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Written by Wisconsin Senate, Jay Wadd   
Friday, 16 March 2018 15:58

N.E. WI ResidentsGun and school safety debate on March 20th will take place without families in the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District being represented.


MADISON - State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) renewed his call for Governor Walker to call special elections to fill two legislative seats vacated by Republicans in favor of higher paying jobs in the Walker administration.

“On March 20th the State Senate will take up well over 100 bills dealing with everything from closing down Lincoln Hills to giving Kimberly-Clark over $100 million in taxpayer money to keep two mills open in the Fox Valley,” said Hansen.  "And the residents of the 1st Senate District will have no voice on any of these matters whatsoever."

Former Senator Frank Lasee resigned on December 29th to take another government job that pays over $100,000 a year. Despite special elections already having been held for other open seats, including the 10th Senate District, Governor Walker said there was not enough time to call for special elections in the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District.

walker“Governor Walker is playing politics with the voters of the 1st Senate District,” continued Hansen. "Rather than call an election so they have a voice in the decisions being made in the State Senate, he decided it was more important to silence them rather than risk losing another senate seat to a Democrat."

Democrats won the 10th Senate District, a deeply Republican District that had been in Republican hands for over 17 years.

To make matters worse the Governor recently called for a special session to pass a school safety package, another important issue that the voters of the 1st district will have no say on in the State Senate.

dave-hansen“Because he has chosen not to follow the law and call a special election, thousands of families will have no voice in the decisions that are made about how best to protect their children,” Hansen said.

Governor Walker has already called two special sessions this year and it’s only March. It is entirely possible that more special sessions could be called before the November election resulting in more decisions being made without representation for the people of the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District.

“Our forefathers, who Republicans are fond of quoting, fought against taxation without representation,” said Hansen. "Yet here we are in 2018 with over 230,000 people paying their taxes but being denied representation because the Governor and Senate Republicans are too afraid of losing their grip on power to do the right thing. It’s shameful.”

“It is time for Governor Walker and Republican leaders to stop playing politics with the rights of the people living in the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District and make the call for special elections,” Senator Hansen concludes.

Last Updated on Friday, 16 March 2018 16:45
 
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