Losing Power from the Power: Milwaukee Democratic lawmakers took it on the chin from their colleagues after being unable to get elected to any leadership posts in either the Assembly -- which they just took over -- and the Senate. The top dogs decide the progress of bills, who gets to sit on what committee and even what bills will get introduced.

The biggest hit taken was by state Rep. Jon Richards, who represents the East Side and Bay View. He lost a bid to be speaker of the Assembly. Richards at one time was thought to have his sights set on the statehouse and a run for governor. The long-time assistant minority leader for the Dems, Richards did yeoman's work in helping get Democrats elected in the hinterlands of the state, spending substantial time even traveling in their districts. That's the thanks he gets.

Democrats have been the minority party in the Assembly for the past 14 years, causing many veteran Dems to leave because there was essentially nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs while Republicans ruled the roost.

Milwaukee lawmakers Sen. Lena Taylor and state Reps. Pedro Colon and Tamra Grigsby were selected to the 16-member Joint Finance Committee, which decides everything regarding the budget.

Sick Suit on the Way: To no one's surprise, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has chosen to go ahead with a lawsuit to stop the city from implementing a new ordinance that would require employers to give up to nine days of paid sick time for full time employees. The city must implement the measure after voters overwhelmingly approved the idea in a binding referendum Nov. 4.

"While we respect the good intentions advocates of this ordinance may have, the hard fact is that passage of this one-size-fits-all government has already had a chilling effect on business attitudes toward Milwaukee, " said MMAC president Tim Sheehy, adding that the city could face "dire economic consequences" as a result of the ordinance.

MMAC argues that the ordinance is legally flawed since it exceeds the legislative authority of the Common Council and the mayor. Its first action will be to ask for a restraining order to keep it from being enacted while the court case proceeds. The Common Council is required to write up the rule, but it has no vote on the matter.

Milwaukee City Attorney Grant Langley met with a Common Council committee regarding the new rule and the possible ramifications of it on Tuesday.