League pleased WEC has stood up to Trump administration request for Wisconsin voter data, says transportation infrastructure should not be financed with debt.

MADISON - State election officials Thursday received letters from Vice Chair Kris Kobach of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity requesting a list of their voter rolls, including sensitive information, such as date of birth and partial Social Security number. The letter noted that any information provided to the Commission will be available to the public. While most of the Wisconsin voter file is public information, Wisconsin law prohibits Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) from sharing sensitive information.

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin sent a letter this morning to the WEC urging it to withhold sensitive information and also to charge the usual fee of $12,500 for the data sharing request. We were pleased when the WEC issued a statement at noon saying that is exactly what it will do.

As the legislature’s budget committee grappled last week with the Transportation budget, the League sent this statement urging the committee to delay major new road construction and focus on maintaining and repairing current roads and bridges instead. We said the transportation infrastructure should not be financed with debt, nor should it be pitted against other critical services such as public education. The League urged the Committee instead to add a per-mile fee on heavy trucks, which do the most infrastructure damage, and to consider raising the gas tax and indexing it to inflation. 

Here is a great article about how Iowa has avoided problems with gerrymandered voting districts. There are currently proposals before the Wisconsin Legislature which would adopt the Iowa plan for redistricting. Contact your State Senator and Assembly Representative and tell them AB 44 and SB 13 should have a hearing.

To find your own legislators, click here and enter your address under Find My Legislators, next to the little green map of Wisconsin.