Proposals from Republicans are a distraction from the work they are refusing to do to address the fact of Wisconsin’s racial disparities says Agard.

MADISON- Yesterday, several bills were circulated for legislative consideration that would prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in schools. The proposals would affect the University of Wisconsin System schools as well as our K-12 schools.

Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the proposals:

“These are not reasonable proposals - they are a white washing of our history.

“We must face and address our past wrongs in order to move forward and be a more just and equitable state. We must acknowledge the history and experiences of all Americans in order to create a better society for everyone. To ignore and blatant disregard our nation's history of oppression, and continued oppression, especially of communities of color only sets us farther back.

“These proposals from my Republican colleagues are a distraction from the work they are refusing  to do to address the fact that Wisconsin’s racial disparities are pervasive.

“Enough with the theatrics - let’s start doing work that will truly help all Wisconsinites, not further drive people apart.”

MADISON - I hope you’re having a good week.

Here are two actions I’d like you to take:

1.     Tell your legislators to oppose Assembly Bill 369 relating to the timeline for local redistricting in Wisconsin following the 2020 federal decennial census.

This is a bill whose draft we were notified about last Friday as Memorial Day weekend was starting. It was formally introduced on Tuesday, the Assembly committee public hearing held yesterday, and it is on the agenda for a vote without a hearing in the Senate committee tomorrow morning! That’s far from adequate process. On substance, the bill would postpone the redistricting of local political districts until 2023. It would unconstitutionally disadvantage local communities, such as Madison, that have grown in population, and it would also let the State Legislature impose boundaries on local communities after that, which goes against the traditional way of Wisconsin, which starts the redistricting process from the local level on up, as I noted in my testimony here:

Don't Extend the Gerrymander

>>>Contact Assembly committee members and your legislators and strongly urge they oppose AB369.

2.     Sign the Fair Maps petition.

As part of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, we’re encouraging all of our members to sign this petition demanding that our legislators pass nonpartisan redistricting legislation:

>>>Tell Your Legislators to Pass Fair Maps

Thanks for taking these two actions to keep the heat on the Legislature!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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MILWAUKEE - We discuss Legislative Republican’s scheming with their corporate patrons such as Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce (WMC) to gin up a fake “worker shortage” to punish the unemployed. Does Robin Vos really believe Wisconsinites are lazy and irresponsible or is he just trying to exploit the working class? In a clear effort to mobilize a 2022 off-year election base of anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, Legislative Republicans are supporting bills to make anti-vaxxers a protected category and pumping life into the “Big Lie” with bogus “Arizona style” voter fraud investigations into the 2020 election. Meanwhile new data from the Wisconsin Election Commission demonstrates minuscule voter fraud in Wisconsin elections, most of it generated by Jim-Crow still disenfranchisement of released prisoners. We close with a discussion on the centrality of the Senate filibuster in the success of the Biden agenda, addressing the nation’s major challenges and needs, and the survival of democracy itself.

Listen Now – Episode #495
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MADISON - This morning, our colleague Iuscely Flores represented the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign at a press conference called by BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing in Community) to condemn the pitiful proposals by the Legislature on policing. Here’s the statement that she read:

Wisconsin Legislature Fails on Police Overhaul

Flores also wrote a strong piece denouncing the new onerous requirements for people to receive unemployment compensation:

Republicans’ 21st Century Attack on the Poor

Our research team tracked down the top 10 contributors to the outside spending groups called 527s:

Wisconsin Contributors Gave $4.4M+ to Outside Smear Groups in 2020

Here’s the talk I gave at the rally to ban gerrymandering on May 17:

We Deserve Fair Maps.
(click the photo for a video highlight. Go here for the full 45-minute rally video).

And by the way, we had a fun annual gathering last week, by Zoom.

State Rep. Francesca Hong gave us an inside look on what it’s like for her to work in the Legislature. She was characteristically outspoken: “It’s a frustrating and incredibly racist” place, she said, but she hasn’t lost faith in “people power.”

Urban Milwaukee Editor Bruce Murphy thanked us for being of such assistance to reporters with our invaluable database.

And I offered my reflections, which you can read here: A Year to Forget, and to Remember.

You can also view the entire 90-minute program of the gathering by clicking here.

I hope you have a nice long holiday weekend!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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P.S. If you like the work we’re doing, please send us a tax-deductible gift by clicking here or by mailing it the old-fashioned way to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 203 S. Paterson St, Suite 100, Madison WI 53703. Thanks!

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address on the Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Recovery Grant Program. The grants will provide up to $420 million in $5,000 grants to as many as 84,000 Wisconsin small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with annual gross revenue between $10,000 and $7 million. To apply for these grant funds, small businesses should visit revenue.wi.gov. Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Mon., June 7, 2021.

Audio file of Radio Address.

Hello Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers here.

Wisconsin continues to be a national and regional leader in getting available vaccine in arms. With everyone 12 and older eligible to get the vaccine, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and look ahead to our economic recovery.

Our Main Street businesses have been hit hard this past year. We know if we’re going to bounce back from COVID-19, we have to get support to small businesses across our state to help them get through this pandemic and make it to the other side.

In April, I announced we’d be using our American Rescue Plan Act funds to do just that. We announced our Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Recovery Grant program that will provide up to $420 million in grants to help as many as 84,000 small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

These businesses will receive $5,000 that can be used to restock shelves, catch up on bills, rehire and retain workers, and continue to help keep their customers, employees, and our communities safe as we work to bounce back together.

Applications for this program opened earlier this week and will be accepted through June 7th, so don’t wait! If you’re a small business owner in Wisconsin with an annual gross revenue between $10,000 and $7 million, head to revenue.wi.gov to apply today.

Thank you.

MILWAUKEE - We welcome Citizen Action’s Movement Politics Director, JoAnna Bautch, to discuss her new podcast, This is NOT that, which was launched this Tuesday on the 1 year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The panel reviews the BadgerCare legislative special session that came and went quickly while Legislative Republicans spent time attacking transgendered kids and severely cutting public school funding. Robert discusses the reasons behind a new exodus of teachers in Wisconsin and how the state opening up too soon is a threat to those with pre-existing conditions and suppressed immunity. State Senator Chris Larson enters the U.S. Senate race while the GOP attacks Sarah Godlewski and national Democrats and all mainline pundits increasingly agree that the GOP is a threat to democracy itself. We close by welcoming Citizen Action Driftless Organizing Cooperative organizer, Ben Wilson, to discuss the proposed expansion of the Roth Feeder Pig CAFO in Crawford County and local efforts to stop it.

Listen Now – Episode #494
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Anti-Trans bills would prohibit trans-youth from participating in high school or collegiate sports.

MADISON - Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Human Services, Children and Families heard two bills that would prohibit transgender youth from participating in high school and collegiate sports. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the public hearing:

“All kids deserve to know and feel safe, loved, and that they are a part of our communities - no matter their identity. All kids deserve to participate in healthy activities that make them happy. These bills we heard today are cruel and will cause harm to trans-youth across the state. The simple proposal of these bills and the moving of them through the committee process will only cause harm to trans-youth.

“These are children who often feel as though they don’t belong - we are only further harming trans-youth. Studies have shown that having trans-inclusive policies does not harm cis-gendered children, but having trans-exclusive policies harms trans-youth significantly. These bills are born out of ignorance and transphobia. We need to be doing more to protect LGBTQ youth in Wisconsin and in fact do all we can to ensure they are treated fairly.

“To all transgender youth, I see you, I hear you, I celebrate you, and I will stand with you. I will be voting against this legislation and I will continue to oppose these discriminatory bills throughout the legislative process.”

MADISON, WI- Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Legislature was scheduled to meet in special session to expand BadgerCare and invest federal funding in dozens of projects around the state. This session was gaveled in and gaveled out with no debate or a vote on these measures. On this, Representative Stubbs released the following statement:

“Today, Assembly Democrats stood up against partisan inaction, and for the people of Wisconsin. Expanding BadgerCare coverage and investing in our communities is what Wisconsinites need. After witnessing a global pandemic, it is unconscionable that these common sense proposals were not voted on today.”

“Governor Evers and Assembly Democrats are committed to investing in a better tomorrow. Investing in our roads and expanding broadband access will stimulate our economy. Expanding access to mental and physical health resources will make Wisconsin a better place to live. In order to make a difference tomorrow, we need to take action today”

“As elected leaders, we cannot continue to turn our backs on the people that we represent. Wisconsin is still faces the worst healthcare outcomes for Black mothers and Black children. Expanding the BadgerCare eligibility would make healthcare more accessible to more people, including the Black families that need help in our state. Inaction is an injustice to all people that call Wisconsin home”

MADISON – Wisconsin State Senator LaTonya Johnson (D – Milwaukee) made the following statement regarding the refusal by legislative Republicans to vote to save the state money by expanding BadgerCare in Wisconsin, as called for by Gov. Evers’ special session:

“During a once-in-a-century deadly pandemic, communities of color were hit especially hard all across our nation. Wisconsin has some of the worst infant mortality rates for African American children and is deemed as the worst place in the country to raise a Black child.  It is disturbing to see Republicans still treat Wisconsinites like political pawns rather than human beings that have a right to afford quality health care.

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that legislative Republicans again turned their back on the people they are supposed to represent and did not even show up to debate why. It is a dangerous pattern for Republicans who control the Legislature to ignore the will of the people in our state, especially when it jeopardizes the health of our families and rejects one billion dollars that could be spent on improving our communities.”

MILWAUKEE - Our panel discusses Senator Ron Johnson’s continued anti-vaccination lies while the county struggles with slowing vaccination rates. How many will die because of Johnson’s political ambitions and loyalty to the ex President?

We update the state budget battle following Republican’s action in the Joint Finance Committee to strip hundreds of popular items. We also review the latest rash of terrible GOP bills on everything from school vouchers to more attacks on the voting process being pushed through the Legislature and certain to be vetoed by Governor Evers. Vital Federal pandemic recovery money will start to roll out to states and local governments as Wisconsin discovers our share will be $700 million less. Legislative Republicans are also preparing to impose more Unemployment Insurance barriers to acquiring vitally needed benefits, following other red state Governor’s blaming the unemployed, while a new conservative report pushes privatization of Wisconsin’s unemployment system in the wake of pandemic dysfunction at the agency. What could go wrong?

We close by encouraging our listeners to attend the Fair Maps Rally at the State Capitol next Monday, May 17th at Noon

LISTEN NOW – EPISODE #492
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