(WI) "Bill could wreck mass transit; millions in federal aid at stake":

Public transit could come to a halt in La Crosse if the deadlocked Legislature passes Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill as written.

Federal funding accounts for about 35 percent of the Metropolitan Transit Utility’s operating budget, and that $1.9 million in aid requires a collective bargaining agreement with employees.

Walker’s proposal, which prohibits collective bargaining for most state and local government workers, could jeopardize that funding, according to analysis by the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

“You take that kind of hit … and what do you have left?” said Keith Carlson, La Crosse’s transit manager. “That’s just on the operating side.”

WASHINGTON -- Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law, he could be forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.

Under an obscure provision of federal labor law, states risk losing federal funds should they eliminate "collective bargaining rights" that existed at the time when federal assistance was first granted. The provision, known as "protective arrangements" or "Section 13C arrangements," is meant as a means of cushioning union (and even some non-union) members who, while working on local projects, are affected by federal grants.

It also could potentially hamstring governors like Walker who want dramatic changes to labor laws in their states. Wisconsin received $74 million in federal transit funds this fiscal year. Of that, $46.6 million would be put at risk should the collective-bargaining bill come to pass -- in the process creating an even more difficult fiscal situation than the one that, ostensibly, compelled Walker to push the legislation in the first place.

The governor is certainly aware of this. While the potential loss of funds may have escaped the attention of many observers, sources familiar with the state's transportation policy tell The Huffington Post that Walker's office has been informed of the relevant legal language. Moreover, in an a nearly unnoticed report filed by the state's Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the non-partisan budget scorekeeper, the stakes are laid fairly bare.