Progressive Thinking

Senate Republican move to overturn Governor’s order requiring people to wear masks in public is simply pandering for votes and power, ignores public health.

GREEN BAY, WI - In what is no surprise, Senate Republicans wasted no time announcing their intent to overturn Governor Ever’s Executive order requiring people to wear masks in public along with his earlier order that could result in the National Guard no longer being able to help with virus testing or assisting poll workers in providing safety at the polls for voters this fall.

Since the Republicans came to power under Scott Walker their only concern has been protecting their own hold on power. This has come to include attacking Governor Evers at all costs even if it costs the lives of their own constituents.

Since we met in March the Republicans ignored doing anything to protect the people from this deadly virus or to remove the barriers that have led to delays in processing unemployment claims. Apparently the only thing that can get them to bring the Senate back into session is an opportunity to take another partisan shot at Governor Evers.

This is just one in a continuing list of examples for why non-partisan redistricting is so badly needed.

Violence needs to stop, but inaction by State Legislature on Police reform only fueling the fire says Green Bay Senator.

GREEN BAY, WI - For the past few weeks we have seen peaceful protests in our state in response to the killing of George Floyd and other black lives that have been taken before and since his death.

The violence we saw last night in which a state senator and others were assaulted and state property damaged cannot be tolerated. Senator Carpenter is not only a good legislator but a decent man who has supported efforts to end racism, police brutality and reform the way in which we provide public safety. No person should feel unsafe in their community.

The violence needs to stop so we can return the focus to the original intent of the protest: to provide systemic reform to our police departments so the rights of every person, regardless of their race, are protected.

In Colorado they passed significant police reforms in 16 days. As we sit here today nothing is being done thanks to Republicans like Robin Vos, Scott Fitzgerald and John Nygren.

Wednesday's decision comes as no surprise, says Green Bay Senator. Justices put the bidding of their corporate benefactors over workers' lives.

GREEN BAY, WI - Congratulations workers! Thanks to the corporate controlled State Supreme Court you’re going back to work whether you feel safe or not. Because now that they have repealed the Safer at Home order if your employer calls you back to work and you don’t feel safe you will lose your unemployment.

In a decision that comes as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with the Republican, corporate-controlled State Supreme Court a majority has decided to put profits over the lives of workers, customers and their families.

Also in a move that is as no surprise, they abandoned their own values to do the bidding of their corporate donors. Judicial activism is alive and well on the state’s highest court when it comes to doing the bidding of their corporate overlords.

Perhaps those who believe people’s lives are more important than corporate profits should begin the process of recalling those justices who, once again, did the bidding of their corporate benefactors at the expense the people.

Senator says area Republicans don’t seem to care that the majority of people in this state do not want to re-open now, nor do they care about the predicament the workers are in. They just seem so eager and willing to risk the lives of others.

GREEN BAY, WI - Thursday’s press conference at an Appleton dairy by Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and area Assembly Republicans to call for regional re-opening at a time when Brown County is seeing the fastest increase in COVID-19 cases is as dangerous as it is tone deaf.

Not one person speaking at their press conference was a health expert. Not one person there seems to understand that just because some parts of the state aren’t showing significant numbers of cases doesn’t mean there aren’t more cases than are known. Not one of them seems to care that re-opening those areas could lead to significant spikes in cases and overwhelm smaller, rural hospitals leading to needless loss of life.

They also don’t seem to care that the majority of people in this state do not want to re-open now. Nor do they care about the predicament they are going to put workers in by forcing them to choose between keeping their job and protecting their lives and the lives of their families.

No life is expendable. No person should be forced back to work before it is safe to do so.

The fact that these so-called pro-life Republicans are so eager and willing to risk the lives of thousands of their constituents calls their judgment and motive into serious question.

Her comments also show a complete lack of knowledge or understanding of just how transmittable the coronavirus is, says Green Bay Senator.

GREEN BAY, WI - As Brown County continues to increase at the fastest rate in the state, Justice Roggensack’s comments that workers at meat packing plants “are not regular folks” are as dangerous as they are insulting, demonstrating a sense of elitism and ignorance one might expect from our current president but not from a justice on our Supreme Court.

Her comments also show a complete lack of knowledge or understanding of just how transmittable the coronavirus is which makes her judgment dangerous to those who will soon be forced back to work when she and the other activist Republican justices are expected to rule against Governor Evers’ Safer at Home order.

Justice Roggensack’s comments show her to be unfit to serve on the state’s highest court. At the very least she should recuse herself from any and all decisions related to challenges to Governor Evers’ order.