MADISON – Today, Governor Evers announced a new deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that would spend $290 million from our state’s $7 billion surplus to ensure the team stays in Milwaukee through 2043 at a minimum. The proposed one time investment is estimated to save taxpayers more than $200 million over the Brewers’ lease term, while generating more than $400 million in revenue over the next twenty years.

MADISON - On Tuesday, there was a press conference in the Senate Parlor in the State Capitol on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, and I made a few brief comments. Here’s basically what I said, though I’m an inveterate ad libber:

Freedom Is on the Ballot for Wisconsin Supreme Court

MILWAUKEE - We debrief President Biden’s State of the Union speech. Does Biden progressive economic agenda represent a break with recent Democratic Presidents? We preview Governor Tony Evers’ plan to increase state shared revenue in his state budget he will release next week. We encourage him to follow Biden's lead, and include forcing the ultrarich to pay their fair share. We welcome Citizen Action Northcentral Co-op organizer Joel Lewis to discuss the door canvass in Wausau this Sunday from 10am - 2pm at the Labor Temple. We also discuss the City of Wausau Climate Action planning process. We close the show by welcoming back Tobita Chow from Justice is Global to talk about the balloon kerfuffle and how too many American politicians are fixin’ for a dangerous Cold War with China that will unleash more anti-Asian hate.

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MADISON, WI - Last night, US President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union Address. He outlined our nation's progress under his administration and his agenda to keep us moving forward for the next two years. Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:

MADISON, Wis. — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement following President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address:

MILWAUKEE - Robert is away from the show this week so we are joined by long time show producer, Brian Wooldridge, to get his perspective on producing over a decade of Battleground Wisconsin Podcasts. We discuss Citizen Action’s release of state survey data this week that found 59% of Wisconsinites experienced at least one health care affordability burden over the last year and 39% struggled to pay the resulting bills. This survey data makes clear the intense need to expand BadgerCare in the next State Budget. We welcome new Citizen Action Driftless Co-op organizer Kristie Tweed to introduce herself and invite listeners to the Driftless Co-op Meet and Greet on Feb. 15th at 5:30pm in La Crosse. We also speak with Pio from Delta Beer Lab in Madison to thank them for a major donation to our election work and to promote Delta Beer Lab’s monthly fundraising for groups, including the Wisconsin Conservation Voters in February.

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MADISON - This morning, I availed myself of the public comment opportunity at the Wisconsin Elections Commission, and I told Robert Spindell to his face (via Zoom, anyway) to resign. Here’s the full statement I then sent in to all the commissioners:

Rothschild Tells Spindell to Resign

I started off the week writing about Tyre Nichols’s death at the hands of five Milwaukee police officers. Here’s what I said on that horror:

Tyre Nichols—Another Senseless Death at the Hands of Police

And during the week, I’ve been busy handling media calls about the indispensable chronicling that our staff does of the record-breaking money in last November’s governor’s race. Here’s our post, which drew so much attention:

2022 Governor’s Race Cost Record $164M+

If you’re one of those who likes to keep track of the latest spenders in the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race or the special election near Milwaukee, you can click on the link below:

Campaign 2023 (Updates)

We’re about to get buried in an avalanche of outside and dark money for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. And you can count on us to tally it all up for you.

We make it easy for you to be our eyes and ears around the state and to notify us on ads from these groups (not the party or the candidate committees) via our online reporting form. Help us shine light on dark money.

I hope you find these items interesting.

And I hope you’re encouraging your friends and family to vote on Feb. 21 and April 4.

Have a nice weekend!

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address highlighting his priorities in the upcoming 2023-25 biennial budget to expand access to mental health services across the state, as announced during his 2023 State of the State address delivered last week.

As an anti-violence organization that sees the connections between all forms of violence, End Abuse echoes the demands of Tyre’s Nichols’ community.

MADISON - As we continue to tally all the money in last November’s races here in Wisconsin, we’re finding that one record after another is being broken in almost every race.

For instance, in the race for attorney general, an astonishing $14 million was raised, with the outside groups actually outspending the candidates themselves, as we noted here:

Groups Outspent Candidates in Record $14M AG Race

And in the race for secretary of state, Doug La Follette was outspent by a 2-to-1 margin, and there was a lot of outside money in that one, too:

2022 Secretary of State Race Sets $1.1M+ Spending Record

In the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race, we expect to see the old $5 million record shattered, as well.

These records are being broken for several reasons:

1. Citizens United and related U.S. Supreme Court decisions that opened the floodgates for big money and the SuperPACs.

2. The 2015 rewrite of Wisconsin’s campaign finance law by the Republicans in the Legislature and Scott Walker. It doubled the amount (to $20,000) that the super-rich can give in races for governor, state supreme court, attorney general, and secretary of state. And it tore down the ceiling on donations to the political parties, which used to be $10,000 and now the sky is the limit.

3. The hyper-partisan nationalization of our politics. With Wisconsin as one of the few purple states left, super-rich partisans from all over the country are throwing their money around here to affect the outcome of our elections.

This combination is drowning out the voices of almost all Wisconsinites and making a mockery of self-rule.

That’s why we’ll keep fighting for amending the U.S. Constitution to overturn Citizens United and its ugly relatives, and for tightening up Wisconsin’s own laws on campaign finance.

Only then could we each have something like an equal say in the political arena, which, after all, is what democracy is supposed to be about!

Thanks for supporting us in this effort.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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P.S. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation, just click here. Or you can give the old-fashioned way and send a check, made out to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, to 203 S. Paterson St, Suite 100, Madison, WI 53703.