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Erpenbach on Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Wisconsin Senate, Kate Constalie   
Thursday, 01 April 2021 11:27

assembly-wi-robin-vosMADISON, WI – Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) released the following statement Wednesday after the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked Governor Evers’ lifesaving pandemic measures.

jon-erpenbach“There are two things this pandemic has taught us, masks work and Republicans don’t. While Governor Evers has worked diligently to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities, Republicans refused to do their job and undermined the Governor’s efforts every step of the way as thousands of Wisconsinites lost their lives to this virus. This Republican backed lawsuit has shown that Republicans will go to any length in their vendetta against the Governor even if it comes at the cost of human life.

“We have been in this pandemic for over a year now, and while the vaccination efforts provide a light at the end of the tunnel, we cannot trip at the finish line. The Centers for Disease Control has even stated that it is critical to continue safety measures such as face coverings, social distancing and getting vaccinated as we work closer towards herd immunity. We are so close to beating this and we cannot jeopardize the progress we have worked so hard for. Mask up and get vaccinated, Wisconsin.”

 
Hintz on Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Gordon Hintz Press, Rep. 54th Assembly District   
Thursday, 01 April 2021 11:05

wisc-supremecourt-justicesMADISON - Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement Wednesday in response to the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling on Governor Evers’ public health emergency declarations related to COVID-19:

gordon_hintz“I am deeply disappointed in today’s decision by conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. They got it 100% backwards today. The majority’s decision pretends that a pandemic is unchanging and ignores the devastating human impact of COVID-19. And it ensures that Wisconsin’s response to future pandemics will be more complicated and take more time, which in turn will cost more lives.

“Politics should have no place in responding to a public health emergency. Yet today’s decision ensures politics will be front-and-center for all future public health emergencies in our state. I’m relieved and grateful that Wisconsin was protected by Governor Evers over the past year and that we are starting to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. But after today’s ruling, I fear Wisconsinites’ health and safety will be at even greater risk in the future.”

 
Hintz Statement on 1 Million COVID Vaccinations in Wisconsin PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Gordon Hintz Press, Rep. 54th Assembly District   
Tuesday, 30 March 2021 15:15

covid-19-vaccinationOSHKOSH - Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement in response to the news that more than 1 million Wisconsinites have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19:

gordon_hintz“The news that one million Wisconsinites are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is remarkable. I applaud Governor Evers, state and local public health officials, Wisconsin’s vaccinators, and all of the community partners across the state who are working so hard to protect the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin.

“As we continue moving forward, I encourage every Wisconsinite who can get vaccinated against COVID-19 to do so as soon as they are eligible. All three COVID-19 vaccines were developed based on decades of research and went through rigorous safety testing, so we know they are safe and effective. By getting vaccinated, we can help protect the vulnerable members of our community and get back to our Wisconsin way of life.”

 
Erpenbach on Pharmacy Benefit Manager Bill Signing PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Wisconsin Senate, Kate Constalie   
Friday, 26 March 2021 14:42

evers-signs-bridgecc-wausauAction Friday will help lower the costs of prescription drugs and increase transparency and accountability for consumers, says Erpenbach.


WEST POINT, WI – Bipartisan legislation aimed at lowering drug costs and increasing transparency for consumers through Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) was signed into law by Governor Evers at a special ceremony at Bridge Community Clinic in Wausau, Wisconsin. As a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 3, Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) released the following statement:

jon-erpenbach“I am relieved to see action being taken to help lower the costs of prescription drugs and increase transparency and accountability for consumers. This bill will allow pharmacists to tell patients that they can get their medicine for a lower price if they buy it without insurance.

“Our community was well represented through the development of this legislation and I want to thank Janet Fritsch from Hometown Pharmacy in Baraboo for her advocacy on this issue as well as former Rep. Deb Kolste for all of the work she put into this bill last session. I was proud to co-sponsor of this bill and thank Governor Evers for signing it into law. There is still plenty of work to do lower prescription drug costs but this is an important step in that direction.”

 
Hintz on Republican Pandemic Money Grab PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Gordon Hintz Press, Rep. 54th Assembly District   
Wednesday, 24 March 2021 08:05

assembly-wi-robin-vosAssembly action Tuesday will politicize the COVID-19 pandemic, slow down Wisconsin’s recovery and perpetuate the lie that the 2020 election was stolen.


MADISON - Yesterday, the Wisconsin State Assembly took action to further politicize the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, slow down Wisconsin’s recovery and perpetuate the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Rather than helping Wisconsinites, Republicans voted to slow down our state’s response to the pandemic. Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement on today’s Assembly action:

gordon_hintz“Today’s actions by Assembly Republicans are extremely disappointing. Instead of following public health advice to help us defeat COVID-19 more quickly, they chose to pander to unbacked claims and beliefs that are contrary to science. Instead of coming together to address urgent issues facing Wisconsinites during a global pandemic, they chose to prioritize political battles that nobody outside of the State Capitol cares about. Instead of working with election officials or providing the funding necessary to strengthen Wisconsin’s elections, they chose to perpetuate conspiracy theories that threaten our democracy.

“Despite Republicans’ pandering, partisanship and extremism, I remain committed to putting the people of Wisconsin first and focusing on the health, safety, and continued economic recovery of our great state. Wisconsinites are counting on every elected leader to address the important challenges before us in this pandemic. I urge my colleagues to set their political games aside and join us at the table so we can come up with solutions that move Wisconsin forward.”

 
Black Caucus on Republican’s Inequitable Treatment of Joint Resolutions PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Shelia Stubbs Press   
Tuesday, 23 March 2021 15:39

rush-limbaughInstead of honoring the achievements of Wisconsin’s Black community, legislative Republicans decided to honor a divisive radio show host.


Madison WI- On Wednesday March 16th, the Black History Month Resolution was once again not placed on the session calendar, and was not passed through the Wisconsin State Legislature. However, a resolution honoring talk show host Rush Limbaugh was passed by the Republican Majority in both houses. On this, the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus released the following statement:

“As a caucus, we were asked by Assembly leadership to make concessions in order to even have the Black History Month resolution heard on the floor; these included allowing Assembly Republican leadership to add and remove names from the resolution and to not speak on the resolution; all of which are tools of depreciation and repression.”

“Instead of honoring the achievements of Wisconsin’s Black community, and recognizing the many Black leaders who have connections to our state, legislative Republicans decided to honor a divisive radio show host.”

“If controversy was an issue with the Black History Month resolution, it should have been brought to the floor for an up or down vote, as the Limbaugh resolution was.  Instead, the resolution was denied to even be heard by members of both houses. As a caucus, we have and always will stand on the principles of equity and fairness.  We demand and expect equal treatment as members of this body.”

“As Members of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus, we are leaders in the Black community. We deserve to honor the members of our community who have broken down barriers and supported our community’s success. We are their voice in the legislative process.”

“The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus makes the following request of the legislature’s Republican leadership. One, schedule Assembly Joint Resolution 8, proclaiming that racism and racial inequity constitute a health crisis in Wisconsin, to be brought to the floor on the next session day in both houses. Two, schedule Assembly Joint Resolution 10, proclaiming February 2021 as Black History Month, to be brought to the floor on the next session day in both houses. Three, schedule Assembly Bill 126, creating the Council for Equity and Inclusion and the Office for Equity and Inclusion and making an appropriation, to be brought to the floor on the next session day in the Assembly and the Senate. These important pieces of legislation deserve a chance to be heard on the floor of both houses and receive and up or down vote.”

“The legislature should be leading by example on the issues of equity and inclusion. The legislature should set the bar for what is seen as right and just. By choosing to continue to block meaningful legislation from coming to the floor sends a crystal clear message that the Republican Leadership is not interested in making life better for all Wisconsinites.”

Members of the Legislative Black Caucus are:

Chair- Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison),

Vice Chair- Representative Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee),

Treasurer- Representative Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee),

Secretary- Representative Samba Baldeh (D-Madison),

Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee)

Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee),

Representative David Bowen (D-Milwaukee),

Representative LaKeshia Myers (D-Milwaukee)

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 March 2021 15:46
 
Ron Johnson’s “Embarrassingly Bad” March PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by WisDems Press   
Tuesday, 23 March 2021 15:29

ron-johnson-unfitJohnson Continues To Make Waves… For All The Wrong Reasons


MADISON — Ron Johnson has spent the month of March spouting racist bile, delaying — and rejecting — COVID relief for families, promoting hydroxychloroquine (instead of vaccines), and getting compared to Joe McCarthy by not one, but two, fellow Republicans in The New York Times.

Ben Wikler, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said: “Beer. Cheese. The Badgers, the Packers, and the Bucks. There’s so much to love about our state. But Ron Johnson keeps getting national attention for Wisconsin for all the wrong reasons. Ron Johnson is embarrassingly bad at his job, and he’s clearly determined to make sure everyone knows it.” 

Take a look at just a sampling of the coverage of Ron Johnson’s embarrassingly bad March:

NYT: Assaulting the Truth, Ron Johnson Helps Erode Confidence in Government, Trip Gabriel and Reid Epstein, 3/21/20

  • Johnson has become the Republican Party’s foremost amplifier of conspiracy theories and disinformation now that Donald Trump himself is banned from social media and largely avoiding appearances on cable television. Mr. Johnson is an all-access purveyor of misinformation on serious issues such as the pandemic and the legitimacy of American democracy, as well as invoking the etymology of Greenland as a way to downplay the effects of climate change.

CNN: Analysis: Ron Johnson's latest comments are just straight-out racist, Chris Cillizza, 3/15/21

  • Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is very good at one thing: Making comments that are, at best, ill-informed and at worst, racist and/or dangerous.

Rolling Stone: GOP Senator Proudly Voices Racism: If Trump’s Mob Were BLM Then I’d Be Concerned, Peter Wade, 3/13/21

  • The senator continued to praise the insurrectionists, saying, “I knew those were people that love this country”

WISN: Sen. Ron Johnson says he will resist Democratic COVID-19 relief bill, 3/4/21

  • As the U.S. Senate hammers out its version of the president's COVID-19 relief package, Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said he will force the senate to read the entire bill aloud.

NYT: Jimmy Fallon: Ron Johnson Could Replace Ted Cruz as Most Hated Senator, 3/5/21

  • The “Tonight Show” host joked that the Wisconsin Republican could be more detested for at least the 10 hours that Senate clerks read the 628-page stimulus bill aloud, as Johnson demanded.

Wisconsin State Journal: Sen. Ron Johnson pledges to set up roadblocks for $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, Riley Vetterkind, 3/5/21

  • Johnson, R-Oshkosh, who has described the massive stimulus package as unnecessary, forced a full reading of the more than 600-page document, which began Thursday afternoon and was expected to last into the early hours Friday.

Washington Post: Opinion: Ron Johnson’s vile new defense of Trump makes his defeat more urgent, By Greg Sargent, 3/22/21

  • Sen. Ron Johnson may be the single greatest purveyor of Trumpian disinformation in the U.S. Senate. That being the case, defeating the Wisconsin Republican in 2022 is already a highly pressing matter. But Johnson just offered a new defense of the former president’s incitement of the Capitol riot that makes ousting him even more imperative.

Washington Post: Ron Johnson’s misleading citation of data to back his ‘concern’ about BLM protesters, Glenn Kessler, 3/19/21

  • If the senator had studied the data more closely, perhaps he would have been more concerned about the crowd that gathered at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Johnson earns Three Pinocchios.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson says Capitol attackers 'love this country' but he would have felt unsafe if Black Lives Matter stormed building instead, Molly Beck, 3/12/21

  • "What, white people love this country and Black people don’t? That’s exactly what he’s saying,” state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, a Democrat from Milwaukee who is Black, said.

AP: Critics call Sen. Ron Johnson's insurrection comments racist, AP Milwaukee, 3/13/21

  • Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is being called racist for an interview in which the white Republican said he wasn’t worried about the predominantly white supporters of President Donald Trump during the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, but that he might have been if they had been Black Lives Matter protesters.

CNN: Ex-DC police chief says Ron Johnson is 'part of the problem' in nation's racial tensions, Shawna Mizelle, 3/18/21

  • "Sen. Johnson is clearly part of the problem," Former DC Police Chief and CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey told CNN's Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow on "Newsroom." "Those comments were racist. Now if you ask him, he'll say, 'Oh, no racial overtones at all.' It's ridiculous. He is part of the problem, and he is not alone.

And if all that wasn’t enough, Johnson decided to solidify his embarrassingly bad March this weekend at CPEC, a conservative conference in Wisconsin, where he again doubled-down on his lies about the January 6th attack, throwing in a new falsehood for good measure, claiming “There was much more violence on the House side. There was no violence on the Senate side, in terms of the chamber."

CNN: Ron Johnson falsely claims there was 'no violence' on Senate side of US Capitol on January 6, Aaron Pellish, 3/20/21

  • Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson falsely claimed there was no violence on the Senate side of the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, the latest in his continued attempts to downplay the severity of the attack.
 
What's The Deal With Rebecca Kleefisch's 1848 Project? PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin   
Friday, 19 March 2021 09:32

rebecca-kleefisch-1848plan-sowiKleefisch Spokesperson and Longtime GOP Operative Alec Zimmerman Compares Gov. Evers To Jeffrey Dahmer


MADISON -- Rebecca Kleefisch wasn’t fooling anybody when she formed a conservative “think tank” and stocked it with longtime GOP political operatives like Alec Zimmerman. Kleefisch’s 1848 Project is all about the worst kind of politics, as evidenced by Zimmerman’s recent comparison of Gov. Evers to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Anywhere else, Zimmerman’s foul political attack would be immediately repudiated, but at the 1848 Project, comparing the governor to a sadistic killer is apparently business as usual.

If Rebecca Kleefisch is serious about “pioneering a better tomorrow” -- as the 1848 Project claims -- she must reject the divisive politics of the Walker years and hold Alec Zimmerman accountable for his tasteless and offensive political attack. As someone who purports to be traveling the state and listening to people, Rebecca Kleefisch should know that Jeffrey Dahmer’s unspeakable crimes touched families and communities across our state. She and Alec Zimmerman owe them an apology.

Read more Rebecca Kleefisch’s refusal to even comment on Alec Zimmerman’s gross political attack on Urban Milwaukee or find an excerpt below:

“Former Republican Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch is planning a run for governor as Urban Milwaukee reported in September. But it’s been a very quiet campaign. Kleefisch has had little to say about the state mask mandate or other pandemic restrictions or about Republican challenges to the Wisconsin presidential election results. She has resolutely avoided controversy and stayed under the radar, forming a non-political sounding entity, the 1848 Project, to build support for her candidacy.

“So it was more than a little odd to see her top communications person, Alec Zimmerman, offer this tweet on March 10, in response to a news item that Gov. Tony Evers would ‘host 6 Virtual Badger Bounceback Sessions with focus on economic recovery.’

“Said Zimmerman: ‘This is like Jeffrey Dahmer walking into a morgue surprised and asking how all the bodies got here.’

“Anna Kelly, Communications Director of Republican Party of Wisconsin, liked the comment so much that she re-tweeted it. 

[...]

“As for the Kleefisch campaign, the silence was deafening. Charles Nichols, executive director of the 1848 Project, declined to comment or to connect Urban Milwaukee to Kleefisch for comment. Scott Jensen, the former Republican Assembly Speaker who has been a campaign strategist for Kleefisch since she was first elected Lt. Governor, said he didn’t follow Twitter, didn’t know anything about it and therefore couldn’t comment."

 
WisDems Condemn Acts Of Hate And Violence Against The AAPI Community PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by WisDems Press   
Friday, 19 March 2021 09:09

asian-american-pacific-islanderMADISON -- Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler issued the following statement in response to the tragic shootings in Atlanta and acts of hate against the AAPI community:

“Three weeks ago, Wisconsin Democrats spoke out against the rise of anti-Asian violence across our country. We are heartbroken that this violence has only intensified, culminating with this week’s heinous murder of 8 people in Atlanta, including 6 Asian women. We mourn their loss, and our hearts break for their families.

“Closer to home, we were saddened to hear that a van belonging to the Hmong American Center in Wausau was vandalized this week. A small, nonprofit community center, the Hmong American Center has worked through this pandemic to support the Hmong community with food boxes, rental assistance, help with unemployment, youth mentoring and support for homebound elders. As a community group with limited resources, such a hateful act of vandalism has a real and direct impact on services to elders and to families relying on deliveries of food.

“It is on all of us to come together as one Wisconsin family and heal the trust shattered by these acts of hate. We must listen and be present for our Asian-American and Pacific Islander friends and neighbors, we must answer their calls to action, we must reject the forces of white supremacy and misogyny, and we must press to ensure justice is done. On a week when Rush Limbaugh — one of the foremost purveyors of hate and division in recent American history — was honored by Republicans on the floor of our State Senate and Assembly, the evidence is overwhelming: we must do better. It is all of our job to #StopAsianHate.”

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 March 2021 09:15
 
Wikler Denounces Republican Resolution Honoring Rush Limbaugh PDF Print E-mail
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by WisDems Press   
Wednesday, 17 March 2021 10:35

rush-limbaugh-2020-nbcRepublican resolution honoring Rush Limbaugh was another partisan political exercise aimed at further dividing our state, says DPW Chair.


MADISON -- Following today’s vote by Republicans in the Wisconsin State Senate to honor Rush Limbaugh, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler issued the following statement:

ben-wikler-dpw“Today’s Republican resolution honoring Rush Limbaugh was another partisan political exercise aimed at further dividing our state. After refusing to even take up a resolution honoring Black History Month and the achievements of Black Americans with Wisconsin ties including Hank Aaron and Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans made time today to honor a man who once made a racist parody song disparaging America’s first Black president a regular feature of his radio show. 

“Make no mistake: the GOP effort to lionize Rush Limbaugh is a naked attempt to legitimize the race-baiting and fear-mongering that Limbaugh pioneered and that Donald Trump built his political career upon. By honoring Rush Limbaugh on the floor of the Wisconsin State Senate, Republicans are once again showing us exactly who they are, and we should believe them.”


Additional Background on who Republicans chose to honor today:

Early in his career, Rush Limbaugh once told a Black caller to “take that bone out of your nose and call me back.” Limbaugh once said that the NAACP should ‘practice riots’ and ‘get a liquor store and practice robberies.’ In 2004, Limbaugh suggested that the NBA rename itself the “Thug Basketball Association” and in 2007 he told his listeners that “The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons.” That same year, he began airing the so-called parody song referenced above, “Barack, the Magic Negro.”

Read more about Limbaugh’s long history of racist comments here and here.

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 March 2021 10:43
 
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