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 Walker and the Republicans repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act in 2011, the gender gap remains at 78 cents on the dollar.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.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/farm-family-s5.jpgNo one has been hurt more and slower to recover after the 2008 economic crisis than our rural communities, and a bipartisan bill that granted $50 million a year to help dies in the state Senate.

Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee discusses the ups and downs of this year's legislative session.

MADISON, WI – Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) offered the weekly Democratic radio address today.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

“This is state senator Chris Larson with the weekly radio address.

“After a special session head-fake that was suddenly called off, the legislature is now officially out of session. Like we have seen over the past eight years — with Republicans controlling the entirety of state government — this session ended with a GOP focused on a toxic and dysfunctional agenda of special interest giveaways, corporate pandering, and environmental destruction. While the new FoxConn fiasco eclipsed all else this session, it was part of the same agenda they have pursued since grabbing power which has consistently resulted in cuts to education that have never been restored, big giveaways of our tax dollars, and reckless rollbacks of environmental safeguards.

"The last days in session saw this continue with the “Dark Store Loophole” left wide open which piles corporate property tax responsibility off their backs and onto ours. We also saw a defenseless abandonment of commonsense gun reform while our state’s youth watched on.

“On the good news front: due to the pressure from displeased neighbors, Republicans were forced to pass some bills offered by Democrats this session. This included the bill to close the scandal-plagued youth detention facility of Lincoln Hills and start the process of moving our kids closer to home.

"Unfortunately, too many crisis were left to fester. We’ll continue to be mired in traffic jams as there was no plan to solve our road and infrastructure woes. And the ever widening opioid crisis still doesn’t have solutions proportional to the growing problem. It is my hope that when the new legislature meets next year, it will be with these core issues central in their focus and not as the afterthought they have become.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/scott-fitzgeraldl-stands-behind-walker-s5.jpgScott Walker and legislative Republicans have changed our laws so millionaires and billionaires, with their deep pockets, have even more influence. Folks, this isn’t ok. The majority party has lost touch with the values of public service. - Tony Evers

Find out where to vote, and get important information on the Supreme Court candidate finance activity and the State Treasurer referendum here.

MADISON - Tomorrow is Election Day in Wisconsin.

Please vote, and please encourage your family members and friends to vote.

You and they can find out where to vote by simply going to this website:
https://myvote.wi.gov/en-US/FindMyPollingPlace

There is an important race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, and there’s also a referendum on the State Treasurer’s office.

You can find Supreme Court candidate campaign finance activity here.

We urge you to Vote No on the State Treasurer referendum, and we explain our reasons here.

There’s a rumor going around that there will be a record turnout for this election.

Let’s make that rumor come true!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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Matt Rothschild comments on last week's special elections fight, and the big election coming next Tuesday, April 3.

MADISON - I spent much of the last week writing about, speaking about, and testifying on the brazen effort by Walker and Fitzgerald to get around the law requiring special elections in Assembly District 42 and Senate District 1.

Here’s the testimony I gave at the State Capitol yesterday:

Testimony against GOP proposed change to special elections law

Then this morning it became clear that Walker and Fitzgerald were throwing in the towel, so here’s what I wrote in celebration of this win:

Sweet victory for democracy in Wisconsin!

I’d like to remind you that there’s a big election this coming Tuesday, April 3.

One of the races is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and here’s what the candidates themselves have raised this year:

High court candidates raised $1.2M+ since Jan. 1

There’s also the big statewide referendum to eliminate the office of the State Treasurer. Please vote NO on this one:

Vote no on state treasurer referendum

And there are 9 local referendums around the state to amend the U.S. Constitution to overturn Citizens United and proclaim that corporations aren’t persons and money isn’t speech:

It’s on the ballot in Green and St. Croix counties.

It’s also on the ballot in the cities of La Crosse, Marshfield, Rice Lake, and Sun Prairie.

It’s on the ballot in the villages of McFarland and Wittenberg.

And it’s on the ballot in the town of Sand Creek in Dunn County.

Please vote in favor of it.

See you at the polls!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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Walker forced to call special elections, preview next week’s Spring Election on Tuesday, Vote No on eliminating the State Treasurer, Foxconn news, and more...

Elections for vacant seats could have taken place weeks ago says Bowen.

MADISON – This morning, after a third judge repudiated Governor Walker’s effort to ignore his legal obligation to call special elections in vacant districts, Republicans officially dropped plans for an extraordinary session to keep 200,000 Wisconsin taxpayers without representation. Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) issued the following statement:

“The governor and Republican leaders are calling these elections ‘too expensive’ and ‘meaningless,’ yet the governor easily could have put these elections on the same schedule as he did the special election for the 10th Senate District, which took place two months after the seat became vacant,” said Bowen. “Fearing another rejection at the polls, the governor placed a bet that he could convince conservative judges to let him get away with violating his legal obligation, but even his allies on the bench rejected this abuse of power.

“Today marks three months since SD-1 and AD-42 became vacant, and citizens of those districts must now wait until June 12 – nearly half a year – to have representation again,” said Bowen. “That is the real cost of Governor Walker neglecting to do his job.”

*****

Walker’s “Would-If-I-Could” Attitude on Special Elections Deeply Troubling says Senator.

MADISON – In response to today’s announcement that Governor Walker will hold the special elections to fill vacant legislative seats and the cancellation of the Senate’s extraordinary session next week, Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement:

“With the majority that Republicans hold in the state legislature, they have the ability to pass any legislation they want. For a governor of any party to work with the legislature to undermine a judicial ruling, is outrageous. Their plan would have set a precedent that could have grave long-term consequences.”

“My office has received calls from people as far away as New Jersey that were concerned about the Governor’s actions. Ultimately, Walker has now consented to hold the special elections, but this window into how far Republican legislators are willing to go to retain power is both scary and simply unbelievable.”

MADISON - This week State Representative Daniel Riemer (D - Milwaukee) speaks on the two legislative seats Governor Walker has held vacant since December and the 200,000 Wisconsinites left without representation.

Audio File of Radio Address

Hello, this is State Representative Daniel Riemer with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.

“No taxation without representation.” The rallying cry of the American Revolution stood for a simple but powerful idea—that no free person should be governed without an opportunity to have their say in the way their government is run.

That high ideal has grown over the centuries, enfranchising Americans with the right to vote regardless of their economic position, their race, or their gender.

What took root in America is visible in budding republics around the globe. Those who remain unrepresented aspire to it in their ongoing struggle for freedom.

All 5.8 million Wisconsinites are represented in our State Legislature by both a representative and a senator.

When vacancies occur in the state legislature the Governor has the sole responsibility to call for special elections to allow voters to choose their representative.

For three months, two legislative seats have been vacant. Governor Walker has refused to call for special elections in these seats, leaving 200,000 Wisconsinites without representation for more than a year in a desperate, partisan attempt to maintain his grip on power.

Last week, a judge appointed by Governor Walker, ordered that the Governor hold special elections to fill the vacant legislative seats.

Rather than honor the decision of the judge he appointed, Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature plan to undermine the basic principles of American government by fundamentally changing Wisconsin’s election laws to allow the governor to avoid calling for special elections.

Wisconsin Democrats stand with all Wisconsinites. We stand for American values. We remain committed to ensuring that regardless of political affiliation, the people of Wisconsin are represented in the State Capitol.

“No taxation without representation” is not a dead slogan, it remains alive and well as long as we fight for it.

Thank you.