we’re there or not,” Erpenbach said. “I’m sure they’d love to pass this stuff without any debate at all.”

Erpenbach also said he does not believe the Republicans will draft a separate bill to end collective bargaining for state employee union members as a way to bring the Democrats back to Wisconsin.

Welhouse also said Republicans will not draft such legislation.

All 14 Senate Democrats left the state last Thursday to prevent a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. They believed fleeing was their only option as Republicans have rarely voted for Democratic amendments to Walker’s special session legislation. In a press conference Monday, Walker asked again that the missing Democrats return and do their jobs.

“You’ve had your time, now it’s time to come home,” Walker said. “The time is up, it’s time to come back and participate in democracy.”

Although the Legislative Fiscal Bureau said the provision in Walker’s bill that limits collective bargaining among state union membership is not a fiscal issue – which means Republicans could draft a bill focused only on limiting bargaining and pass it without the missing Democrats – Walker said collective bargaining rights are connected with the economy in important ways.

Although a Senate committee will be voting on the voter ID bill today, the Senate will not be taking up controversial bills like voter ID tomorrow, Welhouse said. He said there could be a vote on voter ID later this week.

The non-fiscal items scheduled to be heard include the appointment of Eloise Anderson to secretary of the Department of Children and Families, a bill relating to investment credits for dairy and livestock farms, and a resolution commending the Green Bay Packers on their fourth Super Bowl win, according to the Senate calendar.

The Assembly is scheduled to hear the budget repair bill today. Democratic representatives have been busy drafting amendments since last Friday when Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, decided to adjourn after Republicans failed to vote to put the budget repair bill in an unamendable stage.

The Senate and Assembly wings will be closed to the public for tomorrow. The Assembly galleries will be open to the public but only after onlookers successfully pass through metal detectors, according to a statement from the Assembly sargent in arms.