Progressive Thinking

“The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” - Gaylord Nelson

LA CROSSE, WI - Fifty years ago, on April 22, 1970, former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day. A day dedicated to celebrating the nature around us and promoting conservation, it acts as a symbol of progressive ideology championed by one of Wisconsin’s own.

From hunting, fishing and recreation, to our robust agriculture industry, our environment and unique natural features are a major driving force behind the success of our local economies. And that’s why it’s so important we continue to fight for the conservation of our state and our country, just as Governor Nelson did half a century ago.

Despite Wisconsin’s rich history and connection with the outdoors, protecting our environment hasn’t always been a priority for the leaders of our state. But after eight years of an administration focused on rolling back environmental protections, Governor Evers provides a much-needed perspective. Like Nelson, he believes that our environment is something to be treasured, not taken for granted. And he’s pushed many progressive policy changes that would put the future of conservation center-stage.

In fact, in the past year, Evers has created a Task Force on Climate Change to develop strategies that’ll help communities reduce its effects. He also created the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to oversee Wisconsin’s goal of providing 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050, and prioritized water quality and sustainability solutions within his budget proposal. By taking these steps, he’s proven that he can push Wisconsin in the right direction – but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Over the past decade, historic storms and flooding have repeatedly challenged our communities, devastated local businesses and wreaked havoc on Wisconsin’s crops, making it clear that climate change is a real threat to our state. And while my Republican colleagues may see environmental protection policies as trivial and unimportant, Wisconsin Democrats remain committed to setting sustainable, commonsense standards – and you can help.

This Earth Day takes place during a truly unprecedented time. While we all do our part to shelter in place and tackle the COVID-19 pandemic head-on, it’s easy to feel isolated. But at the same time, it reminds us how connected we really are, and how our actions spark consequences for the world around us. So, today I challenge you to think about your impact on the environment. And take this time to implement a few eco-friendly changes in your life. Whether that’s cutting down on plastic, opting to consume less energy or switching most of your shopping to local, environmentally-conscious companies, your changes in behavior, no matter how small, will help to carry out the legacy of Gaylord Nelson. Because, as he once said, “The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Let’s all do our part to leave behind a better Wisconsin for tomorrow.

An overwhelming 70% of Wisconsinites support accepting the federal funds for Medicaid expansion. It’s time to move forward.

LA CROSSE, WI - With the 2020 presidential election just around the corner, the topic of health care is more hotly-contested than ever. While each candidate has their own opinions on how it should be reformed, there’s one theme that weaves through each debate: our system is broken, and we need to fix it.

While we can’t control what happens at the federal level, there is something we can do right here, at home, in Wisconsin – expand Medicaid.

For eight years, the Walker administration refused to accept federal Medicaid dollars that would extend coverage to tens of thousands of our state’s most vulnerable citizens. Putting politics before the needs of our people, he chose to appeal to the far-right and reject the Affordable Care Act. And in the past year, legislative Republicans have kept up with Walker’s ideological agenda, and removed Medicaid Expansion from Governor Evers’ state budget proposal on the first day of deliberation.

Bottom line, these political games are just irresponsible, and they’re costing taxpayers money. In fact, in this budget cycle alone, accepting the Medicaid funding would’ve saved $324.5 million in state taxpayer money, and brought in over $1.6 billion in additional federal dollars for health care services.

What’s worse is Wisconsinites are already paying for the expansion, without reaping the benefits. According to the Department of Revenue, without expansion, Wisconsin taxpayers will pay more than $2 billion over the next two years in federal income taxes for other states like Illinois and New Jersey to expand their Medicaid programs.

Why wouldn’t we work to keep those dollars in Wisconsin?

With that money, we could increase affordable and accessible health insurance to 80,000 residents. We could increase provider reimbursement, tackle workforce shortages and provide coverage for additional services and benefits. We could even increase state funding for other priorities, like education and local government. And, perhaps most importantly, we could do the work the people of Wisconsin are asking us to do.

An overwhelming 70% of Wisconsinites support accepting the federal funds for Medicaid expansion – and it’s not too late. Republicans should do their jobs and act on stand-alone legislation introduced by Democrats that would allow us to join the 37 other states that have expanded their programs.

Every person in Wisconsin deserves access to affordable healthcare. Unfortunately, on this issue, Republicans are still stuck in the past. It’s time to move forward and build healthier, happier communities, together.

We need a meaningful and comprehensive approach to help our farmers and rural communities succeed.

MADISON - When you say ‘Wisconsin’ what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, I think ‘America’s Dairyland.’ As Wisconsinites, that title is something we take deep pride in, knowing that our state produces the finest milk and cheese in the nation.

It isn’t surprising that Wisconsin produces more than 26 percent of the nation’s cheese and accounts for more than 14 percent of the nation’s milk productions. Between cheese, dairy and vegetables, agriculture contributes almost $105 billion to our state’s economy.

What’s easy to forget is the people whose sweat, hard work, perseverance, and dedication built the foundation of our state pride.

Despite this honorable farming heritage, Wisconsin has been losing dairy farms at an alarming rate – roughly two farms a day – and our state leads the nation in farm bankruptcies. We cannot abandon those generations of families that have dedicated their lives to feeding our families and communities.

Our local farm families are the backbone of communities across Wisconsin, but the federal trade war is making it impossible for many to stay afloat. Rather than closing markets and eliminating trade opportunities, we should be supporting our local farmers and helping them compete on a level playing field.

The time for action is now, and Governor Evers is seizing this moment by calling a special session for the legislature to address these challenges head on. The package of bills he announced in his State of the State address aim to do the following: create the Wisconsin Initiative for Dairy Exports to help build Wisconsin’s dairy brand in international markets, expand the Farm Center that currently provides no-cost services to farmers, increase staffing at UW Extension to ensure farmers have partners and resources closer to home, and help connect farmers and their produce to local universities, tech colleges, hospitals and businesses through a farm-to-fork program.

Additionally, the Governor wants to expand rural access to broadband services, improve access to affordable health care, and help rural communities harness the technologies, opportunities and jobs of the renewable energy economy.

This is a meaningful and comprehensive approach to help our farmers and rural communities succeed.

By promoting financial security and expanding economic opportunities, we can support Wisconsin’s family farmers and ensure everyone can enjoy healthy, affordable and locally-grown food options.

My Democratic colleagues and I remain committed to working with Gov. Evers to advance these bold solutions and improve the economic security and prosperity of Wisconsin rural communities.

Quality schools, affordable health care and clean drinking water are central to Gov. Ever's budget and vital to restoring Wisconsin's reputation as a place where the next generation wants to live, work and raise a family.

LA CROSSE, WI - Its common for any individual to set goals and plan for their future. Parents want what's best for their kids as they make their way through school, college students prepare for the workforce after graduation, and workers have to plan for their retirement. Having foresight and the ability to plan ahead for these events prepares for the best possible outcomes and reaching those goals.

That same logic should be used when crafting our state budget. If we want our next generation to succeed we need a budget with bold solutions that helps our state grow and flourish. Without it we remain stuck in the same revolving door that gets us nowhere.

That's why there was overwhelming support for Governor Tony Evers' original state budget proposal. It was the first time in eight years that Wisconsinites finally saw a budget vision that is reflective of our needs and connects the dots to propel our state forward.

If we want our workforce of tomorrow to be successful we need to make investments in our students and classrooms today. Gov. Evers' budget invested a total of $1.4 billion more into local classrooms. Republicans rejected that proposal and cut over $500 million in special education funding from the budget.

Gov. Evers' budget accepted $1.3 billion in federal funds to expand Medicaid and increase affordable health care coverage to 82,000 Wisconsinites while also lowering premiums. Republicans blocked that proposal and rejected money that could be used to address the opioid epidemic, improve access to dental and mental health care, and increase funding for nursing home and dementia care specialists. Instead the Republican plan covers fewer people with a higher price tag.

The Governor's budget made historic investments to help communities that are grappling with crumbling roads and flood damage, expand broadband services, and ensure everyone has access to clean drinking water. All were rejected by Republicans.

Gov. Evers' original budget proposal was a responsible plan for families and communities that have been ignored for too long. Rather than living with the failed policies of the past, we need to move forward with innovative solutions that promote a fair economy and expand opportunities for families, students and seniors.

Quality schools, affordable health care and clean drinking water are vital to restoring Wisconsin's reputation as a place where the next generation wants to live, work and raise a family.

Our state, our communities, and our families deserve the Democratic vision that works towards better outcomes and a brighter tomorrow.

Republican budget proposal continues to delay road projects, increase health care costs and shift money away from our classrooms and higher education.

MADISON, WI - Following his victory last fall, Governor Tony Evers hit the road to visit communities across Wisconsin. After months of open discussions with community leaders, students, families and seniors, he introduced the People’s Budget to address the issues impacting Wisconsinites every single day.

There was overwhelming support from school administrators, local health clinics and community leaders for the People’s Budget that reinvests in our state. It was the first time in eight years Wisconsinites finally saw a budget vision that put their needs first. Yet, despite the public support, Republicans dismantled it in order to further rig the economy against the middle-class and advance their special interest agenda.

Families and Wisconsin communities deserve better than the scrapped-together Republican budget proposal that continues to delay road projects, increase health care costs and shift money away from our classrooms and higher education.

To reestablish Wisconsin as a leader in K-12 education, the People’s Budget invested a total of $1.4 billion more into local classrooms. Republicans rejected that proposal and cut over $500 million in special education funding from the budget.

The People’s Budget accepted $1.6 billion in federal funds to expand Medicaid and increase affordable health care coverage to 82,000 Wisconsinites while also lowering premiums. Republicans blocked that proposal and rejected money that could be used to address the opioid epidemic, improve access to dental and mental health care, increase funding for nursing home and dementia care specialists, and pushed for a plan that covers fewer people with a higher price tag.

The People’s Budget made historic investments to help communities that are grappling with crumbling roads, potholes and flood damage, which was once again rejected by Republicans.

Gov. Tony Evers’ original budget proposal championed innovative solutions, promoted a fair economy and expanded opportunities for families and communities.

For too long, the progress of our state has been hindered by Republican tax giveaways that leave families paying more for less.

Let’s not settle for the broken Republican status quo. Let’s invest in our state and restore Wisconsin’s reputation as a place where the next generation wants to live, work and raise a family.

Our state, our communities, and our families shouldn’t settle for anything less than the change they voted for last fall.