MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vowed Thursday to call a special session of the Legislature to restore collective rights for public employees if he’s elected guv.

But former Dane County Exec Kathleen Falk countered at a forum hosted by unions and progressive groups that such a move was not enough and again pledged to use the budget to restore those powers.

“You’ve got to be serious about restoring it, and it’s not enough to introduce a bill. It’s not enough to call a special session because the Legislature doesn’t have to come,” said Falk, who has been endorsed by several public employee unions. “There is only one bill that has to pass, and that’s the budget bill, and that’s the way to do it, and that’s what I’m committed to doing.”