Progressive Thinking

Senator Smith writes about Governor Evers’ latest call for the Legislature to convene in special session to address Wisconsin’s childcare crisis and workforce shortage.

MADISON - A call for a special session is a constitutional privilege of the Governor, invoked when the legislature fails to address an urgent priority. Last week, Governor Tony Evers called a special session for September 20^th, a response to the gigantic holes Republicans left when they gutted the Governor’s budget this summer.

When partisan politics cloud the judgment of the legislature, calling a special session is often the Governor’s only available option. This power allows the Governor to do something when the legislature fails to act and give the legislature one more chance to do the right thing.

The current leaders of our legislature have time and again ignored the needs and the will of the people of Wisconsin. Legislative Republicans have pursued an oppositional strategy against the Governor who is from the opposite party, regardless of his decisive statewide win. If an idea comes from a Democrat, no matter the potential it has, Republicans won’t consider it. This is what has happened as a result of gerrymandering legislators into safe districts, where they don’t have to worry about significant opposition.

Governor Evers has tried to get Republicans to consider solutions such as farm relief, school aids, gun violence, reproductive rights and direct referenda, in which voters can make their voices heard directly on the issues that matter to them.

While ignoring all of these needs and more, Republicans chose to stay home for 300 days during the height of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the people they supposedly serve were struggling to pay their bills, and the unemployment system could not keep up.

The Governor called a special session to modernize our unemployment system to speed up responses and support the workers who could not safely and responsibly leave their homes for their jobs.

What was the Republican response? Those in charge of our legislature continually chose politics while the public suffers..

This special session is an opportunity to do what we came to Madison for – work for solutions.

When calling this special session, Governor Evers focused on what is probably the most pressing issue of all: workforce development. The pandemic illustrated the need to address a worker shortage that has been looming for years. With baby boomers aging out of the workforce and the impossibility of finding affordable child care, businesses have struggled to staff up.

Wisconsin’s record-low unemployment rate of 2.4% leave businesses struggling to fully staff up. This isn’t just a Wisconsin problem – businesses nationally have adjusted their hours and how they operate. Other states are coming up with innovative solutions, and in order to stay competitive, Wisconsin’s solutions to this issue must be creative and aggressive.

Using federal funds from the pandemic, Governor Evers has been able to keep childcare centers afloat these past three years through Child Care Counts program. This has helped child care centers keep costs lower and pay their workers a competitive wage. Unfortunately for parents and child care providers, that money is slated to expire in January with no relief in sight. Similarly, paid family and medical leave was included in the Governor’s budget proposal, but was slashed by Republicans from the final product of deliberations.

Continuing Child Care Counts and initiating a paid family and medical leave program are just two parts of the workforce development plan called for by the Governor. It also calls for investments in higher education and incentives for workers in teaching and healthcare, measures that will bolster our workforce for years to come and prepare us for a prosperous future.

We still have a $4 billion surplus. This proposal calls for a quarter of that surplus to be invested in the growth of Wisconsin’s economy. We can afford to do this, and the opportunity is now.

Governor Evers’ call for the special session on September 20^th gives the legislature one more chance to address the issues neglected due to partisanship.

Legislation introduced on the floor can be amended, and the strength of the legislative body is its collaborative approach to lawmaking.

So the question is: why does debate and compromise scare Republican leadership?

You’ll have to ask them.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Wisconsin summers are a wonderful time with activities your whole family can enjoy. Remember to stay safe and prepared as you make summer memories that will last a lifetime.

MADISON - Summer has flown by this year, and it’s been a scorcher. We’ve had a record-breaking hot summer, with temperatures setting records across the nation, and August promises to be no exception.

It’s important to stay vigilant and safe when enjoying the end of your summer. Warm temperatures combined with high humidity levels can pose a risk of heat-related illness and even death.

When planning to venture outside, be sure to watch the local weather forecast and drink plenty of water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a UV index search that measures the intensity of harmful UV rays to let you know when it’s especially important to wear sun protection, like sunscreen or hats.

Community spots, like public libraries and malls, have air conditioning and can be a good place to cool down when out and about. It’s important to check on neighbors and loved ones to make sure they are safe. Young children and older adults are more at risk from serious heat illness.

Beware of hot cars. Never leave a person or pet in a parked car, even for a short time. According to the Department of Health Services, on an 80 degree day, temperatures in a parked car can reach 100 degrees in just ten minutes.

Heat sickness can come on suddenly and quickly become fatal. If you are experiencing dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, weakness, nausea or vomiting, cool down your body right away. Get to a cool place and cool your skin with cold water, like a cold shower or an ice bath. Rehydrate with a cool water or sports drink.

A good way to beat the late summer heat can be found at your nearest waterway. Western Wisconsin is blessed with so many rivers and lakes, great opportunities to go boating, fishing and swimming.

Anytime you are enjoying yourself on the water, make sure to keep your safety in mind. Wear personal flotation devices when boating in deep water, check the local weather before embarking on a trip and bring a first aid kit in case of emergencies.

The Department of Natural Resources has additional guidance on ways to stay safe on the water. You can call DNR staff toll-free at (888) 936-7463 for more information.

Your local health department is your resource about potentially harmful conditions in your area. Always check the conditions of water before you get in, and refrain from bathing in the water if there is a posted health warning. Some communities, including Eau Claire, have implemented water testing at public beaches to detect unsafe levels of bacteria or toxic algae blooms that make beaches unsafe for swimmers.

Blue-green algae poses an especially high health risk. Algae blooms can produce toxins that can make people and animals sick or even sustain chemical burns after they swallow, breathe in or have contact with affected water.

Algae can be other colors besides blue-green, including turquoise, tan, purple or white. Blooms can resemble spilled latex paint, green pea soup or streaky and discolored water.

The Department of Health Services has a fact sheet that explains how to identify and protect yourself from algae blooms. Call the Wisconsin Poison Center immediately if you suspect that you or your companions have been poisoned by an algae bloom, and take injured pets to your veterinarian right away.

During the summer, there are many chances to interact with wildlife, pets, livestock and insects, whether on a hike or at a local fair. Wash your hands after interacting with animals to avoid spreading disease or bacteria, such as salmonella and rabies.

Insect repellant is effective in protecting yourself against biting insects and ticks, which can transmit Lyme Disease. To use repellant safely, apply sparingly and only to exposed skin or clothing. Avoid eyes, lips and any wounded skin.

Wisconsin summers are a wonderful time with limitless activities your whole family can enjoy. While you’re outdoors spending time in the sun, remember to stay safe and prepared as you make summer memories that will last a lifetime.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

In the past few years, the efficacy of vaccines has been disputed and has sparked much debate, scientific or otherwise. The most effective remedy to disinformation is the truth, and the best way to make informed healthcare decisions for your kids is by consulting your pediatrician.

MADISON - With over three years between us and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to imagine a world in which vaccines are uncontroversial. In the past few years, the efficacy of vaccines has been disputed and has sparked much debate, scientific or otherwise.

But this marks a distinct recent change in the American public’s attitude towards vaccination. According to the Pew Research Center, in February of 2022, 29% of U.S. adults say they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interest of the public. That’s down from the 40% who said they had confidence in medical scientists as recently as November 2020.

Since early in the coronavirus outbreak, there has been a marked decrease in trust in medical professionals, most prominently in Republicans.

It’s not surprising this issue is complicated, given the abundance of information we’re bombarded with every day – some from credible sources, others perhaps not. The real difference is in how we evaluate the efficacy of vaccines and how we consult scientific evidence to do so.

The history of protecting against diseases like smallpox through mild exposure has been demonstrated in Asian and African cultures going back in some cases to as early as 200 BCE. In the late 1700s, English physician Edward Jenner traced milkmaids’ immunity to smallpox back to previous exposure to the related virus cowpox.

Even with the primitive methods used back then, inoculation proved far safer than risking exposure. Only one to two percent of people died from the procedure, as opposed to the up to 30 percent of people who died from being infected with smallpox.

The political weaponization of vaccine disinformation is dangerous. Often those questioning vaccines’ effect have not consulted the experts. But according to an overwhelming majority of experts, vaccines save lives.

We’ve seen the result of this here in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Just this spring, Senate Republicans moved to block a recommendation from the Department of Health Services requiring (with exceptions) that seventh graders be vaccinated against meningitis, among other things.

Meningitis is a highly transmissible seasonal virus that can have potentially fatal and unpredictable outcomes for infants, including hospitalization. It can cause severe inflammation of small airways in the lungs and even pneumonia in children younger than one year old.

The Advisory Council on Immunization Practices, a group of experts that advise the Center for Disease Control, have recommended that students get vaccinated against meningitis since 2005.

DHS’s recommendation was sent to the Senate for a vote, but apparently Republicans in our State Senate didn’t want to be seen voting against the advice of public health experts. Instead of simply voting it down, they referred it back to a committee. It still has not had a hearing, and I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Meanwhile, vaccinations for children are still lagging behind, and it’s our children who may pay the price.

The CDC has released updated information on routine childhood vaccination and routine adolescent vaccination. Children are the most vulnerable to disease, and even if they don’t show symptoms, can spread disease to family members. Getting routine immunizations back on track before our children return to school will save lives.

The most effective remedy to disinformation is the truth, and the best way to make informed healthcare decisions for your kids is by consulting your pediatrician.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Rep. Deb Andraca and Sen. Jeff Smith write about the opportunity Wisconsin has to create an independent redistricting model to ensure that voters can choose their elected officials, rather than political parties choosing their voters.

MADISON - Allowing politicians to draw their own districts is like allowing a fox to watch over the chickens. So why do we keep doing it? Those in charge of changing districts are the foxes, and they like it just the way it is.

It’s hard to blame politicians entirely. It’s just too tempting for foxes to draw lines that keep themselves in power.

It’s often said the goal of the minority party in the legislature is to get in the majority. The goal of the majority is to govern. But what if the majority fails to govern? The voters will make a change, right? Not if the majority are the ones determining district lines.

Being in the majority is a powerful thing. The majority determines rules of conduct, creates committees and assigns legislators to chair committees. Like air traffic controllers, committee chairs decide which bills advance out of committee and which bills die before the public ever has an opportunity to advocate for or against them.

It’s no surprise majority party committee chairs give preference to their own party. It’s extremely rare these days for a bill authored by a member of the minority to even receive a public hearing, much less a vote. In the Assembly last session, less than 2% of the minority party’s bills got a hearing.

The majority’s most powerful ability is drawing their own districts to stay in power. Elections are supposed to be how the public changes the status quo, but by using sophisticated computer modeling, a party can draw maps that almost guarantee their position in the majority for the foreseeable future. That’s called gerrymandering.

With such an incentive for majority legislators to pursue their own best interests, often the courts must intervene to prevent them from cynically doing just that. Starting August 1^st, for the first time in 15 years the Wisconsin Supreme Court (SCOWIS) will no longer be controlled by conservatives. We expect a legal challenge filed to end gerrymandering. If it’s found to be unconstitutional, SCOWIS may opt for more competitive maps.

With all we know about how damaging gerrymandering is to our democracy there’s no excuse for doing this again in 2030 when new maps are drawn. We have an opportunity to follow in the path of states like Michigan, take the power away from the foxes, and return it to the people of this state where it belongs. A properly trained independent commission could be the answer.

Since 1980, Iowa has used an independent commission to draw maps. It’s been the model for other states to adopt similar, more contemporary versions of independent redistricting.

More recently, Michigan residents passed a binding referendum to create an independent system which works for the public rather than politicians. There’s a lot to learn from Michigan as well as Iowa when it comes to what works and what doesn’t. The Michigan commission even compiled a “Lessons Learned” report which describes their process and how to avoid any pitfalls.

It’s time to create a Wisconsin Model of independent redistricting that works for our particular dynamics and diversity. We can learn much from other states and cities with independent redistricting models, but we aren’t Iowa, nor are we Michigan. We do have the same need to modernize how we draw district lines so voters can choose their elected officials instead of political parties choosing their voters.

Computer programs draw maps in minutes, utilizing oceans of data to form perfectly gerrymandered maps. Information is collected about your purchasing habits, groups you belong to, if and where you attend church, your interests and your profession. This data collection isn’t going away, but we can harness it to form competitive districts that motivate candidates to win your vote based on their values, rather than their political affiliation.

It’s time we learn the lessons from Iowa, Michigan, California, Maryland and other states who removed the foxes from the henhouse and drew maps free of interference from politicians. Such an important part of our democracy should be protected from the self-interest of legislators. A Wisconsin model of independent redistricting, protected under our Constitution, is our goal. It’s time we get these foxes out of the henhouse once and for all.

by Senator Jeff Smith and Representative Deb Andraca

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Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.

Representative Andraca was elected in 2020 to serve the 23rd District in the State Assembly, which includes the Northern suburban Milwaukee communities of Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, Mequon, Thiensville, River Hills, and Whitefish Bay.

Sen. Smith writes about the Americans with Disabilities Act, which sought to ensure that all Americans have access to public spaces by creating accommodations for those with disabilities.

MADISON - The definition of disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses or activities. That definition covers many conditions that might be considered a disadvantage. Being limited by blindness or by using a wheelchair may be some of the first things that come to mind, but barriers are not just physical or visible and are sometimes hard to detect. Many people face barriers in their lives to access things others take for granted, and you may never know that person is right next to you.

July is Disability Pride Month, marking the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Like other communities, disability advocacy groups struggled to gain the same freedoms the majority of us never think twice about. On March 12, 1990, sixty activists slipped out of their wheelchairs and crawled up the steps of the Capitol to demonstrate the need for fair access to public spaces.

This collective action was later dubbed the “Capitol Crawl.” Over 100 people were arrested for civil disobedience that day. It was a dramatic and effective demonstration which brought this issue to the attention of many, increasing the visibility of individuals with disabilities. These action of these activists spurred a solution that led to greater access to an independent life for those with abilities that may diverge from the norm.

The concept of Disability Pride is based around reworking negative narratives and biases which often affect our perceptions of those with disabilities. Disability Pride counters the social stigmas and ableism that pervades our society.

Instead, Disability Pride honors the contributions people with disabilities have made to our society. It breaks with the traditional perception of people with disabilities as shameful or burdensome and instead celebrates the incredible diversity of all that people are able to accomplish.

People are only considered to have disabilities because our society presumes a “normal” person is able to engage in certain activities. When someone is not able to engage in an activity others consider “normal,” they are considered to have a disability.

But what if we changed our physical spaces and our society to embrace the diversity of abilities each of us has? Once we look at ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices for people with disabilities, we can build a world in which we all have access to living our most independent life.

For instance, someone in a wheelchair wants access to a building but is unable to use stairs to access the entrance. Under the ADA, public buildings are constructed with ramps so those using wheelchairs can access those spaces. Or someone with a learning difficulty wants to live independently in their own home. While years ago the medical establishment would expect that person to live in a communal home, they now can access care which allows them to live independently and support themselves.

Even audiobooks can be viewed as a social intervention, giving folks access to media they’d otherwise be unable to access. After the ADA, many of these solutions are taken for granted, but before the law was passed it was not always so.

Like any freedoms, they come with costs and are always at risk. Recently, ballot drop boxes came under attack by election conspiracy theorists harnessing misinformation to call our elections into question. We’ve made tremendous strides in access to the polls for those with disabilities, from Braille ballots to curbside voting. The least we can do is ensure that people with disabilities, who just as much as any of us depend on our elected officials to represent them, have unrestricted access to the ballot box.

We must be vigilant in protecting everyone’s access to public accommodations, from restaurants to parks and schools to elections. After all, it was over two and a half centuries ago that our nation declared “All men are created equal.” That tenet should and must remain at the center of how we create and structure public policy.

Senator Smith represents District 31 in the Wisconsin State Senate. The 31st Senate District includes all of Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties and portions of Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson and St. Croix counties.