Friday March 29, 2024

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Wis Democracy Campaign - Stop Voter Suppression in Wis! PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild   
Friday, 26 February 2021 11:04

assembly-wi-robin-vosMADISON - This week, some GOP members of the State Legislature have been circulating a raft of ugly voter suppression bills. Here’s what we posted on them:

Say No to Voter Suppression Bills

I hope you’ll contact your legislators and urge them not to back these anti-democracy bills!

For our part, we’re doing all we can to oppose them. I’ve written op-eds for the Cap Times, the Wisconsin Examiner, and Urban Milwaukee about them, and I’ve been interviewed on WORT and the Devil’s Advocates. Plus, we’re working with our partners in the Wisconsin Voting Rights Coalition to get the word out.

This week, we also filed four formal complaints with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission when we discovered that the following committees accepted donations from corporations in excess of the $12,000 statutory limit:

-- Republican Assembly Campaign Committee
-- Committee to Elect a Republican Senate
-- Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee
-- Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Here’s our report on that:

Legislative Campaign Committees, State Party Accept Excessive Contributions

And if you want to find out which corporations gave the most to the legislative campaign committees and political parties in Wisconsin, we dug that out for you, too:

State Parties, Legislative Campaign Committees Accepted $1.6M in Corporate Contributions in 2020

As you can see, It’s been a busy week for us!

matt-rothschild-2018I hope you have a nice weekend.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

****

P.S. The Big Share online day of giving kicks off this year at 6:00PM, Monday, March 1, and goes through midnight on March 2! Please show your support for our good work by giving online here during those hours. Note that your gift may be doubled with matching funds from our Board of Directors when you give between the hours of 10:00-11:00AM on Tuesday, Please share The Big Share opportunity with your friends and colleagues! Learn more here--The Big Share. Thanks!

 
Gov. Evers Radio Address on Public Schools Week PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin   
Friday, 26 February 2021 10:03

student-on-sidewalkMADISON — Gov. Tony Evers Thursday delivered the Democratic Radio Address on Public Schools Week and his plan to invest in public education to ensure that every kid in Wisconsin has access to high-quality, public education from early childhood to K-12, to Wisconsin’s universities and technical colleges.

Audio file of radio address.

tony-evers-capHi everyone, Governor Tony Evers here.

The COVID-19 pandemic have affected all of us this past year—it’s affected how we live, learn, work, and communicate.

Nobody knows that better than our kids, parents, and educators who seemingly overnight had to adapt to learning and teaching from their kitchen tables over a thing called Zoom.

I know it hasn’t been easy, but as we celebrate Public Schools Week this week, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

As they always do, our educators have gone above and beyond to make sure our kids get the best education possible.

Because they believe, as I do, that what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state.

And at the end of the day, we know if we’re going to bounce back from COVID-19, then we have to start by making sure our kids are better off than when we started this pandemic.

That’s why my 2021-2023 budget proposal puts our kids first by restoring our commitment to two-thirds funding for our schools, investing $709 million in special education reimbursement, fully funding sparsity aid for our most rural schools, and investing more than $50 million in student mental health resources.

Every kid in our state should have access to high-quality, public education from early childhood to our university and technical college systems. And we have work to do to make that happen.

So, happy Public Schools Week, Wisconsin. Let’s get this done for our kids, for our schools, and for our state’s future. 

Thank you.

 
Ron Johnson & Legislative Republicans embrace conspiracy and voter suppression - Battleground Wisconsin Podcast PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky   
Friday, 26 February 2021 09:33

rojo-bgw-2021MILWAUKEE - Sen. Ron Johnson gushed bizarre conspiracy theories during a closely followed Senate hearing on the Capital insurrection, bringing national shame to himself and the Badger State he purports to represent. Is our senior senator off his rocker, or is he making a cynical ploy for the voters of wannabe authoritarian Donald Trump?

State Representative Supreme Moore-Omokunde joins us to discuss a new dump of voter suppression bills by legislative Republicans. Has the GOP given up on democracy and majority rule? Claire details the on-going racial inequity in the distribution of COVID vaccines nationally and in Wisconsin. Do politicians have the courage to insist on a just vaccine distribution or is it more business as usual?

A new unemployment bill with a poison pill moves in the Legislature and the fight for a $15/hour minimum wage takes center stage in Congressional COVID relief.

Listen Now – Episode #481
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Wis Democracy Campaign - Evers’s Bold Budget PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild   
Friday, 19 February 2021 14:33

tony-eversMADISON - I really liked Gov. Evers’s budget, and the way he talked about it, as I explain here:

Praise for Governor Evers’s Budget

If you liked it too, please write to your legislators and let them know the parts of his budget that are most important to you. Here’s some info on how you contact your legislators:

https://www.wisdc.org/get-involved/contact-your-legislator

Over the past few days, we’ve been busy following some money trails. One involves those bogus GOP “electors” who tried to present themselves as the real Wisconsin electors to the Electoral College. Here are the donations they’ve given to candidates in Wisconsin:

Accused GOP Electors Contributed Nearly $14K to State Candidates

And in a story that we broke at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Scott Fitzgerald, while he was Majority Leader in the State Senate, reached a settlement with the Wisconsin Ethics Committee for taking in contributions above the legal limit. And another campaign committee that he ran for Wisconsin candidates also had violations that it settled:

Fitzgerald Cited for Campaign Violation But Doesn't Pay Penalty

We also updated all the spending by PACs in last year’s elections. Here’s a handy little table of the spenders, from biggest to smallest:

Independent Expenditure Totals Fall 2020

matt-rothschild-2018As you can see, we’ve been keeping tabs!

I hope you find this information useful, and enjoy the warmer weather this weekend.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

P.S. Donating is easy. Just click here. Or donate the old-fashioned way by sending a check to us at 203 S. Paterson St, Suite 100, Madison WI 53703. We really appreciate it!

 
“Evers’ BOLD Budget” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky   
Friday, 19 February 2021 12:24

evers-bold-budgetMILWAUKEE - We discuss the bold two year state budget released this week by Governor Evers which includes major healthcare proposals like a BadgerCare Public Option, Climate reforms, and other major progressive policies. Does the Governor’s move towards the progressive wing of the Democratic Party show the power of public mobilization and organizing? We review Sen. QAnon Ron Johnson’s shameful week denying the armed insurrection on January 6. Is our wayward Senator hell bent on making himself a national laughing stock? Switching to the Biden Administration, we discuss a very important opportunity for progressives to pass an increase in the minimum wage to $15 in the next COVID relief bill. Finally, a new study released Thursday found the U.S. lost a whole year of life expectancy in 2020.

Listen Now – Episode #480
Download Mp3
Press Clips

 
Sen. Jon Erpenbach: A Call to Action PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Jon Erpenbach Press. State Senator 27th District   
Friday, 19 February 2021 12:23

coronavirus-small-businessWe must have a strong sense of community and watch out for our neighbors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, says Madison area Senator. Wear a mask to keep our communities safe and schools open.


MADISON - This past year has been tumultuous to say the least. We’ve missed out on time spent with friends and family, community events, festivals, and other social gatherings. It’s been difficult and challenging, but we have been resilient. While the vaccine offers a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, we still must work together to avoid more preventable deaths from COVID-19.

That’s the key. Working together as a team to continue wearing masks and social distancing to curb the spread of this virus.

For the last year, Governor Evers and the Department of Health Services have listened to the advice of health and science experts to pragmatically and calmly guide our state through this public health crisis.

What was he met with? Constant Republican obstruction and lawsuits to undermine those efforts. Think about that for a second. Republicans sued the Governor over something that has been scientifically proven to save lives. All while having no plan of their own to protect the health and wellbeing of Wisconsinites.

jon-erpenbach-2021We need to be on the same team when it comes to fighting this virus. But at the end of the day, we have to ask, what team are the Republicans playing for?

Almost a full year later and the Republican led legislature is pushing for legislation that prioritizes political interests rather than protect communities from the virus. Over 6,000 Wisconsinites have died, there’s a more contagious variant of the virus in the state and yet Republicans are fixated on eliminating a safety measure that could save lives.

Their actions will only prolong this crisis and lead to more preventable deaths.

Here in Wisconsin, we have a strong sense of community and watching out for our neighbors and this moment is a call to action. Now more than ever, we can and must wear a mask to keep our communities, schools and businesses a safe place to be and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Let’s all do our part to beat this. Mask up, Wisconsin.

****

Jon Erpenbach represents the 27th Senate District which covers Sauk, Dane, Iowa, Columbia and Green County.

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 February 2021 10:47
 
Gov. Radio Address - Badger Bounceback Plan to Help Families and Businesses PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin   
Friday, 19 February 2021 10:45

tony-eversMADISON — Gov. Tony Evers Thursday delivered the Democratic Radio Address on his Badger Bounceback plan to help families, businesses, and the state bounce back and better from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Audio file of radio address.

Hello, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here.

Right now Wisconsin is at a critical point in time. With COVID-19 affecting our state and the world, we have to face the problems this pandemic has brought to the forefront and not only put this virus behind us, but get beyond the pandemic so that we can move our state forward.

That is what my 2021-23 biennial budget proposal is all about. It provides the blueprint to ensure our state can bounce back and better than before.

And that starts by making unprecedented investments in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to help support our small businesses and economic development in our state.

Our Badger Bounceback plan makes a larger state investment into the WEDC than in the past three budgets combined. We’re putting $200 million into helping small businesses affected by the pandemic--including helping them retain and rehire the jobs they’ve lost. And we’re investing $100 million into a venture capital program to jumpstart innovation and startups in Wisconsin.

I was also proud today to sign AB 2 into law which will provide about $450 million in tax relief for Wisconsin businesses and $30 million in relief for Wisconsin’s low-income families.

After the year we’ve been through, we aren’t going to apologize for wanting more for each other—for our neighbors, for our kids, our parents and grandparents, and our state’s future.

Our Badger Bounceback agenda has bold solutions to address the urgent crisis we face, while investing in the future we want to build for our state, and many of our proposals have bipartisan support!

Let’s go forward together, let’s bounce back together, and let’s get this done. Thank you.

Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2021 17:18
 
Wis Democracy Campaign - $ in Superintendent Race PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild   
Friday, 12 February 2021 15:18

schoolsMADISON - Next Tuesday, we have an election for state school superintendent, and we’ve examined the money that’s been flowing into the race.

Here’s our report on the biggest individual contributors to the candidates:

Top Contributors in 2021 to the Candidates for State School Superintendent

And here’s our report on the special interest groups that are throwing around in that contest and in the special elections:

Special Interest Group Spending Tops $300K in Spring Races

This week, we also came up with a final tally on the record-breaking amount of money that was spent in the legislative races here in Wisconsin last year:

2020 Legislative Races Cost Record-Smashing $53.9M+

matt-rothschild-2018Today, my colleague Beverly Speer and I met with State Sen. Melissa Agard (formerly Sargent) to work on bills to limit this big money in our politics and to empower everyday Wisconsinites.

We all need to have an equal voice in our democracy!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*****

P.S. I hope you’ll support the urgent work we do here for a full democracy. Donating is easy. Just click here.
Or donate the old-fashioned way by sending a check to us at
203 S Paterson St, Ste 100, Madison WI 53703. We really appreciate it!

 
Gov. Radio Address - Investments Supporting Wisconsin's Kids, Families, and Caregivers PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin   
Friday, 12 February 2021 11:58

disability-oldMADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address on his announcement that his 2021-23 biennial budget will include major investments in childcare for kids and families and in caregiving for aging and older adults and individuals with disabilities to help support Wisconsin families and caregivers, and ensure high-quality care for Wisconsin's most vulnerable residents.

Audio file of radio address

tony-eversHi everyone, Governor Tony Evers here.

This past week I announced my 2021-2023 budget proposal will include hundreds of millions in investments supporting Wisconsin's kids, families, and caregivers.

Caring for our loved ones—from our kids to aging and older adults—should be affordable and accessible to every family, whether it’s having childcare so you can go to work or taking care of your kid, parent, or grandparent.

Even before the pandemic laid bare the issues we face as a state, we knew lack of access and affordability in the systems we use to support the people we care about was a major hurdle for families.

That's why I announced that my budget will build on the work of our Task Force on Caregiving by investing more than $600 million in Wisconsin's long-term care infrastructure, the direct care workforce, and family caregivers—to ensure that all Wisconsinites who depend on caregivers have access to affordable, quality care that allows them to live in dignity and respect, and that the folks providing that care are supported. 

And to ensure that every Wisconsin kid is taken care of, I am proposing directing $140 million over the biennium toward a new program to continue to address quality, affordability, and access, as well as equity within the childcare industry.

Investing in childcare, and caregiving and long-term care is as much a moral issue as it is an economic one. 

We have to do more to make sure families have quality, affordable childcare, that we're strengthening out caregiving workforce, and investing in long-term care, as these areas will be critical to our state's economic recovery. 

Thank you.

 
“Ruthlessness: The 10th Anniversary of Act 10” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast PDF Print E-mail
Commentary
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky   
Friday, 12 February 2021 10:49

bgw-021221MILWAUKEE - During the tenth anniversary of Act 10, we consider its legacy, what it says about the ruthlessness of modern conservatism, and the continuing ramifications of historic protests it sparked. We dig into a number of major state and federal issues, including the latest attacks on the mask mandate, a bill in Congress that would supercharge the ACA, and Governor Evers pre-budget announcements on BadgerCare Expansion, Marijuana Legalization, and Prescription Drug reform. Do these initiatives bode well for a more progressive state budget? We look at some huge federal issues in the heady early days of the Biden Administration, including COVID relief, impeachment, and protecting the housing rights of the LGBTQ community.

Finally we raise concerns about the wave of anti-Asian violence in the U.S. sparked by right-wing rhetoric, and a rogue ICE which is flaunting President Biden’s executive orders and continues to follow Trump’s immoral deportation policies.

Listen Now – Episode #479
Download Mp3
Press Clips

Last Updated on Saturday, 13 February 2021 10:59
 
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