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Written by GOV Press Wisconsin
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Friday, 26 March 2021 08:30 |
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 MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers Thursday delivered the Democratic Radio Address on how his Badger Bounceback agenda will expand accessible and affordable healthcare in Wisconsin by expanding BadgerCare and investing in mental and behavioral health resources, addressing health disparities, lowering prescription drug costs, and addressing the caregiving crisis.
Audio file of Radio Address.
 Hi everyone, Governor Tony Evers here.
Our Badger Bounceback budget agenda is all about how we can make sure our state recovers from the pandemic better and stronger than we were before the pandemic hit. And if there’s anything COVID-19 underscored, it’s that the health and wellness of our state and our economy depends on the health and wellness of our people.
Whether it’s affordability or accessibility due to lack of broadband for telehealth services or transportation to get into town, too many Wisconsinites continue to face barriers to accessing the healthcare that they need.
That’s why my biennial budget proposal invests in expanding access to affordable healthcare in four critical ways.
We’re proposing expanding BadgerCare to provide coverage to 90,000 Wisconsinites and save our state $1.6 billion dollars, ensuring telehealth services are covered the same as in-person services, investing in mental and behavioral health resources for the folks who need it, and addressing health disparities by investing in health equity initiatives and curbing social determinants of health.
We’re also going to tackle the rising costs of prescription drug prices with over 20 policy solutions to help lower costs and increase transparency because picking up your medications shouldn’t break the bank.
And, folks, all across Wisconsin we are experiencing a caregiving crisis, so we’re investing $600 million in our long-term care, direct care workforce, and family caregivers. And finally, we are also going to continue to protect and ensure coverage for the more than 2.6 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.
Join me in supporting our Badger Bounceback budget by contacting your local representatives to tell them you support these proposals, and let’s get this done. Thank you. |
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Commentary
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Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild
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Friday, 26 March 2021 08:06 |
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 MADISON - With the April 6 elections fast approaching, we’ve tallied some of the money flowing into two big races.
In the race for state superintendent, we found a huge money advantage for Jill Underly from outside groups:
Liberal Groups Outspending DeVos group 13 to 1 in Superintendent Race
In the appellate court race in southeastern Wisconsin, we noticed that a Republican outside group is pouring money in. This shows that big money groups are trying to buy even lower levels of the judiciary:
GOP Electioneering Group Drops $56K+ in Appeals Court Contest
And if you want to look back at any of the legislative races from the fall, our Data Analyst David Julseth has provided campaign finance updates through December 2020. Just click on this link, and whichever race interests you:
Online individual contributor database updated -- Fall 2020 legislative elections
For commentary, we published two pieces this week.
Our Racial Equity and Economic Justice Advocate, Cely Flores, wrote this eye-opening piece on a new bill in Wisconsin that would lift up the wage of restaurant servers. The minimum is a shocking $2.23 an hour here:
Servers Should Not Have to Depend on the Goodwill of Strangers
And I gave talk on Monday night to the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign on the nasty voter suppression bills that are circulating in Wisconsin, and the national anti-democracy movement that they are part and parcel of. Here’s the text of my talk:
The Battle for Democracy
 I hope you like this week’s offerings.
Have a nice weekend.
Best,
Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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P.S. Please send us a tax-deductible donation so we can keep doing this urgent work. Just click here. Or you can mail your check in the old-fashioned way to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 203 S. Paterson St, Suite 100, Madison WI 53703. Thanks! |
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Commentary
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Written by Shelia Stubbs Press
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Tuesday, 23 March 2021 16:52 |
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 Republicans should work with legislative Democrats on passing meaningful gun control reform, says Rep. Stubbs.
Madison, WI – Yesterday, a man in Boulder, Colorado shot and killed 10 people in a local grocery store. On this event, Rep.Stubbs issued the following statement:
“Gun violence continues to plague our communities, and it must be stopped. Yesterday, ten people lost their lives, and now ten families will never be the same. We cannot continue to stand by as our neighbors, friends, family and loved ones fall victim to these senseless attacks.”
 “Among those lost in this attack was Officer Eric Talley, who was a father of seven children. At the age of 40, Officer Talley left his career in cloud communications and dedicated his life to serving his community. We lost an inspirational public servant yesterday, and my prayers are with his family and loved ones today.”
“This is the third mass shooting in only one week. In just these three events, 23 people lost their lives to gun violence. Shootings happen nearly every day in our communities, and it is time for change. Gun violence is an epidemic, and our legislators must implement common sense regulations to keep our communities safe.”
“Gun violence tears at the fabric of community health. In addition to the tragic loss of life, gun violence creates an environment of fear, distrust, and danger that impacts all aspects of our lives. If we want to see a better tomorrow, we must make meaningful action today.”
“My prayers go out to the families that lost loved ones in this shooting. Enough is enough, and I pray that leaders on the other side of the aisle do what is right, and work with legislative Democrats on passing meaningful gun control reform.” |
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Commentary
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Written by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild
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Friday, 19 March 2021 14:02 |
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 MADISON - This week, we were once again confronted with one of the fundamental problems facing our democracy: racism.
We saw it blurt out of the mouth of Senator Ron Johnson, when he said, on rightwing radio, that he wasn’t concerned on Jan. 6 by the Trump supporters but would have been by Black Lives Matter protesters. I wrote an editorial on this, demanding that Ron Johnson resign, which you can read here:
Ron Johnson, Resign!
And we saw it horrifically spill blood in Atlanta and take the lives of eight people, and notably six Asian Americans. Our Racial Equity and Economic Justice Advocate, Cely Flores, wrote about it here:
We Know a Hate Crime When We See One
We need to call racism out wherever we see it. It is a huge moral wrong, and it prevents democracy from functioning properly. No one has an equal voice when they are discriminated against. No one has an equal voice when they are denied life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just because of who they are.
Of course, our democracy does not function properly because of big money in politics, too. If you want to find out which outside groups are spending the most in the spring elections, click on this link and then click on the groups that interest you:
Hijacking Campaign 2021 - Independent Expenditures
I hope you’re able to get out and enjoy the warm weather this weekend.
Best,
Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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P.S. If you appreciate the work we’re doing here, please send us a tax-deductible gift by clicking here. Thanks! |
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MILWAUKEE - We look at Sen. Ron Johnson’s lockstep alignment with Trump’s Q’Anon base, and his new found national infamy among moderates and progressives. Has he gone off the deep end or is this smart politics in Trump’s GOP? We discuss next week’s important Healthcare Week of Action focusing on critical healthcare priorities in the state budget. Claire details the events and your opportunity to get involved, including talking to your state legislators. We expose the Legislative Republican effort to downplay the importance of COVID-19 vaccination at a time when health officials are trying to get as many people as possible vaccinated. We close by welcoming Mike Browne, Deputy Director of A Better Wisconsin Together (ABWT) to discuss how two of their identical open records requests to GOP state legislators produce vastly different results, and what is says about transparency in Wisconsin government.