http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/farm-family-s5.jpgThe Senator writes about ways we can support our dairy farmers and celebrate June Dairy Month in Wisconsin. He reflects on conversations with friends from the farming community and their ability to be resilient during tough times.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-church-photoop-artnet-s5.jpgA military member's oath is to defend the constitution and the rights it bestows upon all Americans, not promote the political ambitions of one particular President say Veterans.

Statement of Russ Feingold, President, and Zinelle October, Executive Vice President, American Constitution Society on the tragic murder of George Floyd and acts of violence by police rooted in racism.

WASHINGTON, DC - ACS stands with the civil rights community in observing a National Day of Mourning this Thursday. Each time a tragedy like the murder of George Floyd happens, it is triggering for Black and Brown people who see themselves and their loved ones in each victim, which is shamefully often. The stress and pain are real and personal. 

These murders and acts of violence by police are rooted in racism. We are grieving over these systemic and senseless losses of life, and we stand with our Black and Brown communities who feel this like no other. And while it’s important to grieve, we must also be a part of the change that’s so desperately needed. While we revere the Constitution, defend democracy, and work toward a more just union, we cannot ignore the racist history of our nation’s founding documents. We must continue to insist and work to uphold the Constitution in the 21st Century by ensuring that law is a force for protecting our democracy and the public interest and for improving people’s lives—including the lives of Black and Brown people.

Judge Carlton Reeves reminded us at last month’s ACS virtual graduation that we all have to advocate for a more perfect union. We take that charge seriously, and we encourage our members and supporters to stand up against racism and, as our colleagues who organized the day of mourning mention, work to stop the “brutal killings of African Americans by police and vigilantes – as well as the appalling, inappropriate response by police to peaceful uprisings.” Here are a few ways that we will and we should work toward those missions:

• Observe a National Day of Mourning this Thursday
• Save the date for our briefing call on “A History of Violence: Institutional Racism in Our Criminal Justice System” on Friday, June 5^th at 1:30 pm ET.
• Organize or join an antiracist or diversity and inclusion discussion with your local ACS chapter. If you’d like to be connected with your local chapter, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Sign this petition by Color of Change calling for the end of police violence against Black people
• Volunteer to Help Protesters. The National Lawyers Guild is looking for lawyers to help with protest support efforts around the country. Volunteers are needed to answer hotlines, act as legal observers, and help with legal defense work. Training materials are available through the National Lawyers Guild and local chapters. If you are interested, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and include your location and where you are barred so we could connect you/share further information.
• See these anti-racism resources.
• Join our virtual national convention June 8-12.
• Complete your Census form and encourage everyone you know to do the same.
• Vote and sign up with us to get out the vote.
• If you have other ideas for ACS, please let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Callous disregard among police for the lives, labor, health, and safety of communities of color must be weeded out, says labor union.

MILWAUKEE, WI - AFSCME Wisconsin categorically rebukes the recent vicious murder of George Floyd, the killings of Wisconsin’s Tony Robinson, Jonathon Tubby, all unnamed victims, and all forms of violence against black, indigenous, and people of color by police. AFSCME Wisconsin is dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against communities of color, including economic violence which exploits labor, as it has since the inception of our nation.

AFSCME Wisconsin Executive Director Patrick Wycoff stated, “AFSCME Wisconsin reaffirms our collective responsibility to resist police crimes, racism, and white supremacy as classist tools used to silence and injure the working class. Deploying police violence against the working class is not a new tactic. We must heighten our efforts to eliminate this violence with solidarity and accountability.”

Callous disregard for the lives, labor, health, and safety of communities of color must be met with a concerted movement to defund the militarized police presence in our communities and support community-controlled policing oversight. AFSCME Wisconsin is deeply dedicated to a labor movement led by black, indigenous, and people of color and healing the wounds of racism perpetuated against union members in the labor movement.

AFSCME Wisconsin President Paul Spink remarked, “at the very heart of the labor movement is the idea that an injury to one is an injury to all. AFSCME has taken pride in our involvement in the civil rights movement since 1968. We continue to commit today, and we stand in solidarity with all those who have been tragically killed by law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect them. We demand that our elected leaders hold all public employees to a high standard of accountability and integrity and that they do so now.”

Please contribute to organizations continuing the vital work of racial and economic justice including Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Leaders Igniting Transformation, Voces de la Frontera, Indigenous Environmental Network, and Liberate MKE.

We must listen to Black Americans, their experiences, acknowledge the hurdles they face, and make bold changes to address these systematic inequities and injustices, says State Senator.

Racial justice and environmental justice are inseparable, says conservation group.

MADISON, WI - Wisconsin Conservation Voters stands among those calling for racial justice and accountability in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

George Floyd’s death is yet another example of the systemic and pervasive racism that makes people of color and indigenous communities in our country fear for their families’ health, safety, and lives every single day.

Racial justice and environmental justice are inseparable. Communities of color, indigenous communities, and all of those marginalized by systemic racism are also the most harmed by climate change, dirty air, and dirty water.

As an organization that envisions a world with clean air, clean water, public lands, and a safe climate – all protected by a just and equitable democracy – we understand we are all only as safe as those members of our community who are most at risk.

We recognize that racism dehumanizes all of us, and we are committed to taking anti-racist action. We recognize the leadership of frontline organizations and individuals, and we stand among those calling for justice, accountability, and an end to violence.

Kerry Schumann
Executive Director
Wisconsin Conservation Voters

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/george-floyd-protest-mdsn-wpr-s5.jpgCommunities across the country are coming together to raise awareness of the racial inequities that exist in America. We all have a responsibility to make a difference moving forward.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/george-floyd-ht-jc-s5.jpgPeople want to live in a world free of hate. So to Wisconsinites and people across the country watching pain unfold in real time, speak out and act.

Activist group says structural racism is at the very core of the American criminal justice and policing system, and must end before the healing can begin.

Milwaukee - Citizen Action of Wisconsin stands in solidarity with the family and friends of George Floyd, thousands of protesters across the county, and every person who loves humanity, in demanding that the four offers involved in his murder be swiftly brought to justice.

We strongly agree with our compatriots and our fellow People’s Action affiliate, Take Action Minnesota, that the protests in Minneapolis and in many other cities are “demonstrations of our pain and a cry for justice. It is an old pain borne of the historic, violent, publicly funded oppression of Black people... George Floyd should be alive today and prosecuting offers for his murder is the beginning, not end of justice.”

It is hard for us to believe that anyone other than a police officer would be able to avoid immediate arrest when such damning video evidence of a crime is available. The four day delay in the officer responsible being arrested and charged, and the failure to charge (as of this writing) the other officers who stood by and watched a murder, has badly damaged public confidence in the investigation and contributed to the turbulent events on the streets of Minneapolis. Before we can even begin to heal, justice must be brought to the four police offers involved in this racist murder and anyone else who tried to cover it up.

But the healing cannot stop there, because what happened to George Floyd, and all the other victims of publicly sanctioned racist murder we have come to know over the last decade, is ultimately caused not by a few bad apples but the structural racism that is at the very core of the American criminal justice and policing system. The system of mass incarceration grew out of the backlash against the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s, and has made the  U.S, the most incarcerated and over-policed country in the history of the free world. Only a massive shift in resources away from the publicly funded oppression of Black people, poor people, the Latinx community, and many many others and invested in our communities and a humane, antiracist, and just system of public safety.

Newly formed group re:power was born from the ashes of tragedy, comments on the events of the week, calls on the media to refocus the narrative on justice for George, and supports activists and protestors on the ground.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered. By four Minneapolis police officers. George was unarmed, handcuffed, and lying face down on the ground. Three officers pinned George to the ground, and one pressed his knee into George’s neck and kept it there for more than 8 minutes. The fourth officer stood over them and did nothing to intervene. George begged for his life, as did concerned citizens on the street. The cries for mercy went unheard, and cellphone video captured the last minutes of George Floyd’s life.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered by officers sworn to protect and serve. They were fired from their jobs, but that is not justice for taking a life. Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison has asked us to wait “until all the evidence is available.” Millions of people around the world have seen the video... and the consensus is no additional evidence is needed. As of this writing, only one officer has been arrested. All four officers should have been charged immediately, and the fact that they were able to walk freely, while George’s family plans his funeral, is an injustice that has, rightly so, pushed people to the edge.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered. Protesters began to gather, peacefully, to demand that his murderers be brought to justice. They were met with officers in riot gear. The police response to this call for justice is in stark contrast to the way ReOpen Minnesota protesters were treated earlier this month, as they called for the state to ‘return to normal’ in the midst of a global pandemic. Those protesters—mainly White folks, some of whom were heavily armed—were praised by the federal government. Our folks, who are seeking justice not just for George, but for all of us who continue to fight for social and racial justice, have been labeled as ‘thugs’, and the President of the United States has called for the shooting of citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered, a mere 2.1miles away from re:power’s headquarters. Our history as an organization, from our days as Wellstone Action is deep in the Twin Cities. Our staff lives near the site of George’s murder. Our hearts and support are with the individuals and organization on the ground, working for progress.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago, George Floyd was murdered. Sadly, his name is not the only name we speak. Tony McDade. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Sean Reed. Steven DeMarco Taylor. Rekia Boyd. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Trayvon Martin.

The list is too long—and these are only the names we’ve heard about.

re:power was born from the ashes of tragedy. As Wellstone Action, for years we trained leaders, in Minneapolis and throughout the country—preparing them to lead with courage and conviction. Now as re:power, we still train leaders, but we focus clearly on dismantling the oppressive systems that uphold anti-blackness and white supremacy. Our organizing lens is centered at the intersections of all forms of oppression. Because we can not remove the true lived experiences of anti-Black racism and white supremacy from our politics and leadership. And as re:power, we are holding our elected officials accountable.

That’s why we’re calling on AG Keith Ellison, a Wellstone alum, to be the people’s lawyer and bring charges against the other three officers immediately.

We’re also calling on the media to refocus the narrative on justice for George. Understand that uprisings are not acts of violence and connect your stories to protesters’ pain, fear, and anger, boiling over in the face of anti-blackness and continued racial and social injustice. As activists on the ground continue to chant: No Justice, No Peace.

Lastly we’re calling on our community to stand in solidarity with folks on the ground. We are asking you to give your support to these three groups that are actively supporting activists and protestors on the ground.

• Black Visions Collective believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in the right relationship within our ecosystems.
• Reclaiming Our Block is calling on Minneapolis to invest in violence prevention, housing, resources for youth, emergency mental health response teams, and solutions to the opioid crisis—not more police.
• Minnesota Freedom Fund is a community based nonprofit raising bail funds for protesters on the ground.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago, George Floyd was murdered. Our hearts go out to his family. We demand justice be served.

In solidarity.