State's GOP representatives head home from Washington with little done.

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin’s GOP representatives, Reps. Steil (WI-01), Fitzgerald (WI–05), Grothman (WI-06), Tiffany (WI-07), and Gallagher (WI-08), are heading back to Wisconsin for recess. As they’re returning home they owe their constituents some answers, as they’ve spent the last few weeks in D.C. putting their own partisan interests and wealthy corporations over the families they’re supposed to represent. 

From opposing economic relief and pledging to attack Wisconsinites’ affordable health care in the middle of a pandemic, to voting against a once-in-a-generation investment in our state’s infrastructure, Wisconsin’s Republican politicians have wasted no opportunity in Washington, D.C. to turn their backs on working families back home.

As Wisconsin Democrats in Congress fight tooth and nail to deliver for working families, here are three questions every House Republican from Wisconsin must answer for their constituents:

1. Do you support Rick Scott’s plan to raise taxes on 32% of Wisconsinites? According to data, Republicans’ economic agenda – which they have promised to pass if successful in this year’s midterm elections – would hike taxes on almost a third of our state. Constituents and voters deserve to know if their Republican representatives support this plan.

2. Do you agree with Senator Ron Johnson that the GOP’s priority should be raising health care costs and gutting protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions? Johnson has doubled down on his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, despite the legislation providing health care to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites and guaranteeing protections for those living with pre-existing conditions. Constituents and voters deserve to know if their Republican representatives support this plan.

3. Do you plan to run on an agenda that taxes working families over millionaires and billionaires? While Democrats run on an agenda that lowers costs for working families and asks the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes, the national Republican Party is running on an agenda that would raise taxes of half the country, including 32% of Wisconsinites. Wisconsin’s own Ron Johnson has praised the GOP plan, while voicing opposition to President Biden’s billionaire tax. Constituents and voters deserve to know if their Republican representatives plan to run on this agenda.

"Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure.” says Johnson in a new Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report.

MADISON, Wis. – A new Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report found audio of Senator Ron Johnson admitting that he and his biggest donors benefited from the changes that were made to the 2017 tax bill in order to earn Johnson’s vote. Read the report below.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson says his Oshkosh firm and many others benefited from 2017 business tax cut he championed

Key Points:

• For months, Democrats and their allies have claimed that Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and some of his top donors benefited from a key provision he pushed for in President Donald Trump's signature 2017 tax bill.
• During a meeting with GOP supporters Friday in Medford, Johnson was asked by an audience member how they should respond to an ad attacking the senator for his wealth and support for the measure.
• Johnson acknowledged the Oshkosh-based plastics business he owned, Pacur LLC, benefited from the small-business tax provision, as did some of his prominent donors."Now, did my business benefit? Sure. Did some of my donor businesses? Sure,...” Johnson said.
• In August, an investigation from ProPublica found that the tax provision Johnson championed delivered millions in tax savings to key donors of his campaigns, Dick and Liz Uihlein of Pleasant Prairie-based Uline and Diane Hendricks of Beloit-based ABC Supply. Johnson pushed for a tax break for small businesses and other so-called pass-through entities. In these businesses, profits pass-through to the owners who pay taxes on their personal returns.
• Pacur LLC, the Oshkosh-based plastic company that Johnson helped found, was structured as a pass-through business. Johnson disclosed in his official statement of economic interest that he sold his interest in the business for between $5 million and $20 million in 2020. He said the deal had been in the works since 2018.
• "They said I doubled my wealth," he said. "That's true."
• He said the reason his wealth doubled is that he sold his business.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/evers-2019-sos-s450.pngGov. Evers has worked to bring people together instead of finding ways to divide us and his common sense fiscal management has paid off.

Appleton Common Council Member and Northeastern Wisconsin Business Leader Launches Bid for State Senate.

Appleton, WI] - Thursday, Alderperson Kristin (Dassler) Alfheim (District 11) announced her campaign to run for Wisconsin State Senate.

“Today, I am extremely excited to launch my campaign to represent the Greater Fox Valley in the State Senate,” said Alfheim. “In the past, this district has been represented by moderate, independent thought leaders, capable of creating relationships across the aisle to address the needs of our communities and state. I want to bring rational, balanced thought back to Senate District 19.”

Alderperson Alfheim has served on the HR/IT and Community Economic Development Committees as well as the Taskforce on Resiliency, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation. She earned the respect and support of Appleton City Staff and Council Members for being a direct communicator, capable of finding common ground on tenuous issues to move forward for the people of Appleton.

As a self-employed businessperson, Alfheim has been known nationally as a leader in the Insurance and Financial Services Industry, chairing national committees on Leadership, Women’s Advancement, and Advocacy, while locally helping clients one on one and in classroom settings navigate their retirement distribution plans.

In 2019 she served as President the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) in Wisconsin, advocating for common sense tax and insurance legislation for the good of her clients. Her leadership and advocacy skills were also utilized serving on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Wisconsin for many years, serving as an Ambassador to Former Congressman Reid Ribble and Congressman Mike Gallagher.

“I consider myself a fiscally astute Democrat,” said Alfheim. “I believe in equality, science and social justice. I also believe in fiscal accountability and reducing the tax burden on the middle class. With effort, both can be accomplished.”

New coverage reports expanding mental health resources for kids.

MADISON, Wis. — In case you missed it, Governor Tony Evers stood with students, teachers, parents, and mental health professionals at schools across Wisconsin this week to deliver $15 million in funding that will be used to expand mental health resources in nearly every school district.

During his State of the State address, Gov. Evers announced the “Get Kids Ahead” initiative —  a common sense solution that will increase funding, improve and expand mental health resources in schools, and make a difference for Wisconsin’s youth. As Gov. Evers told legislators during his address, “If the folks in this room want to have real conversations about our kids’ success and achievement, then start by fully funding our schools and making sure our kids can bring their full and best selves to the classroom and to their studies. If that’s not where we’re starting this conversation, then all you’re talking about is our kids barely getting by when we should be making sure kids can get ahead.”

Schools will be able to use the funding from Gov. Evers’ “Get Kids Ahead” initiative to provide direct mental healthcare, hire and support mental health navigators, provide mental health first aid and trauma-based care training, or provide family assistance programs. 

Read more below on how Gov. Evers is doing what’s best for our kids by expanding mental health resources in schools.

Fox 11: Schools across Wisconsin receive 'Get Kids Ahead' funds to improve mental health services

• “Nearly every school district in Wisconsin is receiving funds from the state to provide school-based mental health.”

WBAY: ‘Get Kids Ahead’ initiative awards schools money for mental health programming

• “Gov. Evers is on a mission to help every district in the state get to the same level as Omro. He said every public school district in the state had the option to receive at least $10 thousand for mental health programs.”

Oshkosh Northwestern: In Omro High School visit, Evers stresses overcoming record-high mental health issues

• “At a visit to Omro High School Wednesday, Gov. Tony Evers shared the news of a $25,000 grant to the School District of Omro. Connie Bernier, the district's director of pupil services, said the grant will help continue some of the current programs in place at the school.”

CBS 58: Gov. Evers awards $966K to MPS for school-based mental health initiatives

• “Gov. Evers stopped at Journey House in Milwaukee Wednesday to talk about mental health challenges experienced by kids after two years of the pandemic. Evers announced that through his new program, the Milwaukee Public School system will receive $966,000 -- money that will be used for school-based mental health initiatives.”

Seehafer News: Local School Districts Receiving Almost $200,000 for Mental Health Initiative

• “Six public school districts in Manitowoc County are receiving a combined $194,000 from the state for the purpose of Gov. Tony Evers’ Get Kids Ahead initiative.”

WEAU: Gov. Evers visits Northstar Middle School, speaks on student mental health

• “The “Get Kids Ahead” initiative is set to allocate $15 million to schools to combat mental health problems in children around the state.”

Republican Senator has voted against providing help five different times, often citing deficit concerns that don’t seem apparent when passing budget-busting tax favors.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/wisconsin-senate_s5.jpgJeff Smith writes about some of the most memorable highlights from the many committees he's served on during his first term as state senator.

While Republicans Plan to Raise Taxes on Working Wisconsinites

MADISON, Wis. – This week, President Biden announced his budget for Fiscal Year 2023 which will reduce our country’s deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next decade, advance safety and security at home and around the world, and make the investments needed to build a better America. The budget will also impose a new Billionaire Minimum Income Tax on the top .01 percent of Americans, to ensure that the wealthiest in this country pay their fair share and alleviate pressure on working families.

Meanwhile, Republicans have embraced Senator Ron Johnson and Rick Scott’s GOP agenda to raise taxes on 32% of Wisconsinites and sunset Social Security and Medicare in five years.

“While Republicans like Ron Johnson have spent years cozying up to billionaires and rigging the tax code to provide breaks to himself and his biggest donors, President Biden and Democrats are working to lower costs for working families by simply asking the wealthy to pay their fair share,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. “The difference couldn’t be more clear: while Democrats are laser-focused on lowering costs for working families, the Republican Party is running on an agenda that would hike taxes on 32% of our state and gut health care protections for those living with pre-existing conditions.”

While even Senator Scott himself cannot defend his own GOP plan to raise taxes on over half of Americans and sunset the Social Security and Medicaid programs Wisconsinites rely on, President Biden’s Billionaire Minimum Income Tax would level the playing field and ensure equitable taxes for the wealthiest in our country – only applying to the top one-one hundredth of one percent (0.01 percent) of American households.

For a full breakdown of President Biden’s Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, see HERE.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/kristin-lyerly-md-commitment-s450.jpgGreen Bay Physician and HealthCare activist takes on Ron Johnson’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and rip away protections for pre-existing conditions from Wisconsinites.

2015: Kleefisch-Walker Administration Slashed $250 Million From UW System

MADISON, Wis. - A couple of years after the Walker-Kleefisch administration’s storied $800 million cuts from K-12 education in 2011, they decided it was time to slash funding for the University of Wisconsin System.

Rebecca Kleefisch supported the 2015 budget that cut funding from the UW System by $250 million. This reduction in funding led to professors losing their jobs, cuts in student employment hours, and insufficient mentoring through advisors for students.

This cut is only slightly smaller than the original budget proposal that even Republican lawmakers thought went too far.

The UW System plays a critical role in Wisconsin’s economy, with 40,000 employees and more than 165,000 students across the state. According to a study from 2018, the university system has a $24 billion overall economic impact on Wisconsin and generates or supports nearly 167,000 jobs. Investing in quality, affordable higher education for Wisconsinites is the right thing to do for our kids and for our economy.

Unlike Rebecca Kleefisch, Governor Evers has increased the state’s investment in the UW System. Just this year, the governor announced $25 million to support tuition freezes for the next two years and $5 million to increase campus mental health services.

“Rebecca Kleefisch is clearly not supportive of Wisconsin students,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Hannah Menchhoff. “The Walker-Kleefisch administration slashed funding to public education in Wisconsin, from K-12 to the college level. The University of Wisconsin System is a crucial part of Wisconsin’s continued economic success — if we want our schools to be funded and our students to thrive, we need to re-elect Gov. Evers in 2022.”