MILWAUKEE - We discuss the horrific vote by Senate Republicans to cancel the state health emergency and the mask mandate while also nixing COVID-19 relief. The panel welcomes State Senator Chris Larson to talk about Tuesday’s Senate vote and the policy atrocities taking place at the State Capital. Is there any rationale for the actions of the majority at all, or our we witnessing reckless disregard for human life?

We close with a scouting report on President Biden’s new executive orders this week on climate and healthcare. Do they signal a bold new progressive direction for our national government?

LISTEN NOW – EPISODE #477
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All federal power must be used to fight pandemic, says former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer, city & county elected official, and union organizer.

MILWAUKEE - We discuss the historic inaugural week of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden’s flurry of executive orders and an exciting new immigration bill.

We look behind the organizing that resulted in changes to the Wisconsin COVID vaccination plan to include teachers, grocery workers, meat packers, and prisoners at the top of the list. A new COVID strain is spreading as Wisconsin reopens schools and the state does nothing.

We welcome Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC owner Kirk Bangstad to discuss their campaign against Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Tom Tiffany for supporting for overturning the 2020 presidential election. Wisconsin Examiner journalist, Isiah Holmes, joins us to discuss his excellent reporting on Wauwatosa Police targeting protestors. We close with Markasa Tucker from the African-American Roundtable to discuss the Milwaukee Common Council reversing course and approving a federal grant for more police officers.

Listen Now – Episode #476
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MADISON - Dear Friend, I hope you’ve had a nice week.

As for me, I’ve been alternating between relief and giddiness since, as you know, I’d been worried about Trump staging a coup for the better part of the last four years.

And I appreciated President Biden’s wise words in his Inaugural Address, as I wrote in an op-ed for the Wisconsin Examiner, which you can see here:

“Let’s start afresh”

I was also pleased to publish an op-ed in Urban Milwaukee with Angela Lang, the executive director of BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing in Communities), on why it’s imperative for Wisconsin Republicans to stop repeating the lies about the election and stop inciting the rabble. Here is that column:

A Plea to State Republicans

This week, we kept doing what we do, day in and day out, at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and that’s to track the big money in our politics.

Here’s our final tally on the money the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the Republican Party of Wisconsin hauled in last year:

State Dem Party Raised Nearly 2.5x More Than State GOP in ‘20

And here’s our initial tally on the money being thrown around in the race for school superintendent:

Top Contributors to the Candidates for State School Superintendent

I hope you have a nice, relaxing weekend after all the turmoil we’ve witnessed and endured over the last four years.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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P.S. I hope you’ll support the urgent work we do here for a full democracy, where everyone has an equal voice. Donating is easy. Just click here. Or donate the old-fashioned way by sending a check to us at 203 S. Paterson St, Ste 100, Madison WI 53703. We really appreciate it!

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers delivered the Democratic Radio Address Thursday on vaccine eligibility for Wisconsinites 65 and older, which begins Mon., Jan. 25, 2021.

Audio file of radio address.

Hello, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here.

Wisconsinites across our state are ready and anxious to get vaccinated and that’s great because that’s how we kick this pandemic to the curb.

That’s why this week we announced starting Monday, January 25th Wisconsinites ages 65 plus will be eligible for the vaccine.

This is great news and will help save lives in one of the populations we know is particularly vulnerable to severe effects of the virus.

Although it’s important to remember that this process is going to take time to get everyone vaccinated, we’re going to move as quickly as we can and we encourage folks who are 65 or older to connect with their primary care provider or find more information at dhs.wisconsin.gov.

The amount of vaccine we get from the federal government will determine how quickly we get through this group of approximately 700,000 Wisconsinites, but our healthcare partners, pharmacies, and local and tribal public health folks are ready and up to the task. They are getting to work with the supplies we do have to get to as many people as possible, as quickly and safely as possible.

Thank you.

DNR Sampling Results Show broader presence of PFAS in Madison Area Lakes

MADISON — Today, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the presence of elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in surface water samples taken from Madison-area lakes and along the Yahara River. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and Representative Samba Baldeh (D-Madison) released the following statements regarding the DNR’s announcement and the need for legislative action:

Senator Melissa Agard:

“Water is life. We must protect the health and safety of all in our community. This includes taking all the steps we can to ensure that our waterways are clean and that the wildlife that depend on it are protected. The results released today by the DNR should serve as a wake-up call to the GOP as the realization of how pervasive this problem actually is. The fact that PFAS were found in samples in every lake within the Yahara Chain confirms the need for immediate and decisive action. PFAS are not only detrimental to human health, but also environmentally destructive. We must take steps to protect our health and safeguard our communities; it is imperative that everyone have access to clean water.

“Swift action to set comprehensive standards and remediation requirements in our state regarding PFAS pollution must be a priority to all Wisconsinites. Harmful toxins in one of our most fundamental and necessary resources is a great impairment on our communities and wildlife. It is past time to take action to mitigate this basic injustice. I am proud to be a lead author of the CLEAR Act (2019 SB 302) which establishes acceptable levels and standards, monitoring requirements, and response actions of PFAS chemicals that are harmful to our health. There is no time to waste when it comes to the health and safety of our children and families and the natural world. I call on my legislative colleagues to take up this important bill immediately.”

Wisconsinites should put politics aside and work together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers delivered the Democratic Radio Address on Thursday calling for the Assembly to pass Assembly Bill (AB) 1 as amended and passed by the Senate this week.

Audio file of radio address. 

Hello, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our small businesses, workers, students and parents, and the health and safety of our friends and neighbors, I called on the Legislature to pass legislation to address our most pressing COVID-19 response needs.

This week, the Senate passed a bill that—while it's not the compromise we originally proposed—AB 1 as amended by the Senate is a good start to support our state’s response to this pandemic and is a step in the right direction.

I’ve been grateful to work together with Republican Senate Majority Leader LeMahieu to find common ground and pass a bill that reflects a good faith effort to compromise and be bipartisan.

Wisconsinites believe, as I do, that we can and should put politics aside and work together.

I am calling on the Assembly to pass this bill as amended and send it to my desk without delay. Let’s get this done and let’s start this new legislative session and 2021 on the right foot.

Thank you.

MADISON - Last Saturday, I was invited to speak to the Madison Civics Club. Originally, I was going to talk about how to make democracy work better in Wisconsin. But after the rightwing putsch on Jan. 6, I knew I had to talk about the threat from the far right in our country.

Here’s the video of my talk, which lasts for the first 20 minutes or so. Then there are a few questions and answers, and then Rep. Mark Pocan adds his own insights and his personal experience. The whole thing runs about an hour. I hope you like it:

Madison Civics Club - Rothschild/Pocan

On Monday, I decided to condense my advice, so here’s what I posted:

10 Things You Can Do to Fend Off the Far Right

Please feel free to share these with your friends, who I’m sure are as worried about the fate of our country as you and I are.

We also posted an item on how the Republican Attorneys General Association, which gets financial support from big Wisconsin companies, urged people to go to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” event. See which companies those were:

Wisconsin Backers of GOP Group That Promoted January 6 Event

I hope you like this week’s offerings.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
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P.S. You can count on us to stand up for democracy and to expose those who are intent on destroying it. If you appreciate the urgent work we’re doing, please send us a tax-deductible gift today by clicking here.

STATEWIDE - We discuss President Trump’s latest impeachment, shocking new details of his failed insurrection, and the Wisconsin Republicans who are aiding and abetting the violent overthrow of American democracy. We welcome Citizen Action Climate & Equity Director Rafael Smith to discuss a groundbreaking opportunity to pass a large New Deal-style green jobs program (Jobs for Economic Recovery Act) in the first 100 days of the Biden Administration and how you can get involved in making it a reality. The legislation, which has major traction the Senate and House, will put millions of jobless Americans back to work, dramatically improve racial equity and expand opportunity for depressed rural areas.

We also dig into Governor Evers’ State of the State speech and new fissures in the Republican state legislature that resulted in Senate Republicans splitting from the Assembly by cutting a deal with the Governor on COVID-19 relief.

Listen Now – Episode #475
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http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/metallic-sulfide-mining-runoff-s5.jpgAssembly District 89 candidate doesn't want Back 40 Mine in Menominee County or any sulfide mining to endanger our clean water, land, and air.