LA CROSSE, WI – On International Workers’ Day Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) issued the following statement in recognition of the annual celebration of the achievements of workers:

“As Wisconsinites, we take pride in our workers and our state’s history of recognizing their value to every corner of the state. Governor Evers is honoring that long-standing tradition by reversing the many changes made over the past eight years that weakened the state’s tradition of respecting and championing labor.

“The governor’s budget proposal focuses on improving the lives of workers through raising wages, expanding family and medical leave, officially banning the box in Wisconsin, and providing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants who just want to get to and from their workplace safely.

“Wisconsinites want to see their leaders on both sides of the aisle come together to expand economic opportunities and prioritize working families. Today, we must recommit ourselves to championing the needs of working people and connecting the dots to improve economic opportunity for all in our state.”

MADISON, WI – Senator Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) offered the Democratic weekly radio address on Governor Evers’ pro-worker budget proposal.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hello, I’m State Senator Jeff Smith with this week’s weekly radio address.

“This week, communities across the state recognized workers of all stripes in annual celebrations dedicated to Wisconsin’s workers.

“Respecting workers has always been a deeply held Wisconsin value. Governor Tony Evers’ budget reestablishes Wisconsin’s long held tradition of supporting the hardworking men and women that contribute so much to the success of our state.

“In an effort to restore the state's historic partnerships between management and labor, the governor's budget restores prevailing wage law, repeals right to work, raises wages for workers, expands family and medical leave, officially ‘bans the box’ in Wisconsin, and allocates hundreds of thousands of dollars for workforce training programs within our corrections system.

“These budget proposals support fundamental Democratic principles. They give more Wisconsinites the opportunity to enjoy economic security and pride in their work.

“Governor Evers’ budget reverses many changes from the previous administration made over the past eight years that weakened the state’s tradition of championing workers, collective bargaining, and local control.

“It’s simple: We all benefit when we put workers first and respect their labor.

“Democrats are proud to support a budget that prioritizes workers and puts forth commonsense solutions to grow our economy.”

State Representative appreciates the leadership of Chancellor Leavitt and all those who confront racism and bigotry while pushing for a more inclusive, tolerant, and respectful community.

MADISON – Last Thursday, pictures from a party on the UW Oshkosh campus depicting racist words and images were posted on social media. In response, Chancellor Andrew Leavitt sent an email responding to this incident to the entire campus and called for a meeting Friday at Reeve Memorial Union.

Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement regarding these events on campus:

“Racism has no place on campus or in our community. The hateful words and symbols these students used are contrary to everything UW Oshkosh stands for. As an ally of the students harmed by these events, I hear you and will work with you to improve our campus climate.

“I appreciate the leadership of Chancellor Leavitt and all those who confront racism and bigotry while pushing for a more inclusive, tolerant, and respectful campus, community and world.”

MADISON - This week, Green Bay's own Rep. Staush Gruszynski talks about Earth Day and our state’s reputation as a leader for conservation.

Audio File of Radio Address

Hello, this is Representative Staush Gruszynski with this week’s Democratic Address.

Earlier this week, we celebrated Earth Day in Wisconsin and around the world.

Wisconsin’s own Gaylord Nelson created this national day of action back in 1970 – solidifying our state’s reputation as a leader for conservation.

Our state cherishes this rich history of defending and preserving Wisconsin's water, air, and public lands.

We know that access to clean water at our taps and clean air to breathe are essential to the quality of life we enjoy here.

Wisconsin’s natural resources are also a key driving force behind the success of our tourism and outdoor recreation industries and broader economic development statewide.

But our responsibility for conserving and protecting our natural resources is not limited to one day.

As we confront today’s environmental challenges, we need to look to Wisconsin conservation icons like Gaylord Nelson and Aldo Leopold, but we also need to look forward, to future generations that we will never meet.

We need to recognize that our actions today are directly linked to the world that we leave behind.

As we reflect on Earth Day, let us also commit to doing our part to ensure that our environmental legacy is one worth celebrating.

In honor of Earth Day, Sen. Smith highlights the importance of taking part in efforts to combat climate change. Now more than ever, it’s important to pay attention to the environment around us for future generations to enjoy.

Rep. Jonathon Brostoff joins the panel to discuss Foxconn, and more...

MILWAUKEE - We are joined by state representative Jonathon Brostoff to discuss Gov. Evers’ conclusion that Foxconn is unlikely to hire 13,000 workers and his decision to renegotiate the contract. We review the new UW-Madison study that found accepting Medicaid money would save state residents $100 million a year, on top of savings to the state savings. We also talk about the Trump MAGA rally coming to Green Bay, the Koch Brothers' “astroturf” state budget campaign, and Congressman Sean Duffy dishonestly sneering at the Green New Deal.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #388
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https://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/cannabis-cbd-s5.jpgState Legislator says we need to stop turning marijuana users into criminals, introduces bill to fully legalize marijuana in Wisconsin.

Marquette Law School Poll shows the majority of Wisconsinites continue to support key provisions of Gov. Evers’ budget.

MADISON, WI – Senator Mark Miller (D-Madison) offered the Democratic weekly radio address highlighting overwhelming public support for key provisions in Gov. Evers’ 2019-2021 budget proposal.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here:

https://sen-dem.cms.legis.wisconsin.gov/media/1299/sen-miller-radio-address.mp3

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hello, I am State Senator Mark Miller with this week’s Democratic radio address.

“The latest Marquette Law School Poll shows the majority of Wisconsinites continue to support key provisions of Governor Tony Evers’ 2019-2021 state budget proposal.

“74 percent of voters support a major increase in state aid for special education, 70 percent agree the state should accept federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage, and more than half of voters support an increase in the minimum wage.

“Additionally, 71 percent of voters favor eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and 65 percent support allowing offenders to petition judges to expunge or clear their record after their sentences are completed in cases of nonviolent, lower-level offenses. Expanding job training for prisoners is supported by 88 percent, and the increased use of treatment programs and of alternatives to jail for offenders with drug or alcohol issues is supported by 78 percent of voters.

“As the governor has said, this budget is about creating a Wisconsin that works for everyone. This isn’t the Tony Evers budget, the Democratic budget or the Republican budget—the support from people around the state is proof positive that this is the People’s Budget.

“The people want to see politicians on both sides of the aisle working together to find common sense solutions to long neglected issues like health care, public school funding, and prison overcrowding.

"The time is now for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to respect the will of the people and work with Democrats to pass Governor Evers budget.”

MADISON - Now that Judge Neubauer has conceded defeat, I wanted to take a second to give you my 20-20 hindsight on the race.

She wasn’t outspent by the outside groups, as we show here:

Special Interests Doled Out $4.3M in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

But my theory is that a lot of the ads by Greater Wisconsin and other pro-Neubauer groups actually served to turn out the vote for Judge Hagedorn, since they stressed how anti-gay and anti-abortion he is. This motivated the social conservatives to go out and vote for him!

Turnout was 26.6 percent. In off-season, low-turnout races, the highly motivated one-issue voter has more influence than, say, in presidential races. Wisconsin Right to Life and the NRA appear to have gotten their folks out, with some unwitting help from Neubauer’s outside groups. And rightwing talk radio may also have played a part, as well.

April 2 brought some good news: The momentum for banning gerrymandering keeps gaining speed:

3 More Wins for Banning Gerrymandering in Wisconsin

I was thrilled to see these wins, as I participated on a panel in La Crosse in late March on this issue, and I spoke in the Town of Newbold on it, as well. Congratulations to all the grassroots activists who made these victories possible!

Last week, I also went up to Wausau, this time to give a talk on the history of voter suppression, and what to do about it. Here’s the text. I hope you like it:

The Fight Against Voter Suppression

In the days aweeks ahead, we’ll be pushing for more pro-democracy reforms. I hope you’ll support us in this urgent work.

Best,

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

P.S. If you like the work we’re doing, please send a tax-deductible donation to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign by clicking here or by mailing a check, the old-fashioned way, to 203 S. Paterson St., Suite 100, Madison WI 53703 Thanks for your support!

Panel talks of Godlewski's request for the resources needed to properly run the office, her plans to create a state-run retirement public option and opportunities to refinancing student loan debt, and more...

MILWAUKEE - In the latest episode of our What the Godlewski does the State Treasurer do? segment, we discuss her state budget request for the resources needed to properly run the office. We also discuss Godlweski's plans to create a state-run retirement public option and opportunities to refinancing student loan debt.

We review the week’s news including: Judge Lisa Neubauer concession in the hotly contested Supreme Court race; an Appeals court sides with Governor Evers on appointments; and Sen  Tammy Baldwin joins Sen. Bernie Sanders in introducing a new Medicare for All bill with a record 13 co-sponsors. We also review the top issues raised during the first 2 Joint Finance Committee public budget hearings in Janesville and Oak Creek, and debrief the latest MU Law poll finding of 70% support for expanding BadgerCare.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #387
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