http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/mike-pence2-s5.jpgWalker follows Pence on road to extreme policies.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/donald-trump-golden-wings-s5.jpgAssad’s actions were despicable, but we have a Constitution for a reason. Allowing the president to usurp the power of Congress defies the founders’ plan.

Walker signs WMC, Koch-backed bill to limit work rules by local governments, landlord-backed bill easing rental inspections, and more...

MADISON - This week, Scott Walker continued his war on local control by signing three more bills that offend the Wisconsin Constitution’s “home rule” clause.

The first one, a bill backed by the powerful Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the Americans for Prosperity (a Koch outfit), prohibits local governments from lifting labor standards above the state level:

Walker signs WMC, Koch-backed bill to limit work rules by local governments

The second one, backed by another heavyweight, the Wisconsin Realtors Association, is an early Christmas present to landlords:

Walker signs landlord-backed bill easing rental inspections

And the third one, backed by the muscular Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, lets drones fly just about anywhere:

New state law prohibits communities from regulating drones

These infringements on local control add to the 128 assaults that Walker and the Republican legislature passed from 2011 to 2016. And they used to be the party that clamored for local control!

Hey, have you ever wondered who the biggest individual donors were in Wisconsin? Well, here’s your answer:

Meet the top 100 donors in Wisconsin's partisan politics

I hope you enjoy this week’s offerings.

Happy Spring!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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P.S. Reminder: May 3 is our annual celebration, with guest speaker Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains. Please click here for all the logistics. Looking forward to seeing you!

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/clean-air-s5.jpgSunday is Earth Day. For our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same opportunities we have, we need to safeguard access to clean water, land and air and prevent special interests from taking unfair advantage of our environment on every day.

Democrats can win in 2018 and 2020, but only if we’re willing to take a hard look in the mirror, listen to everyone, and organize conversations that bring people together.

We discuss the crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary race, the Wisconsin Choice campaign, and Ascension's plan to close much of the critical safety net hospital in Milwaukee.

STATEWIDE - We discuss the current very open state of the Democratic gubernatorial primary race and the news that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and and progressive talk radio celebrity Mike Crute may enter the crowded field.

Marina Dimitrijevic from the Wisconsin Working Families Party joins us to discuss the Wisconsin Choice campaign to focus the primary on bold progressive issues, and to give activists the opportunity to vote in a straw poll on the candidates.

Finally we welcome members of the savestjoes.org coalition (Arkesia Jackson from BLOC and Nate Gilliam from WI Federation of Nurses & Health Professional and Katie Dunn from Citizen Action Healthcare for All Organizing Co-op) to discuss the news that Ascension will pause its plans to close much of the critical safety net hospital. The coalition is hosting a community meeting on April 24th, 6pm at Parklawn Assembly, 3725 N. Sherman Ave. in Milwaukee.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #339
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Citizen Action Press Clips

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/russia-hacks-nbc-s5.jpgRussian attempts to sabotage Wisconsin's election systems in the 2016 Presidential Election were thwarted, but we still need to ensure our future elections are accurate, secure and valid.

We are facing a crisis of persons suffering from addiction or diagnosed with other mental health issues, and spending in Wisconsin ranks near the bottom nationally to combat it. Flynn outlines his new approach to treating addiction and mental illness.

MILWAUKEE - Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit Pine Valley Integrated Services in Juneau County, where health care professionals work with patients suffering from addiction or diagnosed with other mental health issues. The work they do goes beyond basic treatment. They work to enroll patients in insurance plans and develop wraparound support for those facing food and housing insecurity. Their work requires them to collaborate with law enforcement and other government and community agencies.

We are facing a crisis here in Wisconsin. Deaths from opioid overdoses are increasing faster than the national average. Much of our state is rural, making mental health and substance abuse treatment significantly harder for those living far away from treatment centers. Mental health spending in Wisconsin ranks near the bottom nationally. Scott Walker turned down federal Medicaid dollars that would go towards treatment, putting his Republican presidential primary ambitions over the needs of those suffering opioid addictions.

Wisconsin needs a new approach to treating addiction and mental illness.

As governor, my agenda will be to add more integrated mental health services that incorporate a wide range of treatment options for people suffering from behavioral health disorders. To treat patients effectively, providers must rely on many options to create the best treatment approach for each individual patient. There is not a single form of treatment that works for everyone. Facilities with multiple options allow collaboration to create a plan that works for each patient without needing to access treatment from multiple locations. This creates the consistency of care that patients and providers need.

I will accept all federal health care funds and will add additional spending for mental health treatment. On top of that, I will push for more funding for our UW System. The research and health care training they do is invaluable to us. Our state universities are training the next generation of healthcare and mental health providers.

We also need to improve access to physical treatment options and encourage greater investment in telemedicine. New communication technologies allow patients and social workers to speak with medical professionals remotely, allowing them access to specialists they would otherwise have to travel to see. This way patients can get the care they need without the often-impossible task of moving to a treatment center.

Finally, we must recognize that people suffering from addiction do not belong behind bars. It is a terrible waste of resources. Not only does it cost more to keep a person locked in jail than in a treatment center, it ignores the fundamental problem of addiction. As governor, I will push for more treatment options for non-violent drug offenders, as opposed to incarceration.

Improving mental health will require more than our politicians paying lip service to the issue. It requires the focus of lawmakers to provide real funding and real policy changes. It’s time to hold the governor accountable for the state of mental health care in Wisconsin. It’s time to move forward again.

- Matt Flynn, Candidate for Governor

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sent to us by Bryan Kennedy, Ph.D., Mayor, City of Glendale & Campaign Manager, Forward With Flynn.

Paul Ryan will not seek re-election, and we explore its impact on CD 1 candidates. Plus election results, wage theft, Day of Action next Friday 4/20, and more...

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/working-poor-hurts-s5.jpgSince Gov. Walker and the Republicans repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act in 2011, the gender gap remains at 78 cents on the dollar. Our families and our economy continue to suffer.