Commentary
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Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky
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Friday, 22 October 2021 10:07 |
MILWAUKEE - We discuss breaking deals and compromises in the historic Build Back Better negotiations in Congress. Will the Democrats be able to bring their two rogue Senators into line, or do their corporate paymasters want to sink reform? Is a smaller version of Build Back Better still worth having? Next, we discuss Wednesday’s failed U.S. Senate vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, Senator Manchin's slimmed down version of electoral reform. Does the GOP use of the filibuster to block even debating the bill mean Democrats can finally do away with the Jim Crow and slavery era relic? Back in the Badger State, Republicans release outrageously gerrymandered maps. Will Governor Evers step up and veto them? A national report ranks Wisconsin the state with the worst Black incarceration, and if things could not get even worse, the Senate GOP passes a pro-child labor bill. We close the show with a look at the GOP’s national school board strategy to bully and remove school board members who stand up for public health, and GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Rebecca Kleefisch's role.
Listen Now - Episode #515 Download Mp3 |
Last Updated on Friday, 22 October 2021 10:15 |
Commentary
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Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild
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Friday, 22 October 2021 09:46 |
MADISON - Meet the new gerrymander, same as the old gerrymander. Wednesday, Speaker Vos and Majority Leader LeMahieu unveiled their new district maps for the state, and they’re just as bad as they were last time around, as I explain here: Stop the GOP Re-Rigging of Our Maps The bills were introduced as SB621/AB624 for legislative maps and SB622/AB625 for congressional maps. >> A joint committee public hearing on the new maps has been scheduled for October 28 at 9 a.m. Plan to attend the hearing as well as the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition press conference prior to the hearing at 8:30 a.m. This will most likely be the only public hearing on the bills. >> Please contact your state legislators before the hearing on October 28 and tell them to vote against these re-rigged maps. And urge Gov. Evers to veto these bills if they arrive on his desk. We also have got to get rid of the filibuster. The logjam in Congress just stalled the Freedom to Vote Act, which is a crucial bill for safeguarding our democracy, as I noted here: Pass the Freedom to Vote Act My colleague, Iuscely Flores, wrote an important story this week about a package of bills in the state legislature that would address the gross disparities in maternal and infant mortality in Wisconsin. Please check it out: Wisconsin Needs Birth Equity >> You can use this online tool to contact your legislators to support Birth Equity in Wisconsin. And we also published a piece about who is behind the ludicrous idea to have an open season on Sandhill cranes: Ag, Hunting Groups Favor GOP Sandhill Crane Hunt Proposal Thanks for reading, and thanks for taking action.
Best, Matt Rothschild Executive Director
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Commentary
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Written by GOV Press Wisconsin
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Friday, 22 October 2021 09:38 |
MADISON — On Thursday, Gov. Tony Evers delivered the Democratic Radio Address highlighting investments made to enhance broadband access and infrastructure across the state, including $100 million in Broadband Access Grants funded through the American Rescue Plan Act announced last week.
Audio files of Radio Address.
Hi, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.
Over the last 18 months, the pandemic underscored—and in many ways made worse—the digital divides that exist across our state.
As kids and educators turned their kitchens into classrooms, doctor’s appointments moved to telemedicine, and businesses worked to shift to offering online services, we saw firsthand that lack of access to reliable, high-speed internet was a challenge for so many.
That’s why I declared 2021 the Year of the Broadband Access in Wisconsin, and it’s why we’ve continued to make huge, exciting investments in broadband infrastructure.
I’m proud that in the budget I recently signed we provided $129 million for broadband expansion projects, and just last week we announced the recipients of $100 million in Broadband Access Grants that we funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
These 83 projects will help expand broadband to more than 28,426 residential locations and 1,490 businesses that are currently unserved or underserved across 40 counties and three tribal communities.
And altogether, our 2019, 2020, and 2021 state broadband expansion grants and our federally-funded CARES Act and ARPA broadband grants have provided or are going to provide more than 300,000 homes and businesses with access to new or improved service.
Folks, that’s a heckuva big deal. Having reliable, high-speed internet access is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for our schools, families, healthcare systems, and businesses alike.
But we can’t—and won’t—stop there. Whether it’s expanding broadband to our rural schools, hospitals, businesses, and communities or raising standards on download and upload speeds, we’re going to keep working to make sure every community in our state gets connected.
Thank you. |
Commentary
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Written by Gordon Hintz Press, Rep. 54th Assembly District
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Friday, 22 October 2021 08:47 |
The level of contempt by Wisconsin Republicans for democracy and the people of our state never ceases to amaze me, says Hintz.
MADISON – Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) issued the following statement:
“These new maps are nothing more than gerrymandering 2.0. What Republicans have unveiled is simply a minor retooling of maps that were already found unconstitutional by the courts, using the same corrupt and secretive methods as last time around.
“The level of contempt by Wisconsin Republicans for democracy and the people of our state never ceases to amaze me.” |
Commentary
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Written by Janet Bewley Press, State Senator Dist 25
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Thursday, 21 October 2021 10:17 |
GOP bills blatantly ignore science and give credibility to false, unsafe, and inflammatory rhetoric, says Bewley.
Madison, WI – Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate passed several pieces of legislation which would limit access to safe, legal abortion, contraceptives, and reproductive freedom. After the session, Senate Democratic Leader Janet Bewley (D-Mason) released the following statement:
“Today was another missed opportunity for Senate Republicans to pass legislation that actually helps the wellbeing of children and families in our state. We could have voted on meaningful policy for Wisconsin mothers and infants, such as the proposed Birth Equity Act. Instead, the Republican majority once again chose to play politics with the health of Wisconsin women.
“These bills blatantly ignore science and give credibility to false, unsafe, and inflammatory rhetoric, posing great danger to those seeking abortion care. Wisconsin is regarded as one of the worst states for maternal and child health outcomes. These bills would make the problem worse by shutting down clinics and limiting options for reproductive health.
“The bills passed today represent how unwilling Republicans are to believe their own constituents. The vast majority (79%) of Americans support legal abortion, but Republicans choose to appease their base.
“I am thankful that Governor Evers will veto these horrendous bills. However, I am equally disheartened that the majority party ignores their own constituents and wastes time creating theater of the absurd.” |
Commentary
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Written by Melissa Agard Press
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Wednesday, 20 October 2021 16:17 |
MADISON - Today, the State Senate will vote on a slate of anti-abortion bills aimed at demonizing and limiting access to abortion in Wisconsin. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the bills on the floor today:
“Everyone in our state needs to understand why these bills are being brought forward. Partisan gerrymandering has led to extreme districts that elect extreme politicians who support extreme policies. The gerrymandered majority in Wisconsin does not reflect the will of the people who overwhelming believe legal abortion must be available in Wisconsin. Until legislative districts are un-rigged, we will continue to see an agenda that is out of touch with what ordinary Wisconsinites are asking for.
“Let me say this loud and clear: abortion is healthcare. If we want Wisconsinites to have the opportunity to live healthy lives, abortion has to be an option for anyone seeking that care and it must be accessible.
“Throughout this session, we have seen a disappointing and recurring pattern from GOP legislators limiting health options and access for ordinary Wisconsinites. They did this through not expanding BadgerCare access to over 90,000 Wisconsinites. They did it again by stripping Governor Evers’ Healthy Women, Healthy Babies initiative from the budget. Now, they are doing it again by bringing these anti-abortion bills forward, rather than passing legislation that would expand access to care and increase positive health outcomes.
“Gerrymandered maps brought us to where we are today. It is time that we put aside partisan games - let’s start actually doing work to benefit the health outcomes of Wisconsinites. The people of Wisconsin deserve better than this.” |
Commentary
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Written by Lena Taylor, State Senator, 4th District
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Tuesday, 19 October 2021 15:41 |
MADISON – Monday, Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement, regarding the passing of the 65th United States Secretary of State, General Colin Powell:
“Colin Powell was to my generation, what Barack Obama was to my son and his contemporaries. He helped Black people, he helped all of us, understand what was possible when we make a conscious decision to only see the individual. In a nation where race or politics have been flashpoints for division, Powell was able to move effectively through both realities. General Powell made the rest of us want to be better human beings. While acknowledging his many historic “firsts”, I am drawn to how he made me feel about my country, and his insistence that there was a place for all of us to be of service. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and thank them for the many years they shared him with us.” |
Commentary
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Written by GOV Press Wisconsin
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Thursday, 14 October 2021 13:21 |
As our state and economy continue to bounce back, we have the opportunity to not just recover from the pandemic but to build the sort of future we want for our state, says Governor.
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Read more...
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Commentary
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Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky
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Friday, 08 October 2021 20:30 |
MILWAUKEE - We welcome back former panelist Rebecca Lynch to the show to fill in for Claire who is on vacation. The panel updates the latest on Build Back Better legislation in Congress, including next steps now that Speaker Pelosi has delayed a vote in the House until the end of the month. Michael Gableman issued subpoenas in his phony election investigation to 5 Democratic cities this week, and he shamefully admitted he does not understand how elections work. This week 4 years ago Donald Trump and Scott Walker broke ground at the Fox con. We welcome U.S. Senate candidate Steven Olikara to discuss his campaign in our continuing effort to interview Democratic candidates willing to challenge Ron Johnson.
Listen Now - Episode #513 Download Mp3 |
Commentary
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Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild
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Friday, 08 October 2021 20:13 |
MADISON - The fishing expedition being conducted by Michael Gableman is disgusting, and I’m hoping you’ll write a letter to your local newspaper denouncing. Here are some points to make, in your own words. 1. Gableman is biased. He said publicly after the election that it was stolen, so how can such I biased person be in charge of this investigation? 2. One of his aides made a grotesque incitement to rightwing violence and corrupt law enforcement. The aide, Andrew Kloster, was a lawyer in the Trump Administration. Here’s what he said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Conservatives need our own "irate hooligans" as well as prosecutors who will "let our boys off the hook." 3. This is an outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars. Vos has allocated $676,000 of our tax dollars for this, even though the vote was already recounted and certified. This is just a partisan ploy to placate Vos’s base, and we, the taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for it. Your letter should be 200 words or less! To submit, just Google the name of your local newspaper and “letters to the editor,” and follow the instructions there. Please send me an email if your letter gets published. Thanks and good luck!
Best, Matt Rothschild Executive Director
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P.S. If you’d like me to look over your letter or help you with it, just email me at
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, and I’d be more than happy to. |
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