Wisconsin's legislative districts have been ruled unconstitutional by a panel of federal judges, and last week Attorney General Brad Schimel appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. The League of Woman Voters says fight back.

MADISON - The framers of Wisconsin's legislative districts, which have been ruled unconstitutional by a panel of federal judges, voted in secret last month to spend taxpayer dollars to have high-priced lawyers write an amicus brief in defense of the gerrymandered districts.

Attorney General Brad Schimel last week appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. All of this will cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of tax dollars, and that’s on top of more than $2.1 million already spent to draw the maps in secret and defend them through two lawsuits to-date!

If you find this shocking, contact your own legislators and the legislative leadership:

• Let them know how you feel about this abuse of power and tax dollars.
• Tell them Wisconsin can save millions of dollars and create more competitive voting districts in the future by adopting nonpartisan redistricting.
• Urge them to support two bills – AB 44 and SB 13 – which would have the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau draw the maps.
• Tell Senator Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos that these bills deserve a hearing. They did not allow hearings for these proposals last session. What are they afraid of?

--To find your own legislators, click here and enter your address under Find My Legislators, next to the little green map of Wisconsin.
--Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
(608) 266-9171,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
--Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau)
(608) 266-5660,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*****

Mark your calendar for the League’s state annual meeting, June 9-10 in Green Bay. Click here for information and registration.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/railroad-s5.jpgMore than 115,000 rail workers are legally allowed to strike as of Friday, a move that would shut down the transport of food, fuel and other goods.

Walker’s plan for a one-time child tax credit and sales tax holiday is an election-year gimmick says legislator.

MADISON – On Wednesday, Assembly Bill (AB) 944, Governor Walker’s plan for a one-time child tax credit and sales tax holiday, was recommended for adoption on a party-line vote by the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means. State Representative Melissa Sargent (D-Madison), ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement about the vote:

“The chickens are coming home to roost for Wisconsin Republicans. Seven years’ worth of their failed policies have finally caught up with them, so their last-ditch effort is to buy votes at $100 apiece. Well, I have news for Governor Walker and Republicans in the Legislature: you can’t buy our votes.

Governor Walker might not be handing these checks out at polling locations in November, but Wisconsinites are smart enough to read between the lines. This is a one-time sales tax holiday and a one-time $100-check to be delivered right before an election—if that doesn’t scream ‘election-year gimmick,’ I don’t know what does.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/schools-computer-class-1-s450.jpgGROW school districts using governor’s investment to recruit teachers in high-need areas.