As everyone knows by now, the Democrats in the Wisconsin state senate took a powder yesterday, fleeing the state to deny the body a quorum and force a pause in Governor Scott Walker’s plan to eviscerate the state’s public employee unions. Early yesterday evening the senate’s Reupublican leadership bowed to reality and put the senate into recess for the night.

Here’s the latest:

Wisconsin’s Dem state senators are still AWOL in Illinois, but Jesse Jackson made an appearance today in the capitol rotunda, addressing the crowd of activists who have packed the building in recent days. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka also addressed the crowd.

The head of the state’s largest public employees union offered to compromise on benefits if Walker would back down on the union-busting component of the bill. Walker quickly rejected the proposal.

Milwaukee teachers staged a sick-in today, closing the city’s schools for the first time since the current crisis began. Madison’s schools were closed today for the third day in a row.

United Council, the Wisconsin statewide student group, said 11,000 UW students from across the state would be converging on Madison for an afternoon rally.

Update | Wow. Republicans in the state assembly just tried to pass the budget bill while most of the chamber’s Democrats were off the floor — apparently by starting the meeting earlier than scheduled and rushing through the preliminary steps. Democrats stormed into the room moments before passage, and managed to get the clock rolled back to the beginning of the process. The Assembly then abruptly adjourned until next Tuesday.