Darin Von Ruden slams Ron Johnson for voting against the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Eau Claire, Wis. -- Thursday, Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden slammed Ron Johnson for voting against the bipartisan infrastructure bill and abandoning Wisconsin’s farming communities. The legislation includes funding to repair roads and bridges, invest in clean water infrastructure, and expand high-speed internet.

You can watch the full event here and see highlights of what Darin Von Ruden said below:

Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden: With the bipartisan infrastructure bill, we’ll have the support we need to help our farms and businesses grow and be better equipped to provide for our families and communities. Ron Johnson was soundly against even discussing what this bill could do for the agriculture sector in our state and is clearly in Washington to serve himself and those who can pay to play.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/voter-us-elections-s5.jpgCan this Legislature draw maps in an open, nonpartisan manner that reflects the will of all Wisconsinites, asks non-partisan election watchdogs.

MILWAUKEE - This week we welcome yet another U.S. Senate candidate, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, to discuss her primary campaign. This is our second in a series of interviews with the crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to face off against incumbent Senator and Trump sycophant Ron Johnson. Our panel also talks about the explosion of COVID and the return of masking for some businesses and local governments, while the Legislative Republicans move this week to bar the UW System from enacting COVID safety rules, endangering young people, university staff, and the communities in which they live. We also look at the eviction crisis, the important role of movement leaders like U.S. Rep. Cori Bush cutting through traditional political gridlock, and the hard path ahead to real structural reform.

Listen Now - Episode #504
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MADISON — With cases of COVID-19 once again rising in Wisconsin and across the nation due to the Delta variant, Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address urging Wisconsinites who have yet to receive their free, effective, and safe COVID-19 vaccine to do so as soon as possible. Getting shots in arms remains critical to ensuring the state and economy continue to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Audio file of Radio Address.

Hey, Wisconsin! Governor Tony Evers here.

Summer is in full swing, and boy, what a summer it’s been.

After following the science and working hard this past year to combat COVID-19, we’ve been able to start returning to doing the things we missed most: spending time with loved ones, traveling, enjoying all the things that make Wisconsin great.

I know we’re all ready to get back to our Wisconsin way of life, but we’re not out of the woods yet, folks.

This pandemic isn’t over, and the new Delta variant poses a serious threat to our public health—and to the progress we’ve made in trying to put this pandemic behind us.

We can’t afford to lose this important progress we’ve made. Making sure our state and our economy can recover depends on getting shots in arms so we can beat COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and it’s based on years of science and research. Millions of Americans have gotten their shot, and most with minimal side effects.

So, if you’ve already gotten your shot, please talk to your family members, your friends, and your neighbors about why you got the COVID-19 vaccine.

And if you still need to get your vaccine, talk to your family doctor about getting the vaccine or visit vaccines.gov and find a shot near you.

If we keep working together and doing our part to beat COVID-19, we can put this pandemic behind us once and for all.

Thank you.

MADISON - Tuesday, the University of Wisconsin - Madison announced that effective Thursday, August 5, all students, employees, and visitors to campus will be required to wear masks when inside campus buildings.

Representative Hong released the following statement:

“The Delta variant is currently raging throughout Wisconsin and the country. Cases are on the uptick and increased community spread of Covid-19 is more than likely if we do not take immediate measures to protect ourselves and our community.

Universities are hotbeds for viral transmissions, therefore there is no place for politics when it comes to the safety of our students, staff, and faculty. I condemn the actions of Republican legislators who seek to block our state’s universities from being able to require testing and masking.

The UW System has a right to keep its community safe, and I applaud their efforts in doing so. I remain a partner in the effort to ensure the safety of all Wisconsinites during this pandemic.”

The $10 million is in addition to the $140 million ARPA funding previously announced.

MADISON, WI- Today, Governor Evers announced a $10 million investment in Wisconsin’s tourism industry. On this announcement, Representative Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement

“As the Ranking Member for the Assembly Committee on Tourism, it is my pleasure to share today that Governor Tony Evers has announced a $10 million investment from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to local governments and tourism nonprofits. This investment will boost Wisconsin’s tourism industry, and strengthen our state’s economy as a whole.”

“Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry suffered immensely compared to other industries. By investing in our tourism infrastructure, we will create a foundation for the industry to recover and thrive. Our beautiful state is a great destination for people across this country, and the Department of Tourism is committed to maintaining Wisconsin as a memorable destination. By investing in our tourism industry, we are creating revenue streams that will pay off for years to come.”

“In 2020, despite all of the unprecedented events that occurred, the tourism industry continued to support almost 160,000 jobs and brought in $17.3 billion to our economy. Now as we progress towards bringing people back together safely, jobs will only become more available and Wisconsin’s economy will return stronger than ever. This $10 million boost is in addition to the ARPA funding previously announced by Governor Evers of $140 million, which includes:

• $75 million for lodging grants;
• $11.25 million for movie theaters;
• $12 million for live event small businesses;
• $2.8 million for minor league sports teams;
• $10 million for live venues;
• $15 million for destination marketing organizations;
• $8 million for summer camps;
• $1 million for the Wisconsin Historical Society to assist in reopening historical sites; and
• $7.5 million to increase marketing support for Wisconsin's tourism industry.

“I thank Governor Evers for all of his support and effort put into making sure that our most valuable industries can Build Back Better. By continuing to support our tourism industry, Wisconsin will be a place to create memories for generations to come.”

MILWAUKEE - We discuss this week’s apparent breakthrough in the U.S. Senate on a $1 trillion bi-partisan infrastructure bill. What’s in it, and is it really on track? We then evaluate the progressives’ two track strategy on infrastructure, and the threat from moderate Senator Kyrsten Sinema to derail the entire Biden Build Back Better agenda. In the state Legislature the Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce reveals their hand behind this week’s failed GOP effort to cut UI for workers with a veto override vote. Q Anon caucus member and Election Committee chair Rep. Janel Brandtjen embraces conspiracy theories and the “Big Lie” as she launches an Arizona-style fishing expedition of the 2020 election in Wisconsin. We review the CDC’s new recommendation for indoor masking where infection rates remain high and Sen. Johnson’s incorrect statement calling it a mandate and saying the CDC should stop making recommendations to end the spread of COVID. Finally, we celebrate Medicare and Medicaid’s 56th birthdays on Friday and Sen. Baldwin calls for rejecting Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan.

Listen Now - Episode #503
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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers delivered the Democratic Radio Address Thursday on his efforts to support Wisconsin's continued economic recovery with a groundbreaking $130 million investment in workforce solutions and proposed investments in education. The governor also underscored the need for providing additional state resources for areas including education, transportation, housing, and childcare to ensure Wisconsin continues to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.

Audio file of Radio Address.

Hi, Wisconsin! Governor Evers here.

A few weeks ago, I announced we are investing $130 million of our federal funds into workforce initiatives to help reduce barriers to employment and get folks back to work.

That investment includes $100 million to find real, long-term solutions to address these challenges at the local and regional level, $20 million to support job and training opportunities for workers through local employers, and $10 million to help get workers connected with jobs that are available.

These funds are a critically important first step to addressing the workforce challenges we face in Wisconsin.

But we also know addressing these problems means we need to make meaningful investments in things like childcare, transportation, and housing—things that are about quality of life in Wisconsin—to support the workers we have and bring new jobs and workers to our state.

And it also means investing in education. That’s why I called a special session of the Legislature to finish the work they started in the budget by investing more than $500 million in education, including more than $400 million for K-12 and more than $100 million for our UW and technical colleges.

I know what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. Unfortunately, Republicans gaveled out of my special session and rejected my plan to invest more than $500 million in our kids and our schools.

But here’s the deal, folks: if we want our state and our economy to continue recovering from this pandemic and we want to address our workforce challenges, we need to be investing in our kids and our schools, too—we know these investments will pay dividends for our state’s future.

This pandemic has underscored the challenges our state faces—from getting our kids and our schools the help they need to be successful next year, to making sure we find long-term solutions to our workforce challenges.

We have a lot of work to do to make sure our economy continues to recover from this pandemic, and we’re going to keep working to move forward, together.

As Republicans continue to play politics, Democrats fight for public education.

MADISON - Following Tuesday’s Wisconsin State Assembly floor session, Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement:

“Today, the Assembly had an opportunity to do what was best for Wisconsin kids by taking action in special session to invest $550 million in public education, which would restore critical funding that Republicans cut from Governor Evers’ original budget proposal. Education leaders at every level have been clear that our schools need these additional resources because if funding isn’t restored, districts in every corner of the state will be forced to lay off teachers, cut programs, or go to referendum.

“Assembly Democrats were proud to support more funding in Wisconsin schools, because there is nothing more important than our kids’ future. We strongly disagree with the Speaker that public education funding is a smokescreen. Or that our kids’ future is a smokescreen.  Instead of listening to Wisconsin’s school leaders and doing what they should have done from the beginning, Assembly Republicans ignored Gov. Evers’ call to action on education and chose to attempt a veto override, even though they knew their attempt would fail. Assembly Democrats were proud to uphold Gov. Evers’ veto.

“As Wisconsin works to recover from a devastating global pandemic, Republicans have done the bare minimum with respect to the priorities that matter to the people of Wisconsin, including education funding and economic investment. Wisconsin deserves better than Republicans’ perpetual political games.”

Source: Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau

MILWAUKEE - We welcome U.S. Senate candidate Chris Larson to the show to discuss his campaign in the crowded Democratic field. This is the first in our series of interviews of the major Democratic candidates to unseat Sen. Ron Johnson. How will Senator Larson differentiate himself from the other candidates? The panel updates listeners on the status of the important bipartisan Infrastructure bill, the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, and the filibusterer. The White House and many communities are considering a return to mask guidelines and mandates for the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike as the delta variant rampages through the unvaxed population.

Listen Now - Episode #502
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