We 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.

We 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.

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

MADISON — 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.

MADISON - 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+

Today, 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!

MADISON - 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. 

Hi 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.

MILWAUKEE - 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
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Rhinelander, WI - I am supporting Sheila Briggs for WI State Superintendent because she has plentiful experience at various levels of 4K-12 education. Throughout her career, she has taken up the challenge of working with equity in the forefront often in an environment that is resistant to change.

Sheila helped develop Wisconsin's Educator Effectiveness program that I, as a teacher in Tennessee, am jealous of. I’m evaluated off of a standardized rubric and student test scores including students I don’t even teach. I wish I were evaluated by a program, like Wisconsin’s, that treats educators as professionals.

Furthermore, Sheila’s skills and humility will enable her to continue connecting and growing leaders amongst WI’s students and educators in her work to support all students, their families, and communities across the state.

As a teacher’s kid, I swore I would never be a teacher myself. I was dismayed by the realities of a system that seemed to work for so few. After two summers working on Sheila’s teams at the Department of Public Instruction, I have hope for the future of education. Wisconsin deserves a State Superintendent, like Sheila Briggs, that is flexible, practical, and an unapologetic champion for social justice. Join me in supporting Sheila on February 16th.

Lindsey Lieck, Rhinelander

MILWAUKEE - Progressives have more influence in the Joe Biden’s Washington than we have had since the 1960s, but are we prepared to translate our outside power into the governing power we need to win bold reform? In this special edition of Battleground Wisconsin, we discuss how the progressive movement must evolve to meet our moment with two national organizing strategists, George Goehl, the Director of People’s Action and Bree Carlson, the Deputy Director of People’s Action.

Listen Now – Episode #478
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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address outlining his bold, comprehensive plan to tackle prescription drug prices in his 2021-23 biennial budget.

Audio file of radio address.

Hi everyone. Governor Tony Evers here.

This week I announced that my budget will include a bold, comprehensive plan to reduce prescription drug prices for folks across our state.

In 2019, prescription drugs were estimated to cost Wisconsinites more than $1.3 billion dollars. Well, here's the deal: picking up your prescription shouldn't break the bank. You shouldn't have to choose between being able to pay your bills and buying your medications.

But we know too many Wisconsinites continue to struggle to afford their medications.

These huge costs have forced people across our state to make difficult decisions, rationing doses or foregoing their medications entirely so that they can buy groceries or pay this month's rent.

That's why our budget will include a plan that will help lower prescription prices by doing things like capping the price of insulin and protect consumers from predatory practices like price gouging.

I know how critical access to life-saving medication can be for folks across our state. And healthcare— medication or otherwise— shouldn't be a privilege only available to the healthy and wealthy.

We have to start tackling this problem in Wisconsin, and we're going to get to work in this year's budget.

Thanks, folks, and let's get it done.

MADISON - The appalling response to the COVID calamity by the Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature illustrates the crisis of representation that we face in this state. This crisis stems from two roots: our corrupt campaign finance system and from gerrymandering. I dig into this here:        

COVID, Campaign Finance, and Unfair Maps

Speaking of campaign finance, new records were set last year by Wisconsin’s legislative campaign committees. We show you the numbers and explain why in this posting:

Wisconsin Legislative Campaign Committees Spent Record $12.11M in 2020

We also broke down the numbers on Gov. Evers’s own fundraising, which is getting a huge boost from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin:

Evers Raises More Than $3.8M, Over Half From State Party in 2020

The problem of big money in our politics is a bipartisan one!

I hope you like this week’s offering.

Stay warm 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. I hope you’ll support the urgent work we do here for a full democracy, where everyone has an equal voice. 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!

MILWAUKEE - We discuss the horrific vote by Senate Republicans to cancel the state health emergency and the mask mandate while also nixing COVID-19 relief. The panel welcomes State Senator Chris Larson to talk about Tuesday’s Senate vote and the policy atrocities taking place at the State Capital. Is there any rationale for the actions of the majority at all, or our we witnessing reckless disregard for human life?

We close with a scouting report on President Biden’s new executive orders this week on climate and healthcare. Do they signal a bold new progressive direction for our national government?

LISTEN NOW – EPISODE #477
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