MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers Delivers Democratic Radio Address on Badger Bounce Back Plan.

Audio file of radio address.

The following is Gov. Tony Evers' radio address on the Badger Bounce Back plan. 

Hi, Wisconsin, it’s Governor Tony Evers.

A few weeks ago, Wisconsin had a pretty grim outlook for what COVID-19 could mean for our state.

The good news is that data show that Safer at Home is working. It’s projected we have saved at least 300 lives, and perhaps as many as 1,400 lives. We have helped flatten the curve, which has resulted in fewer cases and hospitalizations, but folks, we aren’t out of the woods just yet.

As you know, last week I acted to extend Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order until May 26, 2020 because as I have said all along, we are going to rely on the science and public health experts to help guide us through these challenges.

That extension is going to provide our state critical time to continue building the tools we need to safely reopen our economy and ensure that it stays open. That’s where our Badger Bounce Back plan comes into play.

The Badger Bounce Back plan is informed by the White House's Guidelines and it outlines important criteria Wisconsin must meet in order for us to safely move forward.

That includes increased testing and expanded lab capacity, and therefore has to have more thorough contact tracing as a result. It’s about boxing in the virus rather than boxing in people.

It includes growing our supply of personal protective equipment and bolstering our healthcare workforce and capacity.

What we are going to be looking for is a downward trajectory of positive COVID-19 test results as a percentage of total tests within a 14-day period.

When the state has seen these efforts be successful, Wisconsin can begin to turn the dial to reopen our state and get our businesses and workers back on their feet.

That's what the Badger Bounce Back plan is all about: our resilience as a people and as a state. I hope you will join me in these efforts to stay safer at home and bounce back together.

Thank you.

MADISON, WI - Happy Earth Day!

Our staff put out a thorough report this week on how, during the Walker Administration, Wisconsin shirked its obligations to combat climate change and to protect the environment. Here’s our press release, with a link to the report:

Wisconsin GOP Leaders Added Fuel to Climate Change Fire, WDC Report Shows

And today, the Wisconsin Examiner printed my op-ed, which summarized the report, showed the progress that Gov. Evers has made on this issue, and briefly discussed the impact of the coronavirus on the environment:

An Earth Day Assessment of Wisconsin's Environmental Progress

Lastly, I wanted to share with you something I just wrote. It’s about the MacIver Institute, here in Wisconsin, ginning up the protests against the governor’s “Safer at Home” order. MacIver’s idolatry of the “free market” extends to flagrantly jeopardizing lives in Wisconsin, as I argue here:

The Lethal Idiocy of the MacIver Institute

I hope you share my outrage about this.

Best,

Matt Rothschild
Executive Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

P.S. If you like what you're reading, please support us today with a tax-deductible donation. Just click here. Thanks!

This is not the time for partisan fights and ego, says Assembly Democratic Leader.

MADISON – Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement on the Republican lawsuit regarding Governor Evers’ Safer at Home Order extension:

“The bold actions taken by Governor Evers have been successful in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. These actions were made in the best interests of the state, not for politics or special interests. Tony Evers was elected governor to run our state and execute its laws. This is especially true during public emergencies of any kind.

“It’s unfortunate that Representative Vos is still not over the results of the election last November. We just had to overturn poorly thought out laws passed during the lame duck session that undermined this governor’s powers. Now, legislative Republicans are going to the courts to limit his emergency powers that are aimed preserving public health and saving lives during the COVID-19 crisis. I can’t imagine another group of elected officials more interested in power and politics than Wisconsin’s Republicans.

“This is not the time for partisan fights and ego. At a time when families and businesses across the state have made incredible sacrifices to preserve our public health and limit the death toll from COVID-19, Wisconsin Republicans are moving forward with a politically motivated lawsuit, but not a plan to safely reopen our economy.”

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers delivered this week's Democratic Radio Address on the extension of Wisconsin's Safer at Home Order until May 26 to keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe.

Audio file of radio address.

The following is Gov. Tony Evers' radio address on the extension of Wisconsin's Safer at Home order from April 24, 2020 to 8 a.m. May 26, 2020.

Hi, Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers here.

A little over three weeks ago, I asked for your help when I announced our Safer at Home order, and folks, you delivered.

At that time, we had a pretty grim outlook for what COVID-19 could mean for our state, but Safer at Home is working and it's because of you that we have helped flatten the curve, which has resulted in fewer cases and hospitalizations.

But as I've said all along, I am going to rely on science and public health experts to help guide us through these challenges, because at the end of the day, my bottom line is keeping people safe and we're not out of the woods just yet.

COVID-19 has been and still is a situation that sometimes changes by the hour. That's why, just as I did three weeks ago, today I am again asking for your help.

I need all of you to continue doing the good work you've been doing so that we can keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe.

That's why, Wisconsin will be extending our Safer at Home order until May 26th and schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year.

Now, I know a lot of folks are concerned about the effects this will have on workers and businesses across our state, and believe me, no one wants to reopen our economy as much as I do.

So our new Safer at Home order includes new flexibilities for businesses to serve customers, while keeping everybody safe.

But, Wisconsin, we can't think of this like flipping a light switch. It's like turning a dial and the more disciplined we are now, the faster we can turn it in the future.

We have to remember that we're all in this together, folks, and while we may not all be in the same boat, we are all weathering the same storm.

Thank you for all the work you've been doing by staying safer at home and let's keep up the good work. Thank you.

Proposal brought forward by legislative Republicans is insufficient to respond to an unprecedented public health crisis, says Larson. This small band-aid is not going to fix the gaping wound.

Senate work a small step in the right direction, but there are other issues that Wisconsin will need to address.

MADISON – Tuesday the Wisconsin State Senate passed legislation in response to the State’s COVID-19 crisis.

“I think this bill is but a small step in the right direction,” said Risser. “Quite frankly, this bill doesn’t go far enough. It is unfortunate that given the length of time Republican Leadership took in drafting legislation they chose to ignore many of the priorities laid out in Governor Evers’ COVID-19 bills.”

Continued Risser, “we must act now to provide hazard pay for healthcare workers on the frontlines of this crisis and ensure that all our healthcare workers have proper PPE, further invest in programs that support small businesses and farmers, and adopt provisions to mail all registered voters a ballot for the remaining 2020 elections so that never again is voting a life or death decision.”

“These are but a few of the issues that Wisconsin will need to address as the effects of the global pandemic continue to evolve. I am hopeful that the legislature will continue to meet and work on legislation to provide needed assistance. Wisconsinites who have lost their jobs or are on the verge of losing their business need to know that their government has their back during these trying times.”

Despite some positive steps, more work remains.

MADISON- Today, Representative Stubbs called attention to the COVID-19 legislation’s lack of robust, equitable measures needed to meet the needs of Wisconsin citizens during this crisis. “Today cannot be the final date the Assembly meets. This situation is rapidly evolving, and we must be responsive to the needs of our state and the many unforeseen challenges in the days ahead,” Rep. Stubbs stated. “The health and safety of the people of our state must continue to be our top priority, and our state government must do everything possible to keep our communities safe, protect our democracy, and support our businesses.

Rep. Stubbs expressed, “Assembly Democrats offered amendments that would help achieve those goals. First and foremost, we cannot seek short-term solutions to long-term problems. I am ready to work on whatever is needed to help get our state through this crisis. We cannot turn our backs on the people we represent who are relying on us to act in their best interest during this unprecedented time.” The bill has some positive provisions. But this is not nearly enough. States like Minnesota have passed multiple, bipartisan bills addressing COVID-19 and are already considering more legislation. We need to do more.

Rep. Stubbs asserted, “Inequities in access to the workforce, healthcare, and education still exist and are now compounded because of this crisis. These underlying issues have not changed; instead, they are leading to disproportionate mortality rate as almost half of COVID-19 related deaths in Wisconsin are Black people despite the extremely small population of us (6%) in this state.”

Rep. Stubbs urged, “This cannot be the last time the Assembly meets. We need to pass equitable, comprehensive, and immediate legislation that takes care of all of our citizens with more support than is being offered in this bill. And we need to do it now.”

The bill passed Tuesday was a positive first step, but this cannot be the end.

MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed 2019 AB 1038 regarding the state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement:

“One of the core responsibilities of government is to keep people safe, and to prevent people from getting sick and dying. Our state government has a role to play in helping people manage and navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented public health and economic crisis has caused harm to so many families and businesses across Wisconsin,” Rep. Hintz stated. “While too often our politics are broken and dysfunctional, more than ever people are looking for leadership and not politics. In this moment, we must assess and act upon what government can do right now to best support the public.”

“The bill we passed today was a positive first step. Eliminating the one week waiting period for Unemployment Insurance and securing additional federal resources will help those struggling immediately. However, today cannot be the final day the Assembly meets. This situation is rapidly evolving, and we must be responsive to the needs of our state and the many unforeseen challenges in the days ahead. I refuse to admit that what we passed today is all we can do as a state. The fact is, we don’t know where things will be a month from now, and what the needs will be. I am hopeful we can build on today’s actions if we all keep trying to move together to do everything possible to end this crisis. Let’s not write off coming back for the things we need to get done for the people of our state.”

Work of the legislature to address the COVID-19 crisis is not done.

MADISON – Today, the State Assembly met in an extraordinary session to address the COVID-19 crisis. Representative Gruszynski (D-Green Bay) released the following statement:

“The health and safety of the people in Green Bay is my top priority and our state government must do everything possible to keep our communities safe, protect our democracy, and support our local businesses. Since March 13th, I have called upon the state legislature to take action to repeal the oneweek waiting period to collect unemployment benefits, and to lift Medicaid restriction in order to accept federal aid. Today we passed a bi-partisan bill to get those provisions done and we should be proud of that action, but this needs to be the start, not the end of our work.

There is still much more to do for the constituents of Green Bay and today cannot be the final date the Assembly meets. The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving, and we must be responsive to the needs of our state and the many unforeseen challenges in the days to come. We cannot turn our backs on the people we represent who are relying on us to act in their best interest during this unprecedented time.” Rep. Gruszynski stated.

The Wisconsin GOP tried to steal an election, but last night, we found out they lost. Please sign my petition demanding universal vote-by-mail be included in the next coronavirus relief bill.

WASHINGTON, DC - Last week, the Wisconsin GOP tried to steal a seat on the state’s Supreme Court by refusing to move our election or provide safe voting options during this unprecedented pandemic.

Last night, we found out they lost.

No one should have been forced to choose between their safety and their right to vote — and far too many Wisconsinites were unable to participate in this election. It was a disgraceful act of voter suppression on the part of Republicans.

Even in the face of these unprecedented circumstances, Judge Jill Karofsky won a well-deserved seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I have no doubt she will work to make sure everyone can participate in our elections moving forward. But we must join her in that fight.

Republicans will continue their dangerous voter suppression tactics unless we act, and the best way for us to stop them is to demand universal vote-by-mail.

That’s why I’m asking you to sign my petition demanding universal vote-by-mail be included in the next coronavirus relief bill to avoid this sort of disaster from happening again. We must do better in November.

Thank you to the Wisconsinites who showed their resiliency in last week’s election. We won’t forget you.

Stay safe and healthy.

— Tammy