Vukmir has proudly touted her role on the Task Force during her U.S. Senate campaign, and even claimed credit for the Task Force's work.

MADISON - 48 hours after a report that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir blew off the majority of Gov. Scott Walker's Opioid Task Force meetings, despite touting her role on the Task Force, Vukmir has yet to explain why she failed to attend 7 of the Task Force's 10 meetings.

Vukmir has proudly touted her role on the Task Force during her U.S. Senate campaign, and even claimed credit for the Task Force's work, but the truth is that Vukmir didn't take her job seriously and blew off 70% of meetings.

Sure, Vukmir called in to two of the meetings that she skipped, in person. But when she did attend telephonically, Vukmir did not participate.

Leah Vukmir didn't do her job on the Governor's Opioid Task Force, she refuses to explain why, and now she's asking for a promotion to the U.S. Senate.

Across the board, Vukmir has consistently sided with powerful special interests over Wisconsinites, working to let insurance companies get out of covering Wisconsinites' various health care conditions, from mental health care and oral chemotherapy, to cochlear implants and substance abuse treatments. Now, Vukmir is campaigning on repealing the Affordable Care Act and gutting protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.

Reedsburg Republican sets Foxconn, big business first.

MADISON - Howard Marklein’s latest re-election ad makes several glaring omissions from his time in the legislature. A quick look behind the curtains makes the facts clear: Howard Marklein voted to give billions of taxpayer dollars to a foreign corporation while shorting priorities for hardworking Wisconsinites.

CLAIM: Howard Marklein “kept [his] word to look after your tax dollars”

REALITY: Marklein voted to give $4.5 billion of taxpayer money to Foxconn, a Chinese corporation with a history of broken promises. This $4.5 billion giveaway is the largest state taxpayer handout to a foreign corporation in U.S. history. Under the best-case scenario, it will be at least 25 years until Wisconsin taxpayers could potentially break even on their investment, if at all.

CLAIM: “We’ll be spending more on things that matter here at home: education…”

REALITY: One of Marklein’s first acts in public office was to vote to slash $800 million in funding for Wisconsin’s classrooms. Seven years later, funding for public education remains below what it was in 2009. Wisconsin spends about $1,000 less per pupil than before Marklein took office and ranks below six other Midwest states.

CLAIM: “We’ll be spending more on things that matter here at home:…transportation”

REALITY: As part of Republicans’ $4.5 billion taxpayer giveaway to Foxconn, Marklein voted to divert $90 million in funding for local road projects to Foxconn. Thanks to the neglect of Republicans like Marklein, the financial burden of Wisconsin’s crumbling roads has fallen to Wisconsin taxpayers -- local government “wheel taxes” have nearly tripled, and Wisconsinites in some parts of the state are paying upwards of $2,100 on car repairs because of the poor conditions of Wisconsin’s roads.

The facts couldn’t be clearer: Howard Marklein has neglected and short changed Wisconsin priorities while doling out billions of taxpayer dollars to a foreign corporation.

A new DPW research report explores how Leah Vukmir has, time and time again, sided with insurance companies over Wisconsinites in need of mental health and substance abuse treatment coverage.

"As a nurse, I find it shameful that Leah Vukmir would oppose efforts to help patients struggling with mental health issues with their illness, with their addictions" --Nurse and former state Rep. Sandy Pasch

MADISON - Tuesday, Wisconsin mental health care advocates held a media call to highlight a new Democratic Party of Wisconsin report on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir's record of blocking and voting against expanded coverage for mental health care and substance abuse treatments.

During the call, nurse and former state Rep. Sandy Pasch and mental health care advocate Mike Bacchuber, of Madison, zeroed in on Leah Vukmir's long track record of unapologetically siding with powerful insurance companies over Wisconsinites in need of health care coverage. During her U.S. Senate run, Vukmir has defended past votes against coverage for oral chemotherapy as well as kids' hearing aids and cochlear implants, and Vukmir has made gutting the Affordable Care Act's protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions a centerpiece of her candidacy.

Key quotes:

• "As a nurse, I find it shameful that Leah Vukmir would oppose efforts to help patients struggling with mental health issues with their illness, with their addictions -- especially given that she's a nurse herself, and she likes to pull that card out, that she's a nurse and she understands health care. But she doesn't follow research, she doesn't follow information-based decision-making, and she did oppose these efforts to help patients struggling with addictions, because she didn't want to require her powerful allies in the insurance industry to cover expanded treatments for Wisconsinites in need." —Nurse and former state Rep. Sandy Pasch
• "Leah Vukmir's record of blocking and voting against expanded coverage for Wisconsinites in need of mental health care and substance abuse treatments just isn't looking out for our state. It's putting powerful corporate interests over everyday Wisconsinites. And frankly, it plays into the deeply toxic idea that mental illness or addiction are less important than other conditions. That is just plain wrong." —Wisconsin mental health advocate Mike Bacchuber

Listen to the full call audio here.

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Walker used state plane at taxpayer's expense.

APPLETON to GREEN BAY - Today at approximately 10:30 AM, Democratic nominee for governor Tony Evers and lieutenant governor nominee Mandela Barnes will live stream their drive from Appleton to Green Bay, recreating the infamous 24-mile flight that Scott Walker took on our state plane. Then in Green Bay, they will hold a press conference on the "Government for Us" agenda announced by Evers yesterday. Evers and Barnes will be joined at the press conference by State Sen. Dave Hansen and State Rep. Eric Genrich.

Walker's excessive use of the state plane has been well documented:

• Since dropping out of the presidential race in 2015, he spent $934,000 on more than 950 taxpayer funded flights.
• 29 of those flights were less than 40 miles long.
• Over the last year, he took 65% more flights than any governor in the top 10 most populous states.
• He had a plane pick him up in Milwaukee after a haircut and fly him to an NRA convention.

But perhaps no other flight sums up Walker's personal excesses than his journey on the state plane from Appleton to Green Bay--a distance of just 24 miles. That was a "busy day" for Walker, as he took four flights, each covering less than 75 miles, costing a total of $1,667.51.

The Government for Us agenda will put state government back to work for the people of Wisconsin. As Governor, Tony will ensure that the state government is a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, upholds Wisconsin’s long tradition of transparency and accountability, and most importantly, works for the people of Wisconsin.

Oct. 2, 2018

10:30 AM  – Live Stream of drive from Appleton to Green Bay.

Watch

Approximately 11:10 AM – Evers, Barnes, Hansen, Genrich hold press conference on "Government for Us" agenda

Brown County Democrats Office

118 S Chestnut Ave, Green Bay, WI 54303

MADISON - On Monday, Democratic nominee for Governor Tony Evers released his Government for Us agenda to put state government back to work FOR the people of Wisconsin. As Governor, Tony will ensure that the state government is a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, upholds Wisconsin’s long tradition of transparency and accountability, and most importantly, works for the people of Wisconsin.

MADISON - Former federal prosecutor and candidate for Attorney General Josh Kaul will kick off the Justice Tour in Milwaukee on Monday with Milwaukee County Sheriff-Elect Earnell Lucas and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm.

As Wisconsin’s Attorney General, Josh Kaul will work to make Wisconsin safer and stronger than we’re on track for right now. He will respond to Wisconsin’s opioid and meth epidemic like the crisis it is: going after large-scale drug traffickers, supporting increased access to substance-abuse treatment, and holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. Josh will also work to address increased testing delays at the state crime labs and to make sure Wisconsin never sees a backlog of untested rape kits again. And as AG, Josh will be an advocate for community policing and prosecution.

WHAT: Justice Tour Kickoff

WHO: Candidate for Attorney General Josh Kaul, Sheriff-Elect Earnell Lucas and District Attorney John Chisholm

WHEN: MONDAY, October 1, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Milwaukee City Hall, 200 E Wells St

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Josh Kaul served as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, one of America’s most violent cities. There, Kaul prosecuted murderers, gang members, and drug traffickers, taking dangerous criminals off the street and making communities more secure. He grew up in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac in a family of law enforcement professionals and teachers. He is running for Attorney General in 2018.

For more information, please visit: www.joshkaul.org

Honored to have former President's support, says Evers.

MADISON - Monday, President Obama endorsed Tony Evers for Governor and Mandela Barnes for Lt. Governor because of their positive vision for Wisconsin that will bring people together. The President released the following statement:

“Tony has spent his entire career fighting for kids in Wisconsin, first as a science teacher and now as State Superintendent, and that’s why Tony is exactly the kind of person Wisconsin needs as its next governor. Tony knows what unites us is stronger than what divides us. Tony is focused on his positive vision for Wisconsin and the issues that matter most to hard-working families like protecting people with pre-existing conditions, fixing Wisconsin’s crumbling roads and infrastructure, and fully funding public schools. Wisconsin deserves a governor who will govern with respect, experience, and who will put Wisconsin families before special interests and personal political ambitions. I’m proud to give Tony my endorsement and hope you’ll join me in supporting him to be the next governor of Wisconsin.”

“I am honored to have the endorsement of President Obama,” Evers said. “President Obama believed deeply in the ability of people coming together to solve problems and in an economy that works for all. I thank him for his support, and as Governor I’ll continue to work to expand opportunity across our state, ensure access to affordable health care and a quality public education, and to always put the people of Wisconsin first.”

In a new interview, Vukmir says she proudly worked for ALEC at the expense of Wisconsin working families.

MADISON - In a new interview, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir responded to a HuffPost report that she on at least 24 occasions championed legislation inspired by model bills drafted by the corporate special interest group ALEC, telling Capitol City Sunday's Emilee Fannon that she is "proud" of her work to advance the agenda set forth by ALEC's corporate members.

"I'm proud to have been a part of [ALEC] -- I was a national chairman."

In exchange for Vukmir's work for ALEC, Vukmir collected nearly $40,000 in campaign contributions from ALEC corporate members -- a brazen quid pro quo that benefited Vukmir and her corporate backers at the expense of Wisconsin families.

Also this weekend, Vukmir again recommitted to repealing the Affordable Care Act and gutting federal protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions, if she's elected, saying, "I will use my background as a nurse to once and for all replace Obamacare." 2.4 million Wisconsinites have pre-existing conditions. 

WATCH Vukmir defend her record of working for ALEC here.

Today Marks One Week Since Tony Evers Called on Walker to Pull Out of ACA Lawsuit.

MADISON - Today marks one week since Tony Evers called on Scott Walker to pull Wisconsin out of the federal lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and its protections for the estimated 2.4 million Wisconsinites with a pre-existing condition. To mark Walker’s silence, DPW launched a new web video titled “Every Part of It” that details Scott Walker’s long record of undermining health care in Wisconsin and threatening protections for pre-existing conditions.

Watch it here or below.

Walker’s refusal to accept Evers’ challenge shouldn’t surprise anyone who has paid attention to Walker’s health care record over the last eight years. He called the ACA - the law presently protecting Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions - a “disaster” that should be repealed “lock, stock, and barrel.” During his short-lived presidential bid, he promised to repeal the ACA on day one.   

When Republicans tried to push through Graham-Cassidy last year, a law that would have undermined pre-existing conditions protections, Scott Walker called it “awesome” and a “winner all the way around.” He even floated letting insurers hike premiums for people with preexisting conditions if federal law was changed to allow it.

“Scott Walker has had a week now to show Wisconsin he’s serious about protecting people with pre-existing conditions, and all we’ve heard is crickets,” said DPW spokesperson Alex Japko. “His record is clear: Wisconsin can’t trust Scott Walker to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions.”