The Wisconsin Cheese Showdown

[Lunar]

Why is it even necessary to run to another state or wherever? Is there some bizarre law in the U.S that means that legislators can be forced to attend? I remember being confused over the Texas thing for the same reason.

Yes.

http://www.slate.com/id/2285532/

"The chief clerk shall immediately call the roll of the members, and note the absentees, whose names shall be read, and entered upon the journal in such manner as to show who are absent with leave and who are absent without leave. The chief clerk shall furnish the sergeant at arms with a list of those who are absent without leave, and the sergeant at arms shall forthwith proceed to find and bring in such absentees."

[Lunar]

Why is it even necessary to run to another state or wherever? Is there some bizarre law in the U.S that means that legislators can be forced to attend? I remember being confused over the Texas thing for the same reason.

Yes.

http://www.slate.com/id/2285532/

"The chief clerk shall immediately call the roll of the members, and note the absentees, whose names shall be read, and entered upon the journal in such manner as to show who are absent with leave and who are absent without leave. The chief clerk shall furnish the sergeant at arms with a list of those who are absent without leave, and the sergeant at arms shall forthwith proceed to find and bring in such absentees."

That is absolutely and utterly insane.

I'm not sure how many states have these laws, but they do seem to be rather impractical, don't they?

[Lunar]

This sets a TERRIBLE precedent... if you can't win a legislative fight, just abandon your job.  Sure, it's just once now, but soon it'll turn into only for "important" bills, and then you'll see it happening for pretty much everything.

Look at what happened with the filibuster... it's become abused to the point that it's now a procedural motion that nearly every bill has to overcome.

If the bill wasn't a real problem, they would not have gone to such lengths. I think that some procedural measures like this are necessary, to guard against the majority overstepping with legislation.

This isn't procedural... this is not doing your job.  Procedure is a filibuster or other actions in the chambers.  Leaving the state is leaving your job.

It's like going on strike, regardless of which side of the Wisconsin-Illinois border they are on -- but striking is not the same abandonment of responsibility that the phrase "leaving your job" would imply

[Lunar]

GAME OVER

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/wisconsin-democrats-to-end-exile/game-over/