MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin's polarizing union rights law will take effect, thanks to a sharply divided ruling by the state Supreme Court that determined a judge overstepped her authority when she voided the governor's plan to curb collective bargaining rights for most public workers.

The ruling Tuesday evening was a major victory for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who said the law was needed to help address the state's $3.6 billion budget shortfall. His proposal -- which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the state Capitol for weeks earlier this year -- thrust Wisconsin to the forefront of a national debate over labor rights.

In a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, the Supreme Court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped when she declared the law void last month. Sumi sided with a lawsuit that claimed Republicans didn't provide proper public notice of a meeting that helped get the original legislation approved after Democratic senators fled the state to prevent a vote...