Progressive Thinking

Rebecca Bradley is running to keep the seat Scott Walker gave her last fall on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and she's using video from the Bradley Foundation backed Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, run by former Republican operatives, in her campaign. This coordination, which Bradley previously said she wouldn’t engage in, is now legal in Wisconsin.

MADISON - You can tell election season is open in Wisconsin now because your TV screens and your mailboxes are starting to fill up with bogus “issue” ads.

The first group out of the gate is the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, run by former Republican operatives. They’ve put together an ad that praises Rebecca Bradley, who is running to keep the seat Scott Walker gave her last fall on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. And they’ve even used video from Bradley’s campaign itself. This coordination, which Bradley previously said she wouldn’t engage in, is now legal in Wisconsin, by the way.

Group’s “issue ad” cribs from Supreme Court candidate’s campaign

And we just got a call today from one of our members who got a mailing from this same group that cast aspersions on Iowa County DA Larry Nelson, who is running for circuit court judge.

If you see an “issue” ad from any group, please contact us.

The best way to do so is to go to our Hijack Hotline on our website.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the online reporting form or would rather discuss the details directly: (608) 255-4260.

Speaking of Larry Nelson, he’s one of the three district attorneys who recently joined the John Doe II case and is trying to appeal the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling in the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Now those who were being investigated by the John Doe are trying to block any such appeal, as we wrote here:

John Doe opponents try to block path to U.S. Supreme Court

One other issue we’re following closely is the outrageous effort to loosen the restrictions on high-capacity wells that factory farms use. The latest twist is that Speaker Robin Vos has urged AG Brad Schimel to intervene and overrule the DNR on this one. Turns out Schimel has gotten money from some of the biggest factory farm owners, as we show here:

Schimel to rule on wells after getting contributions from factory farms

You never know what they’ll come up with next! But you can count on us to expose it.

MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Constitution states, “The governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons, after conviction…” Yet, the only person in the entire state who has the power to grant a pardon, Governor Scott Walker, has refused to do so. It is appalling that someone who has taken an oath to honor the constitution would deliberately evade their responsibilities as the leader of our state.

Republican Governor Tommy Thompson issued 148 pardons during his years in office. Democratic Governor Jim Doyle issued nearly 300 pardons. But it's not about how many people get a pardon. It's about the principle. The duty of the government is to serve its people first and foremost, and we cannot do that without first lending our ears. If we do not even listen to those who have served their sentence and repented their crimes, we deny them an opportunity for full rehabilitation and restoration of their citizenship.

I have recently introduced a bill to create an independent pardon council. This bill would create a panel of nine judges from around the state to consider each application for a pardon and make recommendations to the governor and the legislature. Although Walker has been neglectful to his people, this bill would allow hundreds to have their voice heard and allow them to get another chance.

Sen. Kathleen Vinehout writes about Ag Day at the Capitol. Farmers from across the state came to the Capitol to share ideas and perspective on what needs to be done to benefit agriculture and keep local communities thriving, not on partisan politics.

MADISON - “Just get it done!” The farmer was referring to a bill to change rules on high capacity wells. I listened. The chances of passing the bill are dim. Solving groundwater problems in Wisconsin is complex.

Farmers from all over our Senate District recently came to visit me as part of Ag Day at the Capitol. They came to share thoughts, seek answers and spur me to action.

The farmers wanted a bill to protect high capacity wells already drilled. However “just get it done” is not that easy.

Many different problems related to groundwater exist around the state.

Legislative action in recent years compounded the problems. Groundwater monitoring data around parts of the state were inadequate. In his budget, the governor instituted a policy to forbid DNR scientists from considering the cumulative effects of high cap wells. This means wells were permitted that maybe should not have been allowed. Recent court decisions made the problem even more complex.

Progress on other issues looked more positive. For example, legislation to make it easier for farmers to bring produce to food pantries would soon pass. One farmer asked me about legislation to fix definitions of farm equipment (known as Implements of Husbandry). He said, “Even with the new bill, things won’t be fixed.”

I asked for details so I could work with the author of the bill.

These farmers knew the system. They realized progress was slow and sometimes involved several different bills over several years.

“What are your thoughts on fixing the transportation fund?” one farmer asked. Others chimed in about the poor state of roads. These farmers played several roles in their community and understood things were related. Good roads and good schools are necessary to sustain a thriving community. That means we need to consider tax increases and spend state money on local needs.

Several of the farmers served on the town board. They understood when other local officials were forced to turn blacktop roads back into gravel due to a lack of funds for road improvement. “Gravel is cheaper to maintain.”

I explained the transportation fund spends more money than it takes in, which anyone knows is unsustainable. We talked about the choices I made to put together my alternative transportation budget. I balanced the budget without historic borrowing called for by the governor. It’s a matter of spending less and raising more money.

Years ago lawmakers voted to remove the ‘indexing’ (fluctuating with inflation) of the gas tax. If indexing were in place, the tax would be about six cents higher. I support bringing back indexing and raising the tax by a nickel. Farmers agreed. “No one would notice a five-cent increase with gas at $1.65 a gallon.”

A farmer asked “What about dyed fuel? Shouldn’t that be taxed?” Dyed fuel, which is not currently taxed, is literally dyed with coloring to distinguish it from taxed fuel. Use of the fuel is limited.

“What about tractor registration?” another farmer asked. “Tractors drive on the roads, they should help pay for them.” Consensus in the group was good roads are necessary to do business and everyone should pay their fair share.

A young man asked a pointed question. “What are you going to do about rural schools?” He changed schools just so he could gain access to the agriculture program.

I explained that in my alternative budget I laid out a different way to balance the budget and fix rural schools, which included getting rid of some tax loopholes.

In recent years, lawmakers in the majority and the governor gave away millions in tax credits. The consequence is not enough revenue to afford major changes needed to fix rural schools.

When the state does not pay its share for schools, local people pay more through property taxes. Referenda are passed just to keep schools open.

As folks left, a farmer said he was headed right home to get to work on a school referendum. He also served as chair of his local school board.

These farmers play many roles in their communities. They want to solve problems. Their earnestness, honesty and complete lack of partisanship help them focus on getting the job done.

Are the strategies we’ve employed for building retirement nest eggs transferable to self-government? Is a democratic republic compatible with the political industrial complex? Is it possible for the ordinary citizen to reclaim a meaningful and influential role in the political system?

ALTOONA, WI - Mutual funds exist for good reasons. When people are saving up for retirement, if they are lucky and if they are smart they have something more than what they’ve paid in to Social Security. Maybe they have a 401(k). Or maybe a 403(b). Or an IRA of some kind. Or a SEP. Whatever they have, they typically don’t have enough time on their hands to research where best to invest the funds or to execute the transactions. Nor do most of us feel qualified to manage these accounts.

So we put our money in a mutual fund, in the hands of professional money managers. This way, you can invest your money without the time or the experience needed to invest wisely. Theoretically at least, you should get a better return by giving your money to a professional than you would if you chose investments yourself. There is still risk. There’s always risk. But it beats stuffing your life’s savings in a mattress.

For roughly the same reasons, politics has largely been handed over to professionals. As populations continue to grow and life gets more complicated and communications technologies become more advanced and demanding, it is more and more challenging for someone with a life outside of politics to be an active and involved citizen. Increasingly, people who don’t practice politics for a living feel they have neither the time nor the qualifications to be actively engaged. Consequently, democracy has been outsourced to professional managers. A vast political consulting industry has  enveloped our political system, and it has become a multi-billion dollar racket.

There are survey research professionals to measure public opinion. There are messaging professionals to write scripts and put words in the mouths of candidates for office and elected officials. There are marketing professionals who sell policies and politicians the way beer and potato chips are sold. There are electioneering professionals who turn voter identification, persuasion and turnout into an intricate, algorithmic science. There are policy professionals who sit in offices on one coast and write laws for states and local communities on the other side of the country and all points in between. And, of course, there are the professional money managers who make sure all the consulting fees get paid and the obscene profits get turned.

All of this begs a number of questions:

Are the strategies we’ve employed for building retirement nest eggs transferable to self-government?

Is a democratic republic compatible with the political industrial complex?

Is it possible for the ordinary citizen – the amateur – to reclaim a meaningful and influential role in a political system presently overrun by professionals?

My answers:

No.

Absolutely not.

It has to be. The alternative is too dismal a fate.

MADISON - This week we revealed that there is one company behind the Republican bills to make it easier to sell off municipal water utilities. Find out who that company is, and how much it spent on lobbying last year, by reading this article:

Bills would make it easier to privatize public water utilities

And guess whose fingerprints are all over these bills? None other than ALEC, as we show here:

ALEC’s fingerprints on bills to privatize public water supplies

The NRA is also throwing its weight around in the legislature. It’s behind two bills, including concealed carry for switchblades and other blades:

NRA-backed weapons bills head to Walker

As you can see, there have been a lot of retrograde bills coming down the pike lately. I had fun testifying at the Capitol on Tuesday against a bill that would restrict local governments from issuing their own ID cards to residents. Here’s my testimony:

WDC opposes Senate Bill 533 regulating photo ID cards issued by local units of government

And here’s a bill we support, as it would safeguard public records in Wisconsin:

Democratic bill would create fine for destroying certain public records

As the legislature hurries to finish up its work in the next month or so, we’ll keep an eye out on the bills – and the money behind the bills.

New Marquette Poll shows support for Gov. Scott Walker is still floundering locally since his failed out of state adventure last fall for the Republican Presidential nomination. Other issues on guns, local schools, the Wisconsin economy and water quality remain important to voters.

MILWAUKEE – A new Marquette University Law School Poll released Thursday shows statewide approval of how Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is handling his job stands at 38 percent with 57 percent disapproving. In November, 38 percent approved and 58 percent disapproved.

Thirty-six percent say they would like Walker to seek a third term as governor, while 61 percent would not like to see him run. In September 2015, 35 percent supported a bid for a third term while 62 percent did not.

Walker's approval rating has remained low ever since he returned to Wisconsin from his failed bid last fall for the Republican Presidential nomination. While his followers in the state legislature have continued to push his pro-capitalist anti-worker agenda in Madison, he has failed to regain the leadership of the party he enjoyed before leaving the state to campaign.

Guns Remain An Issue

In related state issues, guns and gun laws continue to be an issue for Wisconsin residents. In 2012, three Marquette Law School Polls asked whether respondents favored or opposed “legalizing possession of concealed weapons” while such legislation was under debate. Between 46 and 47 percent supported legalizing concealed carry, while between 49 and 51 percent opposed the proposal. Concealed-carry legislation was passed and became law in 2012.

In the current poll, respondents were asked if they favor or oppose the “current law allowing residents to obtain a license to carry concealed handguns.” Sixty-three percent favor the current concealed-carry law, while 31 percent oppose it.

Respondents were also asked about a proposal to allow concealed-carry permit holders to have a gun on school grounds and for local school boards to have the option of allowing permit holders to enter schools with concealed weapons. On this issue, 31 percent favor the proposal while 65 percent are opposed.

Background checks for private gun sales and sales at gun shows have also been a recent issue in state. Eighty-five percent of registered voters favor background checks for private and gun show sales, while 12 percent oppose them. When last asked in May 2013, 71 percent favored and 26 percent opposed such checks.

Local Schools

Registered voters continue to express concern for education funding in the state. Fifty-seven percent say their local public schools are receiving too little funding from the state, while 30 percent say they receive enough and 7 percent say schools receive more funding than they need.

Asked how they would react “if your local school board proposed a referendum to increase taxes for schools,” 55 percent say they would be inclined to vote for the referendum while 35 percent say they would be inclined to vote against.

Wisconsin's Economy

Voters have become somewhat more negative in their views of the economy since April 2015. Twenty-six percent say the economy has gotten better over the past year while 31 percent say it has gotten worse. In April 2015, opinion was reversed, with 31 percent saying the economy had improved over the past year while 26 percent said it had gotten worse. As for the outlook for the coming year, 27 percent expect the economy to improve while 25 percent say it will get worse. Last April, 31 percent looked for improvement with 18 percent expecting a downturn.

Interest in Water Quality Low

Nine percent of respondents say they have heard reports of contamination of drinking water in their county in the past two years, while 86 percent have not heard of any such reports. Statewide, 27 percent have heard that the City of Waukesha is currently unable to meet state and federal standards for the amount of radium in its drinking water, while 72 percent have not heard.

The City of Waukesha has submitted a proposal to divert water from Lake Michigan for its water supply and return an equal or greater amount of treated waste water to the lake. Thirty-four percent of respondents state-wide favor this proposal while 51 percent say the city should find other solutions.

About the Marquette Law School Poll

The Marquette Law School Poll is the most extensive statewide polling project in Wisconsin history. This poll interviewed 806 registered Wisconsin voters, by both landline and cell phone, January 21-24, 2016. The margin of error is +/- 4.0 percentage points for the full sample. For Republican presidential primary voters, the sample size is 313, with a margin of error of +/-6.5 percentage points. For Democratic presidential primary voters, the sample size is 312, with a margin of error of +/-6.5 percentage points.

The partisan makeup of this sample, including those who lean to a party, is 42 percent Republican, 47 percent Democratic and 10 percent independent. The long-term estimate over the previous 31 statewide Marquette polls, with 26,727 respondents, is 42 percent Republican and 47 percent Democratic, with 9 percent independent. The partisan makeup excluding those who lean to a party is 25 percent Republican, 32 percent Democratic and 40 percent independent, compared to the long-term estimate of 27 percent Republican, 31 percent Democratic and 38 percent independent.

During the Senate debate to pass the bill dismantling our 100-year-old civil service system, senators told of secret meetings held with state workers where supervisors intimidated employees and forbid them to talk with their elected representatives. A LAB Hotline established is valuable in cases of intimidation.

MADISON - One by one Senators stood on the Senate floor and told of secret meetings held with state workers. Supervisors had forbid employees to talk with their elected representatives. Employees felt intimidated. They wanted to improve state services but were afraid of losing their jobs if they raised questions of mismanagement.

Late in the evening, the Senate passed a bill to dismantle our over 100-year-old civil service system put in place by Governor La Follette to ensure that ‘the best shall serve the state’.

The dismantling of protections for state service workers seemed already done as I listened to debate on AB 373. Prior to the vote, I heard some of the most disturbing testimony I’ve ever heard on the Senate floor. Testimony shared by Senators who spoke directly to intimidated workers with knowledge of mismanagement and abuse.

Corrections workers told a Senator about an inmate strangling a psychiatrist such that the doctor would probably never work again. State workers forced to work so much overtime, it stressed their marriages because workers were never home. Employees were afraid to speak up about wrong doings and dangerous situations. Workers were fearful supervisors would spy on them if they participated in meetings with their own elected representatives.

The climax of the evening came with the testimony of Senator Bewley from Ashland. She described the chilling effect employee intimidation had on her ability to represent her constituent.

“…As I was sitting here and I was thinking of sharing a story with the body, Mr. President about a constituent who told me please don’t tell anybody. And I was going to say a little bit about his circumstances but I realized I better keep my mouth shut in this body, with my colleagues that I’m supposed to trust, because if I say too much he could lose his job. In front of my own colleagues, we are setting up an atmosphere where I worry about my constituent’s job lest someone here find out who he is and get him fired.

…This is not the state we want to be in. I do not want to be afraid of discussing the concerns of my constituents with my colleagues for fear that someone will overhear something, have too much information, find out who that employee was and have him lose his job. That is what we are setting up. And, this is what you are going to have to defend to your own constituents after you take this vote today”.

Following the night of disturbing debate, I spoke with State Auditor Joe Chrisman. I asked what he could offer to employees who were too afraid to confront state mismanagement. He offered the Fraud, Waste, and Mismanagement Hotline, staffed by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB), which investigate reports made to its Hotline.

“There are so many protections put in place that protect those who call the hotline,” Mr. Chrisman told me. Callers to the hotline are provided some of the strongest whistle-blower protections in state law.

“Statutes require the Bureau to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of the caller at all times,” Mr. Chrisman said. “This means more than just the name of the caller.” Protections may include keeping the person’s job title, position, gender, agency, institution, or campus confidential.

Anyone can reach the hotline at 1-877-FRAUD-17 (1-877-372-8317). During business hours, trained staff answers hotline calls.

People can call during off hours and leave a voice message. They can complete a web-based form, or they can print off the form, fill it out and send it by snail mail.

They can leave information without leaving their name. However, Mr. Chrisman cautions, in doing so it is more challenging for auditors to follow-up. “Sometimes all we need are answers to two questions to proceed in an investigation.”

Even if the problem identified by the caller becomes part of an investigative report, state law requires the caller, including any identifiable details, still be protected.

As we discussed the problems in key agencies like Corrections, Mr. Chrisman said, “Tools exist at the Bureau for these kinds of reasons.” I encourage people to contact the LAB Hotline to report confidentially any concerns with state government.

ALTOONA, WI - I hear it or see it every day. Somebody says it at a meeting. Or posts it as a comment on an Internet message board or social media site. It’s imbedded in a question asked at some public forum. It is on a sign at a demonstration.

Democracy in America has been killed. It’s dead. It’s over.

I disagree for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that democracy is more verb than noun and verbs can’t be killed. Democracy lives as long as there are at least some among us who are doing it.

There’s no overlooking the fact that democracy is gravely ill in many respects, however. Democracy is dependent on many things, but none more important than the consent of the governed. What passes for consent of the governed nowadays is frightening when you consider what most Americans think of those doing the governing and further consider how elected officials demonstrate that they don’t care what the general public thinks.

The two major parties have very different ways of dealing with these troubling conditions. The Democrats run scared. There is a long list of things they believe but won’t say and things they would like to do but don’t. The Republicans run roughshod. Their answer for pretty much everything is more tax cuts primarily benefiting the rich and more government deregulation. Regardless of what the public wants, that’s what Republicans do. They are one-trick ponies, even though the trick has only made the rich vastly richer, the poor poorer, and the middle class disappear. For decades now it hasn’t produced the widespread prosperity they promise, yet they don’t try anything different. They double down on their one trick.

In Wisconsin, a governor who swears up and down he is not a career politician but who has spent his adult life holding one public office or another while running for a higher one is unfazed by the fact that the state leads the nation in shrinkage of the middle class and undaunted by news that people are fleeing Wisconsin in large numbers. He insists his policies are working and the state is mounting a “comeback” under his regime, despite new waves of layoffs coming on the heels of dismal reports of heavy job losses year after year after year during his time in office.

Democrats are reluctant to offer a bold alternative and steer a different course. They have little confidence in the appeal of their ideas. Republicans are showing telltale signs that they know the public is growing less and less likely to keep buying what they are selling. Why else would they feel the need to go to such extreme lengths to suppress voting, stack the courts and rig elections by gerrymandering political boundaries?

It’s easy to look at these assaults on democracy and their devastating effects and conclude that it’s over. But it’s useful to remember that voter suppression and court stacking and partisan gerrymandering were not invented in the last few years. These tactics are as old as the republic. They’ve been put to use by crooked politicians for ages, and they’ve been overcome many times by past generations of citizens.

As Bluto Blutarsky’s Germans bombed Pearl Harbor rant comically reminds us, nothing is over until we decide it is.

Every day I hear or see “RIP democracy.” Maybe the best response is simply “GBPH.”

MADISON - 43 years ago today, the Supreme Court made it clear that a woman has the right to make her own health care decisions.

On this day, we celebrate a historic ruling that respects a woman's right to make private decisions with her doctor. We are also reminded today that we must stand firm against efforts to undermine or chip away at those rights.

Wisconsin families look to their leaders to focus first on economic policy. Instead, we've seen a Republican-controlled legislature focused on curtailing access to a legal and safe abortions, and passing draconian legislation that puts women's health at risk.

It's a shame that 43 years later after the Supreme Court has settled the issue of reproductive rights that some still want to roll back the clock. Today, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin recommits itself to fighting to protect reproductive freedom.

MADISON - The state Senate approved and sent to the governor a bill on Wednesday that changes the longtime hiring process for 30,000 public sector jobs. The measure was backed by powerful business and conservative ideological groups that have spent millions of dollars since 2011 to help Republican lawmakers, who control the legislature, and GOP Gov. Scott Walker keep their jobs.

The measure, Assembly Bill 373, overhauls the state’s 110-year-old civil service hiring process by eliminating the requirement that job applicants take exams; shortening the process used by employees to appeal their discipline or dismissal by more than half; and prohibiting senior employees from avoiding termination by bumping less-senior workers from their jobs.

AB373, which was approved on a party line 19 to 14 vote in the Senate, was passed in October by the Assembly, and now goes to Walker, who supports it, for his signature.

Backers of the bill say the civil service process needed to be changed because it takes too long to hire and fire people. Opponents of the measure say the changes will hurt the quality of the state’s workforce by bringing political patronage and corruption back into the hiring of public employees.

The special interests behind the bill are generous backers of Republican legislators and Walker.

AB373 is backed by the state’s largest business group, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce(WMC), and Americans for Prosperity, a conservative ideological group created and funded bybillionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

WMC boasts a membership of 3,500 businesses that represent more than a dozen special interests groups, like business, manufacturing, construction, energy, transportation, and health care. The special interests represented by WMC contributed $11.2 million to current Republican legislators and another $31.8 million to Walker between January 2011 and June 2015.

In addition to direct contributions, WMC and Americans for Prosperity, which does not directly contribute to candidates, are among the top special interest sponsors of outside electioneering activities. Together, the two groups spent an estimated $22.4 million between January 2010 and December 2015 to support Republicans or smear Democratic candidates for statewide offices and the legislature.

MILWAUKEE - Citizen Action of Wisconsin, a statewide membership organization with over 38,000 members, announced today its endorsement of Judge Joe Donald for Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Judge Joe Donald is an extremely experienced jurist. With nearly 20 years presiding over civil and criminal court cases he is by far the most qualified candidate. Throughout the legal community, Judge Donald is highly respected for his command of the law, his fairness, and his common sense approach. Judge Donald will deliver justice for everyone in Wisconsin.

At a time when special interest dominance is eroding public confidence in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, it is critically important that we elect judges who make independent judgments based on the merits of each case. The specter of Supreme Court judges failing to recuse themselves from cases involving parties who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their behalf has sullied the reputation of Wisconsin’s highest court. That is why Citizen Action of Wisconsin believes we need a Supreme Court Justice like Joe Donald, whose long record of judicial independence is beyond reproach.

Judge Joe Donald is a leader in improving and modernizing our criminal justice system. Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate for African Americans in America. Judge Donald has been a leader in the creation and development judicial solutions like drug treatment courts, which reduce the mass incarceration of nonviolent offenders and work to address the root causes of drug addiction and poverty. We need this kind of common sense innovation to reduce crime and improve lives at our highest court.

The election of Judge Joe Donald would also be a historic milestone. Judge Donald would be the first African American elected to the Wisconsin State Supreme Court (Former Justice Louis Butler was appointed).

“On behalf of our 38,000 members in every corner of the state, we are proud to recommend Judge Joe Donald for Wisconsin Supreme Court,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “Judge Donald will work to secure justice for everyone in Wisconsin, not just well connected special interests and big campaign contributors. Based on his proven record of judicial integrity, innovation, and impartiality, Judge Donald has earned a place on Wisconsin’s highest court.”

MADISON – Over the last five years, we’ve seen deep cuts that have limited economic growth, stifled innovation and denied thousands of families the opportunity to get ahead. Democrats continue to believe that the best way to move our state forward is by restoring investments in our schools, infrastructure and worker training programs. 

When it comes to the challenges facing our state, we need solutions, not sound bites. Placing more students in unpaid internships isn’t going to help the nearly one million Wisconsinites burdened by $19 billion in student loan debt. It’s time to follow the lead of other states like Minnesota and allow families to refinance their student debt at a lower interest rate just like you can with home and auto loans.

Democrats remain committed to creating a childcare tax credit for working families, supporting new jobs through infrastructure investments and expanding retirement security options for hardworking residents. With Gov. Walker’s presidential bid behind us, it’s time to look forward at ways we can improve our state and rebuild our middle class.

MEDIA NOTE: State of the State video responses from Sen. Shilling and other Democratic caucus members can be viewed and downloaded at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/democrats/videoreleases.

MADISON - After the recent stories of jobs leaving Wisconsin, I had really hoped that Governor Walker would present a bold plan to keep jobs here and attract new businesses to Wisconsin. Sadly, however, we heard more of the lack of accountability and irresponsible priorities that have become the cornerstone of his administration.

Last week, General Electric announced that they will be moving from Fairfield, Connecticut to Boston. They are making this move because Boston is a hub of higher education and, consequently, research. We too need to invest in our universities and technical colleges if we want to see innovative business development and job creation in Wisconsin.

If the state of our state is truly going to be strong, we need to work together and invest in priorities that will create long-term economic success. My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to put forward common sense proposals that will reinvest in education and demonstrate a clear vision for Wisconsin’s future. We must shift the balance of power from the wealthy corporate campaign donors back to the people of Wisconsin.

MADISON - Governor Walker and his GOP leaders are trying to fix what they broke over the last several years.

While the Governor talks about helping make college affordable and the importance of education, his feel good proposals do not undo the damage to higher education and our public schools.” Vinehout said.

According to the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, in the last three budgets, Walker and legislative Republicans made over $1 billion in cumulative cuts to public schools and over $400 million in cumulative cuts to University of Wisconsin.

I am glad they are at least talking about fixing what’s broken. But it would have been much better not to break it in the first place.

MADISON - Democrats were hoping to hear Governor Scott Walker outline a plan to work across the aisle to solve the challenges Wisconsinites face each day. Unfortunately, Gov. Walker gave an election year speech focused on spinning a failed agenda rubber-stamped by his Republican-controlled legislature instead of a plan to increase opportunity for citizens in every corner of our state.

Wisconsin Republicans have spent the last five years on an agenda that decreased family incomes and shrunk the middle class. Local schools are struggling to do more with less in the face of budget cuts, our roads and bridges continue to deteriorate, and mass layoffs just hit a five-year high.

If Republicans are ready to listen to concerns of Wisconsin families instead of focusing on their self-interests, Democrats are ready and willing to help lead on an agenda focused on growth, innovation, and opportunity.

After a year of missed opportunities, it's time to return to basic Wisconsin values and make sure that those who pay their fair share and play by the rules will have an opportunity to succeed and get ahead. Our state deserves an economy that works for everyone, not just millionaires and billionaires.

MADISON - During his speech tonight, Governor Walker offered nothing more than Band-Aid proposals that are anemic and weak compared to the significant challenges we face.

The numbers are staggering.

In 2015, roughly 10,000 hardworking Wisconsinites received layoff notices, the highest single-year total since the governor took office. Wisconsin still ranks in the bottom third for job growth and worst in the Midwest, and our middle class is shrinking faster than any other state. We rank third-worst for student loan debt and our roads are also third-worst in the nation. And Republicans have cut $1 billion from public K-12 schools since 2010.

Wisconsin should be a leader; however, under Republicans we are falling behind. When I travel the state I hear people say we should invest in our public schools, level the playing field for the middle class, promote good-paying jobs and invest in our roads and bridges.

The truth is the State of our State is being neglected by Republicans putting their own needs above the needs of everyday Wisconsinites.

Last year, legislative Republicans turned their backs on Wisconsin’s interests in order to help Governor Walker in his failed run for president.

The Republican agenda included:

• Shifting $800 million from public schools to unaccountable private voucher schools over the next decade;
• A quarter billion dollar cut to our world-class university system;
• Driving down wages for hardworking families;
• And rejecting federal funding that would have meant health care coverage for tens of thousands more of our citizens.

This past fall, Republicans opened Wisconsin for corruption with an agenda designed to consolidate their own power and enrich the special interest groups bankrolling their campaigns. Perhaps most egregious was their late-night, secretive effort to dismantle our open records laws so they could hide their actions from the public.

It is clear after that Republicans cannot be trusted to do the right thing for the people of Wisconsin.

The difference between Democrats and Republicans at this juncture could not be clearer. My Democratic colleagues and I have made growing our economy and rebuilding the middle class our top priorities.

Our “Economic Opportunity Agenda” would help create good-paying jobs, close the skills gap by connecting workers with available jobs, increase wages and make us more competitive in a global economy. Our “Bring Back the Middle Class” package would boost retirement security and provide relief from high child-care costs and student debt.

Today alone on the Assembly floor, Democrats voted for proposals that would ensure significant investments in our public schools and affordable health care coverage for tens of thousands of Wisconsinites that, incidentally, would save Wisconsin taxpayers more than $300 million over the next two years. Democrats also voted for much-needed relief for more than a million student loan borrowers and equal pay protections for women in the workplace.

Sadly, Republicans rejected every single one of these bills.

Yet even in the face of Republicans’ inaction on these important issues and their betrayal of your trust and your interests, I believe the State of the People of Wisconsin is resilient.

I am inspired every day by the hardworking men and women who make up the fabric of our state. Wisconsin is in need of bold action for our workers and middle-class families and Democrats are ready to lead.

As Republicans continue to stack the deck against ordinary Wisconsinites and obscure their harmful agenda with election-year distractions, Democrats are focused on leveling the playing field and rebuilding the middle class the Republican agenda has hurt so deeply.

You can trust Democrats to restore opportunity and grow wages for ordinary, hardworking people.

You can trust Democrats to work to rebuild a strong middle class.

You can trust Democrats to grow an economy that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.

While legislative Republicans pursue an agenda focused on helping special interests and their own self-interests, legislative Democrats will continue to advocate for the people’s agenda in 2016 and beyond – but we need your help.

One of the proudest moments of 2015 was when you rose up and demanded the Republicans end their assault on open records. Your hard work and advocacy forced Republicans to back down, and you can do it again.

I encourage you to talk to your neighbors, friends and families about the direction our state is headed. Become engaged and make your voice heard. Together, we can put Wisconsin back on the right track and make sure the State of our State is stronger for all our citizens.

Thank you for watching, and as always, my fellow Wisconsinites, Forward!

This week as we prepare for Governor Walker’s State of the State address, Sen. Vinehout writes about the State of our State compared to Minnesota. Our neighbor to the west leads states in many rankings and Wisconsin lawmakers would be wise to follow Minnesota’s lead.

MADISON - “Yesterday, ahead of President Obama’s final State of the Union Address, Politico released its third annual analysis on ‘The States of the Union.’ For the third straight year, Politico ranked Minnesota one of the two strongest states in the nation,” touted the Office of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. Wisconsin ranked 11th moving up from 17th last year in Politico’s ranking.

Our 31st Senate District covers over a third of the 300-mile border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Just how do we stack up against our western neighbor?

Differences between the two states have developed over decades and reflect policies that may have been put in place years ago. Public policy has an impact on the state of our states. I do not imply by this comparison that any one person or group is responsible for Wisconsin’s poor performance compared to Minnesota.

Big differences in the two states are related to the economy, education, state financial health and corrections.

A recent report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance compared the two states and mentioned the economic success of the Twin Cities over Milwaukee. Prosperity may be found in Minnesota’s revenue sharing policies, begun in the early 1970’s, which required communities in the Twin Cities to share growth in the commercial and industrial tax base.

Minnesota’s fairness and equality in taxes seems to be a more effective policy for growth than big tax breaks for certain types of industries like Wisconsin’s very expensive manufacturing tax credit.

Minnesota’s strong investment in education also contributes to the health of the state’s economy. With a healthy tax base and a financially sound budget, Minnesota committed to investments in the future through education.

In the early 70’s, Minnesota emphasized community-based treatment for mental health and drug dependency. The result is that, even though Minnesota’s crime rate is slightly higher than Wisconsin’s, Minnesota has less than half the number of prisoners.

An estimated three out of every four prisoners in Wisconsin suffers from alcohol or drug problems and a third have severe mental illness. We would be wise to look to our western neighbor for solutions to the high cost of addictions and subsequent incarceration.

Comparisons are used for many purposes and source matters. Ideological groups push certain policies that may have little evidence of effectiveness. For example, in researching for this column, I found the 2015 Heartland Institute’s “Welfare Reform Report Card” which ranked Wisconsin third for “welfare reform policies” but worst – 50th out of 50 states – for progress in easing poverty. Clearly the policies advocated by the group haven’t led to improved prosperity for the poorest among us.

I provide this overview as a challenge to civic-minded Wisconsinites to carefully consider the policy direction needed for 2016 and beyond. Our state would do so much better if leaders explored ideas that worked rather than pushing an ideological agenda.

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(All of my sources are available upon request.)

ALTOONA, WI - I am not a government worker. I do not qualify for civil service protection. I have never been represented by a union in the workplace. But the assault on Wisconsin’s civil service system deeply concerns me, saddens me, frightens me and angers me all at the same time. This affects me because it’s not just a government employment issue, and it’s not just a union issue. This is about Wisconsin’s soul.

Where our state’s current rulers are taking us is a place Wisconsin has been before. Wisconsin once had a spoils system. A little over a century ago, the people of our state were well acquainted with political patronage and cronyism.

Citizens and their elected representatives responded to those corrupt conditions with sweeping reforms, including the establishment of the civil service system, done under the slogan “The Best Shall Serve the State.” Not the most loyal. Not the most well-connected. Not the most faithful supporters. The best. The most qualified.

That system has done Wisconsin good for 110 years. It has been updated and modernized many times since then. But it has remained an objective, merit-based system for hiring and firing. It has remained true to the original intent that the best shall serve the state.

What is being done now is not an update. It is not modernization. It is the replacement of an objective, merit-based civil service system with a subjective system, one that can easily morph into a spoils system. Those pushing this legislation keep saying decisions will continue to be based on merit. But the point is, those in charge of government agencies will no longer have to base their hiring and firing decisions on objective standards of merit. They will be able to consider political loyalties, they will be able to take connections into account, they will be able to look at campaign donations and time spent working for the party in power.

If they are able to, you can bet they will.

Finally, it is important to point out that this assault on Wisconsin’s civil service system is not happening in isolation. The dark impulses that inspire the dismantling of 110-year-old safeguards against government corruption are the same ones behind the continuing attacks on our state’s laws requiring the public’s business be done out in the open and in plain sight. Civil service protections are targeted for the same reason Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board was abolished. Our state’s current rulers need to do away with obstacles to cronyism and patronage for the same reason they can’t stand independent, nonpartisan oversight of their activities. And for the same reason, they felt the need to shield suspected political crimes from John Doe investigations.

Civil service, open records, the GAB and John Doe criminal probes all threaten their grip on power, they all hinder the current rulers’ ability to serve a privileged few at everyone else’s expense. That is what this latest legislation targeting civil service is all about . . . making sure their power and privilege cannot be questioned and cannot be challenged.

With student loan debt in Wisconsin at $19 billion and rising, we need a plan that allows loans to be refinanced at lower interest rates. Gov. Walker's rejection of refinancing leaves hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents at the mercy of Wall Street.

MADISON - With student loan debt in America standing at a record $1.2 trillion and more than a million Wisconsinites currently burdened by student loan debt, Governor Scott Walker announced his student debt proposals during a news conference at the Waukesha County Technical College Monday.

The Governor's plan includes increasing Wisconsin grants for technical college, deducting student loan interest from taxes, and creating grants for students in emergency financial need.

"It`s taking an existing program that`s in place -- and this just adds money, about $1 million more, which will add assistance for about 1,000 more students but it`s on a needs basis. It`s taking a program but expanding," Governor Walker said.

Walker says his new plan will make higher education more affordable and will build on the historic four-year UW System tuition freeze.

Few students, former students, educators or Democrats agree that Walker's plan will be much help.

"It`s not going to do anything to help the hard-working student loan borrowers in the state of Wisconsin who have done the right thing," Scot Ross with One Wisconsin Now said.

A study by the Institute for College Access and Success finds 70% of Wisconsin college graduates have student loan debt. The average exceeds $28,000. Walker’s college affordability initiative fails hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents with student loans because it does not provide needed relief from high interest rates.

What former students say they need is a plan that allows loans to be refinanced at lower interest rates like car and home loans.

Saul Newton is one of those students. "My highest interest rate on one of my loans is 7.5%. If I could refinance that down to 3% or 4%, that would be thousands of dollars a year that I could put back into the economy," Newton said.

Walker said that the most important thing he's done to improve college affordability is push a four-year tuition freeze for the University of Wisconsin System, which began with the 2013-'14 academic year and is to continue through 2016-'17.

“Unfortunately the Governor is not proposing a serious plan to help the over 815,000 Wisconsin residents who have student loans,” said State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) co-author of the Wisconsin Higher Ed/Lower Debt bill.  "This seems to be more of an attempt at a political solution rather than a real effort to fix the problem."

Wisconsin ranks third in the nation for the number of residents with student loan debt. Seventy percent of college graduates now have student loan debt and sixty percent of those with student loan debt are 30 or older.

The amount of total student loan debt in Wisconsin is at $19 billion and rising with the average student loan debt at over $28,000. Research has shown that the high cost of student loans is also hurting Wisconsin’s economy. Over $200 million in annual lost new car sales have been attributed to the student loan crisis as borrowers often settle for used cars rather than buying new.

“If the student loan plan being put forward by the Governor and Senate Republicans was a class project it would get a failing grade," said Hansen. "It amounts to little more than lip service to a growing crisis that is crushing the hopes and dreams of hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents and stifling any chance we have of real economic growth.”

Since 2013 Senator Hansen and Representative Cory Mason (D-Racine) have been promoting the Higher Ed/Lower Debt bill that would make it possible for Wisconsin residents to refinance their student loans at lower interest rates.

The state of Rhode Island, which has a student loan authority similar to the one proposed by Hansen and Mason, has been offering low cost student loans since 1981 and is currently offering student loan financing at rates as low as 4.24%.

“The only affordable way to address this growing crisis effectively is to offer borrowers the ability to refinance their student loans like home or car loans," concludes Hansen.  "Anything short of that is to leave Wisconsin borrowers at the mercy of Wall Street and the student loan giants.”

Wisconsin's stagnant economy would also benefit. “Wisconsin’s economy would clearly do better if we had a real policy solution to student loan debt and the governor’s plan isn’t it”, added Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha).

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Legislative Staff writer Jay Wadd contributed to this story.

As the Republican leadership in Madison rush to move complex and controversial bills through the legislative process, legislators and the public don’t have access to changes in proposals offered until just before committee hearings. Thoughtful and meaning dialog on the impact of complex legislation is compromised when speedy passage becomes more important than open debate.

MADISON - “How can we digest all your work in this short amount of time?” Senator Bewley asked the Chair of the housing committee and author of the bill before her. An amendment replacing the bill was released just before the hearing on that bill.

“How can we have a thoughtful and intelligent discussion...we just got this stinking thing a few hours ago.”

The bill, SB 464 (which has an Assembly companion - AB 582) was complex. The bill’s author said he wanted to avoid “moving the goal post” on a development project. Among other things, the bill froze in place laws on an industrial development once a minor approval (like a driveway permit) was granted even if the project would not be completed for years.

The Towns Association called the legislation, “One of the most damaging bills to local control in recent memory.”

The committee Chair said he negotiated with local groups to remove the most egregious parts of the bill. It was impossible for anyone at the hearing, including the Senators on the committee, to say what was actually in or out of the twenty-page bill they just received.

After 5:00pm, the committee finally took up SB 464. It was the last on the agenda and many people had waited since 11:00am to testify.

Citizen after citizen who testified shared their concerns about the bill and offered some version of “I don’t know what’s in the bill and I don’t know if you’ve fixed the problem.”

People who waited all day in the Capitol hearing room to speak said they had no way of knowing a new version had been posted on a website. They gave up a day of work, used a vacation day and left home early to travel to the Capitol. No one told them about the revised bill or offered to give them copy.

During that day, in another hearing room, people testified against removing the effective ban on nuclear power plants. In a third hearing room, people waited to testify against a bill that would make extensive changes to protections for lakes and rivers.

All were controversial making big changes to public policy. There were six hearings happening at the same time. Twenty-two bills were voted out of committee. Many were introduced over the Holidays and rushed to public hearing right after the New Year.

That day the Senate Sporting Heritage, Mining and Forestry Committee, of which I am a member, heard a bill on fish farming. I asked the Chair why the bill was not assigned to the Ag Committee and he said, “It deals with water.” You’d think it would sent it to the Natural Resources Committee.

Knowing what was in the bill and how it interacted with existing laws related to water and agriculture was important for understanding the consequences of the bill.

Again, I received the bill just before the committee hearing. Supposedly, the bill was introduced the day before the hearing. Details of its exact impact were scarce.

Again, the bill was complex. It changed protections of streams and springs, altered water flow over dams (which affects streams) and interwove state and federal rules.

Again, the Chair was also the author of the bill. He and I were the only legislators at the hearing. All other Senators had two or more hearings at the same time.

I like fish. I keep two large aquariums and fiddle with water chemistry for fun. In full disclosure, the fish farmers named me their Legislator of the Year several years prior. I want fish farmers to succeed, but not at the expense of our Wisconsin waterways.

The homework needed on the bill was not possible with members pulled to other committees and the bill rushed so fast no one had a chance to read it. I sat in the public hearing, I was pretty opponents did not even know the bill existed.

Speed and secrecy have become all too common in the Capitol. Democracy suffers. Public interest suffers.

The process works best when – to use a fish analogy – we treat legislation like fish – open it up, set it on the table, let the sunshine in and see if the fish smells.