MADISON - 16 to 1. That was the vote on Scott Walker's University of Wisconsin Board of Regents in favor of a new policy requiring the university to expel students who "disrupt" the free speech of others.
This policy is nothing more than an attempt by Walker and his political appointees to suppress the free speech rights of anybody who disagrees with them.
This policy provides no definition for what behavior is "disruptive." Who decides what is "disruptive"? Who decides when to enforce this policy and when not to? The First Amendment right to free speech is one of our most cherished rights. Donald Trump, Scott Walker and the Board of Regents don't get to decide which speech is "disruptive" and which is not.
As State Superintendent, I serve on the Board of Regents. I voted against this policy. Every other person on the board voted for it. Scott Walker has appointed 16 Regents who are fundamentally opposed to the mission of our university -- to educate our kids and teach them how to think for themselves.
There's only one way to stop this -- elect a new Governor, who can appoint a new Board of Regents. As Governor, I will appoint a Board of Regents that will focus on educating our young people, not suppressing their rights.
But before he even announced that he will challenge Scott Walker next year, Walker's machine was in full attack mode against Matt. The Wisconsin GOP sent trackers to our events, put up a phony website with Matt's name, and unloaded negative research on the newspapers.
They're not messing around. Matt is going to need your support early and often to take on the Walker machine.
Milwaukee attorney and former State Party Chairman says it’s time to move Wisconsin Forward again.
MILWAUKEE - Today Matt Flynn – attorney, Navy veteran, and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin – officially announced his campaign for Governor in 2018. Flynn joins the field of Democratic candidates ready to defeat Scott Walker.
“I’m running for Governor because I can’t stand by and watch our democracy slowly destroyed. Donald Trump has corrupted our government, is dividing our country, and is pitting Americans against Americans.
“In Madison, Scott Walker is slowly destroying the Wisconsin Way. I can’t stand by and watch the great Forward tradition of our state obliterated. I’m standing up to the large corporate donors who really are the ones that control Scott Walker and his cronies. I’m running for Governor of Wisconsin to restore our progressive tradition and to get Wisconsin moving Forward again.
“Scott Walker was taken to the cleaners on the Foxconn deal. He agreed to pay up to $3 billion to a Chinese company with no guarantees of a number of jobs created and wages paid. He also exempted them from important wetlands and water regulations right near Lake Michigan. We cannot tolerate Chinese industrial water management in Wisconsin.
“It’s time to restore fair wages and prosperity in every county and in every ZIP code in this state. We need to repair our roads throughout the state. We need to restore clean water to our state. It’s time to restore adequate funding to the University of Wisconsin System and to our public schools. It’s time to accept all federal money available to fund our Medicaid and other healthcare commitments. And above all, it’s time to restore clean, open, and honest government in Wisconsin.”
About Matt Flynn
Matt Flynn is a Navy veteran, attorney, and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Flynn is the oldest in a large family and went to school on scholarships. He worked in the kitchen of a dining hall to help pay his way. Flynn’s father, Gerard, taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for many years. After the children were grown, Flynn’s mother, Geraldine, worked in the Post Office.
Matt and Mary Flynn have been married for 41 years. Mary is originally from Monroe, Wisconsin and worked for many years as a speech pathologist in the Germantown Public Schools.
After college, Flynn joined the Navy. After he was honorably discharged, Matt attended law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After earning his law degree, Flynn clerked for Chief Judge Thomas Fairchild – a former Wisconsin Attorney General – on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He then began his legal career in Milwaukee.
Matt was elected Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Under his leadership, the party retired its debt, elected a Democratic Governor, and Democrats took majorities in both houses of the State Legislature.
Matt has helped many Democratic candidates get elected. He has been a strong voice in shaping public policy in Wisconsin.
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Brad Bainum
Tuesday, 10 October 2017 15:07
Kevin Nicholson was absent when it mattered, failed to conduct proper oversight. Leah Vukmir funneled away funding that should've gone towards King veterans' care.
MADISON -- This morning's Joint Legislative Audit Committee hearing on the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King audit report is a chilling reminder of the disastrous neglect and malfeasance that can happen if Kevin Nicholson and Leah Vukmir are entrusted with looking out for Wisconsinites.
Kevin Nicholson was supposed to be looking out for veterans living at King as a member of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Board of Veterans Affairs, but Nicholson skipped a July 2016 VA board meeting at the King facility and he failed to "respond to emails with concerns about the home" from as far back as February 2013.
Senator Leah Vukmir, for her part, sat on the Joint Finance Committee as she championed budgets from Gov. Scott Walker that slashed state funding and, as implemented, ultimately led to tens of millions in funding being siphoned away from the Veterans Home at King -- including $12 million in 2016, alone.
"When it really, truly mattered, Kevin Nicholson and Leah Vukmir weren't there for Wisconsin veterans at King," said Brad Bainum, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson for the 2018 Senate race. "As Nicholson and Vukmir scramble to compete for campaign dollars from out-of-state special interest megadonors, Wisconsin voters of both parties would do well to remember Kevin Nicholson and Leah Vukmir's failure to fulfill their obligations to our veterans living at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King."
Former Congressman Kleczka dedicated his life to serving his community, even after his 35 years in elected office.
MADISON - Over the weekend we received the news that former United States Representative Gerald 'Jerry' Kleczka, a Wisconsin Democrat representing the 4th Congressional District from 1984 to 2005, had passed away.
In addition to his two decades in Congress, Rep. Kleczka also served in the state Assembly and Senate, where he was Assistant Majority Leader and Chair of the Joint Finance Committee.
His career centered around tirelessly helping his constituents and community in Milwaukee, with a steadfast focus on national and state policy designed to better the lives of the poor, the disadvantaged and the elderly. After leaving elected office, Rep. Kleczka continued his public service in many nonprofit and community groups including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and America's Black Holocaust Museum.
In honoring Rep. Kleczka's career in Congress upon his announced retirement, former Senator Russ Feingold read a tribute into the Congressional Record, highlighting Kleczka's work banning "drive-thru" baby deliveries and protecting seniors living in public housing, as well as fighting for Social Security and affordable health care as a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. "Jerry has embodied Wisconsin's progressive tradition during his 35 years of public service," said Feingold. "The son of a factory worker, Jerry always stayed true to the hardworking Wisconsin families who counted on him to fight for them in Congress."
Congresswoman Gwen Moore honored her predecessor shortly after he left Congress in 2005, reading a tribute into the Congressional Record, calling him "a champion of the causes of working men and women" and "a spirited and tenacious advocate."
"Congressman Jerry Kleczka was the embodiment of a truly dedicated public servant who is loved and will be missed by so many," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning. "He focused his time and energy on his community. And for people whose voices are too often ignored, he will always be remembered as a true advocate and dedicated friend."
MADISON - Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has endorsed Tim Burns for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Burns is running for the seat now held by Justice Michael Gableman, who has announced his retirement from the court. The non-partisan election will be held in the spring of 2018.
The following is a statement from Kathleen Falk:
"As an attorney who argued cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I know firsthand the Court’s far reaching influence. From free speech to our right to privacy to protecting natural resources, the Wisconsin Supreme Court hears and decides the most important legal issues. Tim Burns has the backbone, the integrity, and the courage a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice must have. He will be a strong addition to our Court."
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Tim Burns is a partner at a law firm in Madison, WI. He is a former co-chair of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association.
A graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia Law School, Tim is licensed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. Tim's national practice focuses on making insurance companies live up to their obligations to their policyholders.
Tim also serves on the national board of the American Constitution Society and he chairs the Fair and Impartial Courts Committee of the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section of the American Bar Association.
Tim and his wife Pam, have chosen Middleton to raise their family. Married for over 20 years, they have three children.
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Brad Bainum
Saturday, 07 October 2017 09:33
Graham-Cassidy Would End Protections For Wisconsinites With Pre-Existing Conditions, Make Millions More Uninsured
MADISON - At a Tuesday campaign event in Appleton, right-wing state Senator Leah Vukmir expressed supreme regret that Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan were unable to pass the dangerous so-called "Graham-Cassidy" TrumpCare bill that would take healthcare access away from millions of Wisconsinites while putting every single woman, man, and child with a pre-existing condition at risk of being discriminated against by insurers.
"It's unconscionable that Vukmir and her GOP primary opponent, Kevin Nicholson, continue to stand by TrumpCare plans that would, at worst, take care away from 30 million Americans, and, at best, strip millions of their healthcare access, while throwing people with pre-existing conditions under the bus," said Brad Bainum, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson for the 2018 Senate race. "Vukmir's continued claim that ending anti-discrimination protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing health conditions is somehow good for families, is just the latest proof that her far-right and pro-corporate special interest agenda is completely out-of-step with Wisconsin's working families' best interests."
QUESTIONER: "What are you going to do for the family, okay? Because basically we’ve transversed into a party that basically is the family now, and basically is more of a working class people than anybody..."
[...]
VUKMIR: "I'm disappointed that the Graham-Cassidy didn't go through. I'm disappointed -- as we talk about families -- I'm disappointed that the Graham-Cassidy bill didn't go through."
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Brad Bainum
Saturday, 07 October 2017 09:21
"Billionaire puppet Kevin Nicholson and right-wing extremist Leah Vukmir need to tell the people of Wisconsin why they support Trump and Paul Ryan gifting 80% of tax cuts to the top 1%"
MADISON - Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning issued the following statement on Americans for Prosperity, a front-group bankrolled by out-of-state billionaire brothers and GOP megadonors Charles and David Koch, launching a new, misleading attack ad against Tammy Baldwin -- all because she refuses to support Donald Trump and Paul Ryan's big tax-cut giveaway for the wealthy few:
"Out-of-state billionaires are attacking Tammy Baldwin on Wisconsin airwaves because they know she won't support a tax giveaway for CEOs and the super-rich paid for by hardworking Wisconsinites. Billionaire puppet Kevin Nicholson and right-wing extremist Leah Vukmir need to tell the people of Wisconsin why they support Trump and Paul Ryan gifting 80% of tax cuts to the top 1% over the next decade while one in four middle class families pay more."
Written by Commoners for Mike McCabe, Christine Welcher
Thursday, 05 October 2017 10:27
MADISON - 1,641 miles. This campaign has gone from Curtiss to Wausau to Green Bay to Milwaukee to La Crosse - with many stops in between. Each mile over the first two-weeks of the kick-off tour showcased Wisconsin's beauty as well as its current challenges.
Our debut campaign video captures the energy of day one on the farm. It gets to the heart of why Mike is running. It offers a glimpse of Mike's vision for a more just and equitable future for Wisconsin.
Written by Commoners for Mike McCabe, Christine Welcher
Thursday, 05 October 2017 10:04
Political Activist and Gubernatorial Candidate Mike McCabe is holding a Q&A Town Hall on Milwaukee's North Side at the African-American Women's Center Thursday night, October 5th.
MILWAUKEE - Mike McCabe's Principle over Party campaign continues to make its way around the state. Thursday night's Town Hall at Milwaukee's African-American Women's Center (3020 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI) is the latest stop. The Town Hall style event on October 5th, will begin at 6pm with a short speech from the candidate. The majority of the evening will be questions from the floor. The event is free to attend and all are welcome.
Mike's goal is to inspire and engage people from all over the state to get back into the driver's seat. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Mike's message continues to explain and educate why this campaign must be People Powered and Crowd Funded if it is to succeed.
“If money decides the election, the people will continue to be stuck with elected representatives who scratch the backs of those who scratched theirs, and our government will continue to be controlled by the wealthy and well-connected. Breaking free of this trap involves risk. It requires faith and the courage of conviction,” he said. “Political insiders will call this unilateral disarmament. No, it’s acting on principle. The insiders say you have to spend four or five hours a day begging rich people for money if you want to be taken seriously. That’s exactly what has gotten us into the mess we’re in.”
McCabe continues, "If money is allowed to rule our elections and our political system, some candidate will win, but the People of Wisconsin will lose."
In 1995 McCabe was a founding member of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group that specializes in tracking the money in state elections and works to make people matter more than money in politics. He led the group for 15 years as its director and during that time exposed money’s influence and called out wrongdoing by state officials, earning a reputation as a leading government whistle blower and one of the nation’s best political money trackers.
Before the Democracy Campaign came along, the only way to see who was donating to elected officials and candidates for office was to travel to the old state Elections Board office in Madison and personally examine mountains of paper reports. The Democracy Campaign entered all of the information on those reports into an electronic database and published it online, making it vastly easier to follow the money in Wisconsin politics. For its efforts under Mike’s leadership, the Democracy Campaign was named the Citizen Openness Advocate of the Year in 2012 by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
MADISON - 16 to 1. That was the vote on Scott Walker's University of Wisconsin Board of Regents in favor of a new policy requiring the university to expel students who "disrupt" the free speech of others.
This policy provides no definition for what behavior is "disruptive." Who decides what is "disruptive"? Who decides when to enforce this policy and when not to? The First Amendment right to free speech is one of our most cherished rights. Donald Trump, Scott Walker and the Board of Regents don't get to decide which speech is "disruptive" and which is not.
MILWAUKEE - Did you see Matt's announcement yesterday? I am proud to be working with Matt to get Wisconsin moving forward again.
Kevin Nicholson was absent when it mattered, failed to conduct proper oversight. Leah Vukmir funneled away funding that should've gone towards King veterans' care.
The 
Former Congressman Kleczka dedicated his life to serving his community, even after his 35 years in elected office.
MADISON - Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has endorsed Tim Burns for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Burns is running for the seat now held by Justice Michael Gableman, who has announced his retirement from the court. The non-partisan election will be held in the spring of 2018.
The following is a statement from Kathleen Falk:
Graham-Cassidy Would End Protections For Wisconsinites With Pre-Existing Conditions, Make Millions More Uninsured
"Billionaire puppet Kevin Nicholson and right-wing extremist Leah Vukmir need to tell the people of Wisconsin why they support Trump and Paul Ryan gifting 80% of tax cuts to the top 1%"
MADISON - Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning issued the following statement on Americans for Prosperity, a front-group bankrolled by out-of-state billionaire brothers and GOP megadonors Charles and David Koch, launching a new, misleading attack ad against Tammy Baldwin -- all because she refuses to support Donald Trump and Paul Ryan's big tax-cut giveaway for the wealthy few:
MADISON - 1,641 miles. This campaign has gone from Curtiss to Wausau to Green Bay to Milwaukee to La Crosse - with many stops in between. Each mile over the first two-weeks of the kick-off tour showcased Wisconsin's beauty as well as its current challenges.
Political Activist and Gubernatorial Candidate Mike McCabe is holding a Q&A Town Hall on Milwaukee's North Side at the African-American Women's Center Thursday night, October 5th.