in february 2011, several freshmen republican governors began proposing legislation that would diminish the power of public employee labor unions by removing or negatively affecting their right to collective bargaining, claiming that these changes were needed to cut state spending and balance the states' budgets. these actions sparked public-employee protests across the country. in wisconsin, the veritable epicenter of the controversy, governor scott walker fought off a labor-fueled recall election, becoming the first state governor in u.s. history to defeat a recall against him.