State honors a recently identified Korean War Soldier whose remains have been returned to Wisconsin.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin will be flown at half-staff on July 25, 2020, in honor a recently identified Korean War Soldier whose remains have been returned to Wisconsin for burial.

Army Cpl. Francis J. Rochon of Superior will be buried with full military honors on Saturday, July 25, in Foxboro, Wisconsin, after the Department of Defense positively identified his remains 70 years after his death.

“This is a great yet somber day,” said Gov. Evers.  “We humbly remember Cpl. Rochon’s brave sacrifice to our nation and offer our condolences to his family as they now find closure after so many years and lay Cpl. Rochon to rest eternally in his home state and community.”

Rochon was a member of the 2^nd Infantry Division.  He was reported missing in action on Sept. 1, 1950, after fierce fighting near Changnyeong, South Korea. The Army officially declared Rochon deceased on Dec. 31, 1953, and declared his remains non-recoverable Jan. 16, 1956.

Rochon’s unidentified remains were buried at a cemetery in South Korea in January 1951 and reinterred in 1956 to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.  He was disinterred in 2018 for possible identification by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

To identify Rochon’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Rochon will be buried at Summit Cemetery in Foxboro.  His military awards include the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Executive Order #81 is available here.

Video press call highlights how Trump’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic cuts short funding for parents to get the child care they need for their kids.

WISCONSIN -- Representative Robyn Vining and WOW County mothers Mary Lockwood and Sarah Knowles held a video press call highlighting how Trump’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including his failure to provide adequate funding for parents to get the child care they need for their kids.

Rep. Vining highlighted her work as a member of the Committee on Children and Families, as well as touted Vice President Biden’s newly released plan to build a 21st century caregiving and education workforce.

Due to unaffordable childcare costs, Ms. Lockwood explained that she has all but left her job as an essential worker at an organization that works with people experiencing homelessness so that she can take care of her children and educate them at home. In addition, Ms. Knowles' noted her son has health issues that puts him at far greater risk of COVID-19 as Wisconsin faces a growing rate of infections. Should the pandemic persist but Trump forces school re-openings, she will be forced to keep her son at home.

Watch the full event here or read excerpts of what the speakers said below.

Rep. Robyn Vining: “There are so many families I represent -- mothers and fathers who are always trying to do what’s best for their children, but who are struggling more than ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus has hurt everyone in my community, and a big struggle that I hear about from my constituents and as a member of the Committee on Children and Families is the outrageous cost of child care. We have parents who have had to choose between keeping their essential job and staying at home with their children because child care is just too expensive. What makes all of this worse is that it didn’t have to be this way -- my constituents didn’t have to be suffering this way. Trump’s refusal to take this pandemic seriously has put us in greater jeopardy, and it has put Wisconsin families at greater risk with both their health and financial stability… Joe Biden has released a plan that I believe will help address this crisis. This includes a tax credit for low-income and middle-class families for child care expenditures, investing in universal pre-kindergarten, and investing in quality standards as well as better compensation for child care workers… There is a real opportunity here to right the ship after Donald Trump has left office.”

Mary Lockwood: “In normal circumstances, I work in homeless services, specifically… connecting individuals experiencing housing insecurity to housing opportunities, and under the current administration the clients that I work with are struggling hugely anyway, and much more so in the pandemic… When my husband and I did the cost benefit analysis of who should stay home with the kids, it was clearly me; I make far less even though my job is more essential than ever… We need changes so that mom’s like me can stay in their essential jobs, because my work is essential and I don’t want it to be the logical conclusion that the mom stays home because she makes less money… I know that Joe Biden has a plan, not only for housing which is so important to me, but to support essential workers and it is absolutely necessary now.”

Sarah Knowles: “I have a 20 year old son, Matthew, who will graduate next year from the special education program at Fairview South… Matthew has cerebral palsy, he uses a wheelchair, he’s nonverbal, and he needs one-on-one care for all of his daily living skills, so in addition to being Matthew’s 24/7 caregiver… overnight I had to become a therapist and a teacher… It’s been a big failure from Trump to let it get this bad, there has been zero leadership from the very start, and it’s made it very difficult for vulnerable populations… The wellbeing of our family has been affected by the administration, and I really hope we can elect Joe Biden as the next president, and reelect Robyn, because we need people who are thinking of everyone, including the most vulnerable.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/wiscovered-s5.pngNew website can help you get a new health insurance plan or enroll in the state’s BadgerCare Plus program.

Trump's move to weaponize the 2020 Census against immigrant communities by adding a citizenship question is also unconstitutional says Wisconsin Lt. Governor.

MADISON — Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes issued the following statement Thursday on the Trump administration’s memorandum that calls for excluding undocumented immigrants when determining congressional representation following the 2020 Census.

“Not only is this move to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census racist and xenophobic, but it is also unconstitutional. The Constitution makes it clear that the purpose of the census is to count every person, not just those the Trump administration deems worthy of being counted.

“President Trump already tried to weaponize the 2020 Census against immigrant communities by adding a citizenship question, and the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down. Now he’s attempting to erase immigrant communities from the picture again and disrupt the 2020 Census half-way through the process.

“Citizenship documents do not define whether or not someone is worthy of respect, civil rights, and equal representation in our democracy, so they cannot define whether they are counted. As integral members of our communities and our state, immigrants should be afforded the dignity and justice they deserve. Wisconsin’s Complete Count Committee has been working hard to ensure our 2020 Census counts everybody—especially hard to count populations like children, communities of color, and undocumented people. We will continue this work in the face of this unlawful decision, and I look forward to seeing this action challenged in the courts.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/gb-vote-47-lines2-s5.jpgWisconsin Conservation Voters applauds the Green Bay Common Council for getting a $1 million grant to take concrete steps to hold safe elections during the pandemic.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/schools-reopening-2020-cnn-s5.jpgMoney will help school districts impacted by COVID-19 make decisions about how students will learn in the upcoming school year.

We will be dealing with a coronavirus economy for probably 12 to 18 months says Palzewicz, while Republicans hope there's enough people who want to declare this pandemic is not real. Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald don't have a plan.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/voting-2020-538-s5.jpgThe People’s Maps Commission has an important role in re-drawing Wisconsin’s electoral maps and fixing our broken partisan gerrymandering system. State residents have until July 31st to apply to be a member.

Governor’s personal assistant, 25, dies in a tubing accident. His wit, enthusiasm, grace, and humility will be missed.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/unemployment-virus-outbreak-dp-s5.jpgBills would end one-week waiting period, concept of substantial fault, and allow people in occupational training and with disabilities to receive benefits.