Look for Progress 2011: Everyday Heroes in the Sunday, Feb. 27 edition of the Albert Lea Tribune. Read about dozens of inspirational stories about interesting community members, leaders in faith, rising sports stars, businesses that rock, your amazing neighbors, education standouts, and your all-around heroes in the Sunday Tribune.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Democrats in the state Assembly agreed to a deal in the pre-dawn hours Thursday to limit debate and reach a vote, perhaps by midday, on a bill taking away public workers’ collective bargaining rights. Republican leadership in the Senate meanwhile dispatched police officers to the homes of some of the 14 Democratic lawmakers who have been on the run for a week to avoid voting on the proposal, to compel them to return.

The early morning action Thursday was designed to force a vote on Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s bill that has made Wisconsin the focus of a multiple state effort to curb union rights. The Assembly deal announced shortly after 6 a.m. followed more than 42 hours of debate that began Tuesday morning.

“We will strongly make our points, but understand you are limiting the voice of the public as you do this,” said Democratic state Rep. Mark Pocan of Madison. “You can’t dictate democracy. You are limiting the people’s voice with this agreement this morning.”

The Senate convened at 7 a.m. for long enough to make a call of the house, which allows for the sergeant at arms staff to go to the homes of missing lawmakers with police. The lawmakers can’t be arrested, but Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said he hoped it would pressure them to return. He would not say how many Democrats were being targeted, but he said it was more than one.

“Every night we hear about some that are coming back home,” Fitzgerald said.

Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who is in the Chicago area, said all 14 senators remain outside of Wisconsin and would not return until Walker is willing to compromise.

“It’s not so much the Democrats holding things up, it’s really a matter of Gov. Walker holding things up,” Erpenbach said.

Tens of thousands of people have protested the bill for nine straight days, with hundreds spending the night in sleeping bags on the hard marble floor of the Capitol as the debate was broadcast on monitors in the rotunda. Many of them were still sleeping when the deal to only debate 38 more amendments, for no more than 10 minutes each, was announced. The timing of the agreement means the vote could come as soon as noon Thursday.

Democrats, who are in the minority, don’t have the votes to stop the bill once the vote occurs.

Passage of the bill in the Assembly would be a major victory for Republicans and Walker, but the measure must still clear the Senate. Democrats there left town last week rather than vote on the bill, which has stymied any efforts there to take it up.

The battle over labor rights has been heating up across the country, as new Republican majorities tackle budget woes in several states. The GOP efforts have sparked huge protests from unions and their supporters and led Democrats in Wisconsin and Indiana to flee their states to block measures.

Republicans in Ohio offered a small concession on Wednesday, saying they would support allowing unionized state workers to collectively bargain on wages — but not for benefits, sick time, vacation or other conditions. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal also would allow most public workers to collectively bargain only for wages.

In Ohio, Republican Senate President Tom Niehaus denied protests have dented the GOP’s resolve, saying lawmakers decided to make the change after listening to hours of testimony. He said he still believes the bill’s core purpose — reining in spending by allowing governments more flexibility in dealing with their workers — is intact.