Act 10, a 13-year-old Wisconsin law that sharply curtailed the bargaining rights of most public employees and eroded the power of unions, was overturned by a Dane County judge Monday.

Efforts to overturn the law that put then-Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) in the national spotlight began late last year when seven unions and three union leaders brought the lawsuit. They argued Act 10 violated equal protection guarantees outlined in the Wisconsin Constitution by dividing public employees into two separate classes: “general” and “public safety” employees.