Ald. Robert Bauman raised an interesting question duringMonday’s meeting of the Common Council’s Judiciary and Legislation Committee.

“Is that whole arrangement subject to an equal protection challenge?” he asked. He was referring to the way Gov. Scott Walker’s union-busting bill treated the police union (which would be able to arbitrate on an issue-by-issue basis under Walker’s bill) is treated better than even the firefighters’ union (still with collective bargaining rights, but no issue-by-issue arbitration under the Walker bill) and every other city union (totally screwed under the Walker bill).

Bauman’s question is met with a momentary silence that said it all.

“Very good,” he said then.

“Closed session,” Committee Chair Ald. Ashanti Hamilton told him.