|
Commentary -
Commentary
|
|
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin
|
|
Thursday, 08 April 2021 16:21 |
|
 MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address on his Badger Bounceback agenda to do what's best for our kids, and which includes ensuring that every kid has access to a high-quality, public education, providing mental health supports for students at schools, expanding access to early childhood education and childcare, and investing in our higher education institutions.
Audio file of Radio Address.
Hey, Wisconsin! Governor Tony Evers here.
In February, I introduced my Badger Bounceback agenda, which is all about making sure our state and our economy can bounce back from this pandemic and build the future we want to see for our state.
Well, as I've always said, what’s best for our kids is best for state. So, what better way to build on our future than by investing in our kids. That’s why our Badger Bounceback agenda invests in our kids from early childhood to higher education.
We’re starting by investing more than $140 million in early education and childcare to improve access, quality, and opportunity for our kids and families. Those first few years of life set the base for all future learning.
I’m also proposing to restore our state’s commitment to two-thirds funding for our K-12 public schools, invest an additional $709 million in special education reimbursement, and fully fund sparsity aid for our students in our rural school districts.
This pandemic has been very difficult for all of us, but especially our kids. So, we’re also investing $54 million in mental health support and services for our students, too.
Finally, our higher education institutions have always been an economic driver for our state, and we need to double down if we’re going to bounce back.
We’re investing $36 million in our technical college system and making the largest investment in the UW System in 20 years at $190 million. We’re also expanding Bucky’s Tuition Promise to every UW campus to ensure kids from low-income families can get a high quality 4-year education tuition free.
If we’re going to bounce back from this pandemic better, then we have to start by making sure our kids are better off than they were when this pandemic started.
If you agree, then contact your legislator and ask them to support our Badger Bounceback agenda so we can bounce back, together.
Thank you. |
|
Commentary -
Commentary
|
|
Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild
|
|
Friday, 02 April 2021 16:51 |
|
 MADISON - Yesterday, we joined with other pro-democracy groups in filing a brief at the Wisconsin Supreme Court to oppose the latest push to curtail the right of Wisconsinites to vote. Here’s what I posted on this:
Our Brief to Defend Voting Rights at the Wisconsin Supreme Court
The person asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to interfere with our voting rights is the same Jere Fabick who prevailed earlier this week on Evers’s mask mandate. And it just so happens that Justice Rebecca Bradley got a big check from Fabick when she was running for a seat on the bench, as we explain here:
Conservative Justice Sides with Major Campaign Contributor Over Pandemic Health Orders
Also this week, my colleague Cely Flores posted a strong piece praising Gov. Evers for proposing to give undocumented students in-state tuition:
Governor’s Budget Offers Undocumented Students A Brighter Future
Cely’s articles, by the way, are now being reprinted by La Communidad and by Madison Vibra, which we’re thrilled about!
Other staff members have been busy tracking the money in the State Superintendent’s race. Here’s what they put together:
Jill Underly Raises $1.3M+ Mostly From State Dem Party
 Please remember to vote on April 6. If you are voting absentee, you can go here to track your absentee ballot and find your local options for returning your ballot before Election Day.
And I hope you’ll be able to enjoy the warm 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. If you like the work we’re doing, please send us a tax-deductible donation by clicking here. Or snail mail it to us at 203 S. Paterson St., Suite 100, Madison, WI 53703, and make your check out to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Thanks! |
|
|
Commentary -
Commentary
|
|
Written by Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Matt Brusky
|
|
Friday, 02 April 2021 12:54 |
|
 MILWAUKEE - We dive into the exciting details of President Biden’s historic Build Back Better plan released Wednesday. Will it pass? Does it go far enough?
Back in Wisconsin politics, we discuss next Tuesday’s Spring General Election and encourage listeners to volunteer this weekend for Jill Underly and local endorsed candidates. The panel evaluates the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision to overturn Gov. Evers’ mask mandate. Is there a valid legal argument or are right-wing justices acting like politicians in robes.? Claire updates us on this week’s Citizen Action Healthcare Week of Action focused on important state budget priorities. We also shine a light on Legislative Republican’s sham hearings peddling conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
Listen Now – Episode #486
Download Mp3
Press Clips |
|
Commentary -
Commentary
|
|
Written by GOV Press Wisconsin
|
|
Friday, 02 April 2021 10:38 |
|
 MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address on his plan to invest the $3.2 billion in federal funding Wisconsin received from the American Rescue Plan Funds into small businesses, families, and communities.
Audio file of Radio Address.
Hello, Governor Tony Evers here.
 I was excited to announce this week our plan to use $3.2 billion in federal funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to help our state bounce back from this pandemic.
We know we have work to do to make sure our economy can recover from this pandemic. And that’s why we’re going to invest $2.5 billion into economic recovery and well-being, including $600 million to support our small businesses and $50 million to support our tourism industry.
Finally, we’re also going to invest $500 million into our state’s continued pandemic response and $200 million into building infrastructure, including a significant investment in broadband so families and communities can learn, work, and get connected.
Just like last year with our CARES dollars, we’re going to be working to get these funds out the door as quickly as we can. We know these American Rescue Plan funds will be critical to making sure our state can bounce back and better than we were before this pandemic hit. And time is of the essence to get support to folks who need it.
So, that’s why I vetoed Senate Bill 183 this week, which would have given Republicans in the Legislature approval over how we used these funds, potentially preventing us from getting this money out the door quickly to folks who need it.
At the end of the day, these funds don’t belong to me or any member of the Legislature—it’s your money, folks. We need to put people before politics and we can’t afford to waste time on all the political back-and-forth.
We’re going to keep working quickly to get these resources out the door to families, businesses, and farmers who need it so we can get through this pandemic and bounce back together.
Thank you. |
|
MILWAUKEE - We review the huge victory for public education in the Department of Public Instruction race, and the immediate threat by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to take it out on our schools. We discuss the shockingly successful GOP effort to take down progressive school board members who follow the science and our educators by only supporting the safe reopening of schools. Is this a new Republican wedge issues for moderate voters they will uses in 2022 in state and federal races? Claire educates us on the Biden Administration’s decision to permanently end health-care denying work requirements to receive Medicaid. We talk about the COVID variants taking off with big spikes in 5 states (and counting), and the GOP use of the fraudulent vaccine passports issues to increase vaccine hesitancy, threatening to further delay heard immunity. Robert discusses Trump’s outrageous scamming of his own supporters, and its copycats in the Republican Party. We close by welcoming Hannah Faris from In These Times magazine to talk about the launch of a new rural focused reporting project called, “the Wisconsin Idea.” The project is a collaboration with People’s Action and Citizen Action of Wisconsin.