Kohl announces his endorsement of State Superintendent Tony Evers in his run for Governor. Cites Evers strong leadership experience and ability to bring us together.

MILWAUKEE – Former US Senator Herb Kohl announced his endorsement of State Superintendent Tony Evers in his run for Governor. Kohl, who retired from the US Senate in 2012 after 24 years of public service, cites Evers strong leadership experience and ability to bring us together in his endorsement of Evers.

“I am proud today to announce my endorsement of my friend, Tony Evers, for Governor. I’m supporting Tony because he’s a different kind of candidate. He’s taught in a classroom and led a school. He has changed lives one kid at a time,” Kohl said. “Now he leads a state agency responsible for educating all Wisconsin kids, and he’s changing lives there too. That’s why over 70% of us voted to re-elect Tony last April.”

Kohl, famous for being “Nobody’s Senator but Yours” also previously helped build his family’s grocery and department store business, Kohl’s, into a true Wisconsin success story.

“Tony has succeeded because he knows how to bring people together to solve problems. He treats people fairly and with respect. He gets things done,” Kohl commented. “Over the past seven years, Wisconsin hasn’t had enough leaders like Tony. The politicians in charge in Madison have focused on pointing figures and pitting people against each other. They’re making our problems worse, and people are suffering as a result. With Tony as Governor, this nonsense stops. I believe that Tony will bring the right kind of change to our state,” Kohl concluded.

Tony Evers has been elected three times to serve as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, winning 70 of 72 counties in his last election, with 70 percent of the vote statewide. Evers has spent his entire career educating our kids, previously working as a science teacher, a high school principal and as school district superintendent. As State Superintendent, Evers runs one of the largest agencies in the state, with responsibility over 70,000 educators and 860,000 students. Evers is the father of 3 children and 6 grandchildren, raising his family in communities throughout Wisconsin, including Plymouth, Baraboo, Tomah, Oakfield, Omro, Oshkosh and Verona.

Vukmir supported a zero-exception abortion ban, stated support for so-called "personhood" amendments that could ban common forms of birth control.

MADISON - Far right-wing state Senator Leah Vukmir is today holding a Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing to tout her latest extremist anti-choice bill that would restrict Wisconsin women's access to a full range of healthcare options by prohibiting certain doctors from providing abortion services. Specifically, the bill forbids University of Wisconsin System doctors from performing abortions at privately funded facilities, on their own time, and even though using state and federal funds for abortions is already prohibited.

As chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, Vukmir previously supported a 20-week abortion ban and received the endorsement of Pro-Life Wisconsin, an extreme anti-choice group that requires candidates to back so-called "personhood" amendments that would ban all abortions -- even in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother -- and could even ban some common forms of birth control. And earlier this month, Vukmir predictably celebrated President Donald Trump's move to threaten birth control access for hundreds of thousands of women across the country.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning issued the following statement on far right-wing Leah Vukmir holding a hearing for her latest anti-choice legislation:

"On women's healthcare, Senator Leah Vukmir's strident anti-choice viewpoints are among the most severe and punitive stances held by any elected official in the country. Her career-long, ideological crusade to take away women's healthcare access and options prove that she is just far too extreme and dangerous for Wisconsin women."

Background:

VUKMIR SAID MORNING-AFTER CONTRACEPTIVE PILL PROMOTES “BAD CHOICES,” AND WORKED TO BAN UNIVERSITY HEALTH CLINICS FROM PROVIDING IT TO STUDENTS

Vukmir Supported Legislation That Would Prohibit University of Wisconsin Health Clinics From Providing Morning-After Contraceptive Pill To Students. “The state Assembly late Thursday narrowly passed a bill that would prohibit University of Wisconsin System health clinics from advertising, prescribing or dispensing the morning-after pill to students." [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/17/05]

Vukmir Said Morning-After Contraceptive Pill “Promotes Bad Choices.” “Rep. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) said the university shouldn't be in the business of offering a service that encourages young women to be irresponsible. ‘This is about promoting bad choices, and the university shouldn't be the taxpayer-funded vehicle for it,’ Vukmir said.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/17/05]

AS COMMITTEE CHAIR, VUKMIR PUSHED THROUGH A 20-WEEK ABORTION BAN THAT DID NOT PROVIDE EXEMPTIONS FOR RAPE, INCEST OR THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER

Vukmir Supported Legislation To Ban Non-Emergency Abortion Procedures After 20 Weeks Of Pregnancy. “A fast-tracked Wisconsin bill that would ban non-emergency abortion procedures after 20 weeks of pregnancy advanced through a Senate committee Thursday, but its prospects remain unclear in the Assembly. The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services approved the bill on a 3-2 party-line vote, with Republicans supporting it and Democrats opposing it. Under the proposal, doctors who perform an abortion after 20 weeks in non-emergency situations could be charged with a felony and subject to $10,000 in fines or 3½ years in prison. As written, the bill doesn't provide exceptions for pregnancies conceived from sexual assault or incest.” [Associated Press, 6/4/15]

Associated Press: Committee Chair Vukmir “Refused To Add A Last-Minute Amendment…That Would Have Prioritized A Mother’s Care Over That Of A Fetus In An Emergency Situation.” “Committee chairwoman Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, refused to add a last-minute amendment from Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, that would have prioritized a mother's care over that of a fetus in an emergency situation. Erpenbach said bill's co-author, Senate President Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, was trying to rush the bill through the Capitol, with unexpected consequences. “This legislation is all about treating the fetus first, period. That's it,’ Erpenbach said. ‘The Senate president has been hell-bent on rushing this to the point that she doesn't know what it is.’ Vukmir said the state's existing abortion statute gave sufficient description on treating a mother and a fetus in an emergency situation before she called a vote.” [Associated Press, 6/4/2015]

VUKMIR OPPOSED REPUBLICAN-BACKED MEASURE TO REQUIRE HOSPITALS TO MAKE EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION AVAILABLE TO RAPE VICTIMS

Vukmir Voted Against Emergency Contraception Bill That Passed Through Republican-Controlled State Assembly. “The Republican-controlled state Assembly decisively approved a bill requiring all hospitals - including religious-based institutions- to offer emergency contraception to rape victims. the bill passed 61-35, with 16 Republicans joining the entire Democratic caucus except for one member, Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, in support.” [Capital Times, 1/24/08; Project Vote Smart, AB 377]

With premiums set to spike by 36% after latest Trump sabotage, Vukmir cheers Trump, while Nicholson suggests he didn't go far enough.

MADISON - President Trump late Thursday announced plans to further sabotage the American healthcare system by ending Affordable Care Act cost sharing reduction subsidies -- a reckless, spiteful move expected to skyrocket Wisconsinites' premiums by 36% -- and Leah Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson are cheering him on.

State Senator Vukmir offered "praise" for Trump's cruel, purely political sabotage that will surge healthcare costs for the working families she mistakenly believes she deserves to represent.

Kevin Nicholson tacitly endorsed Trump's latest sabotage by going out of his way to avoid criticizing Trump's move, then reverted back to his support for previous TrumpCare plans, reaffirming his view that "it's time for Congress to finally deliver conservative health care reforms." Essentially, Nicholson's view is that Trump's piecemeal sabotage approach to forcing through TrumpCare doesn't go far enough.

But here's the real kicker: Nicholson and Vukmir have supported ending the ACA subsidies for months by virtue of backing various TrumpCare plans.

The AHCA, Cassidy-Graham, and BCRA TrumpCare bills -- which both Nicholson and Vukmir supported in one form or another -- would all have ended the same cost-sharing reduction subsidies that Trump just ended in his latest sabotage.
"It's truly despicable that right-wing state Senator Leah Vukmir is actually praising President Trump for hoisting a 36% surge in healthcare costs on Wisconsinites, while out-of-state billionaire puppet Kevin Nicholson tacitly endorses Trump's latest cruelty," said Brad Bainum, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson for the 2018 Senate race. "At the end of the day, Vukmir is cheering Trump for making life incredibly difficult for hardworking Wisconsin families, while Nicholson complains that Trump's new sabotage didn't inflict enough damage -- and it's as clear as ever that neither is looking out for everyday Wisconsinites."

Background:

LEAH VUKMIR
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT
Vukmir: “The American Health Care Act Ensures A Stable Transition Away From The Affordable Care Act.” “‘After more than six years of Obamacare, 28 million people remain uninsured and premiums have gone up year after year,’ said Wisconsin Senator Leah Vukmir. ‘The American Health Care Act ensures a stable transition away from the Affordable Care Act, and it is imperative Congress works to loosen federal requirements on states so they may have greater authority over how they deliver healthcare – only then can there be true reforms.’” [ALEC, Press Release, 3/7/17]   GRAHAM-CASSIDY
Vukmir Supported Graham-Cassidy. “Vukmir, a state senator from Brookfield, said Friday she wants to repeal Obamacare, move more decisions back to states and opposes a single-payer health care plan supported by Baldwin. ‘While Graham-Cassidy isn't perfect, I do support the notion of allowing states to solve problems,’ Vukmir said in a statement. ‘We know what we're doing in Wisconsin, and the feds need to get out of our way.’” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/22/17]
KEVIN NICHOLSON AHCA/BCRA
Nicholson Supported BCRA, Saying That Hopefully The Vote To Start Debate Would Lead To Repealing Obamacare. “Some of the Republicans considering running against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin showed support for Tuesday's move to end or scale back Obamacare. […] Also considering a run is business consultant Kevin Nicholson, who has the support of a super PAC that has raised $3.5 million. In a statement, he said he hoped the Senate would repeal Obamacare. ‘Republicans have been promising for seven years to repeal Obamacare, and it's time they deliver on that promise,’ Nicholson said in his statement. ‘Hopefully, today's Senate vote will be a step towards repeal, but I'm always nervous when politicians get together. Only time will tell with what they're up to in DC, but I know we need more competition and market forces in health care — and less government.’” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/25/17]

Nicholson Said That He Would Have "Absolutely" Voted For The Senate’s Obamacare Repeal Bill. WAGNER: "Kevin, would you have voted to, would you have voted to repeal Obamacare this week?" NICHOLSON: "Oh, absolutely, and here's why. Obamacare has been a disaster for a lot of reasons, and it's basically limited choices and driven up premiums." [Jeff Wagner Show, 07/27/17]

GREEN BAY – Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Public Schools and Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, is proud to announce the strong support of former Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. “Today, I am proud to announce my strong support for Tony Evers for Governor. Tony is a hard-worker, a winner and cannot be bought. Like all of us, Tony is fiscally responsible and socially progressive. Tony is the change we need,” Dr. Kagen said.

“It's hard to find anyone in Madison who has done more than Tony to lift up working class families and their children. No wonder Tony won re-election in a landslide this spring. I trust Tony to bring about the positive changes we need in Madison, and humbly ask you to join him in building a better future for all of us,” Kagen commented.

In 2006, Allergy and Asthma Specialist Dr. Steve Kagen ran for public office for the first time in his life to guarantee access to healthcare for all of us – and he succeeded. His historic legislation banned discrimination by health insurance companies against patients with pre-existing medical conditions, and now no family will lose their home just because a child or family member has a serious accident or becomes ill. While in Congress, Kagen also helped pass the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, helped save Wisconsin’s SeniorCare prescription drug program, strengthened Medicare, promoted equal rights for women, created thousands of higher-wage jobs building Wisconsin’s roads and bridges and the U.S. Navy’s LCS ships in Marinette and Sturgeon Bay.

“Small business owners are the real job creators in our economy, and they are struggling to keep their heads above water, as workers’ wages keep falling. Up here, people feel like professional politicians in Madison have left them behind. Frankly, they’re not wrong,” Kagen commented. “Tony is one of us; he understands the challenges we face. Throughout his career, Tony has lived and worked all over Wisconsin including here in the Fox River Valley. It’s time we have a Governor who cares about us – not big money special interests who run the show in Madison today.”

Tony Evers won three statewide elections as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, winning 70 of 72 counties in his last election with 70 percent of the vote. Evers has been educating our kids his entire career as a science teacher, high school principal and school district superintendent. As State Superintendent, Evers is responsible for over 70,000 educators and 860,000 students. Evers is proud to be the father of three children and six grandchildren, raising his family in Plymouth, Baraboo, Tomah, Oakfield, Omro, Oshkosh and Verona.

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.

Onward,

Tony

***

Please contribute now to help me defeat Scott Walker so I can appoint a new UW Board of Regents.

MILWAUKEE - Did you see Matt's announcement yesterday? I am proud to be working with Matt to get Wisconsin moving forward again.

Click here to see Matt's video, announcing his campaign!

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.

Show Scott Walker and his cronies that you're ready to replace them! Click here to make a $25 contribution to the campaign today.

With your support, we'll have a governor who focuses on jobs, health care, schools, and roads - not on political gamesmanship.

Thank you for your support!

Bryan Kennedy
Campaign Manager
Forward with Flynn

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.

For additional information, visit www.ForwardWithFlynn.com.

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. 

The well-documented neglect of Wisconsin veterans that occurred at King can be traced directly back to both Nicholson and Vukmir:

• 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."

###

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.