MILWAUKEE, WI - I am absolutely thrilled with the direction of this election!

At Citizen Action we made a strategic judgement years ago that if we organized to elevate the issue of pre-existing condition discrimination, health care would be a decisive election issue.

Now years of organizing is paying huge political dividends. Here we are in the home stretch of the critical 2018 election, and pre-existing condition discrimination is the driving issue in the Senate and Governor’s races.

Right Wing politicians are in panic mode. Leah Vukmir shockingly claimed in her debate with Tammy Baldwin this week that pre-existing condition discrimination is a “big lie” that never happened. Scott Walker is taking on water on this issue, despite his best efforts to mislead the public record of health care sabotage.

We have them on the run, but we need to keep the pressure on through election day!

I hope I can count on you to make an immediate donation to Citizen Action so we have the resources to tell as many voters as possible that conservative politicians will make pre-existing discrimination legal again.

As I wrote in a strategic memo almost 3 years ago about a term invented by insurance bureaucrats to obscure the truth: “What is absolutely astounding about pre-existing conditions is that this seemingly innocuous term seems to be known by virtually every adult.. . . . The idea of someone being denied or thrown off health insurance because they have a medical condition strikes a deep emotional chord in American culture, and seems deeply immoral to most people.”

The new Marquette Law School poll released on Wednesday backs us up on this. It shows a stunning 93% of likely Wisconsin voters think pre-existing condition discrimination is an important issue heading into the election.

No wonder Scott Walker, Leah Vukmir, and all the right-wing Legislators who are locked in tight re-election fights, are terrified.

If you agree with me that pre-existing condition discrimination can help us bring down Scott Walker and hLeah Vukmir, and shift control of the Legislature, please chip in whatever can to support our work.

In Peace & Solidarity,

Dr. Robert Kraig

Executive Director

P.S. We are also building support or constructive solutions to the health care cost crisis. We are the driving force behind the BadgerCare Public Option bill, which Tony Evers strongly supports. The BadgerCare Public Option is a big stepping stone towards the ultimate solution, Medicare for All.

Sen. Mark Miller gives you important information on where and how to vote in the Fall General Election on Tuesday, November 6th.

MADISON, WI – Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona) offered the weekly Democratic radio address today.

The audio file of this week’s address can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is below:

“Hello, this is Senator Mark Miller with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.

“The Fall General Election is less than two weeks away, on Tuesday, November 6th. With all of the changes to election law that Republicans have made in the last 7 years, it is important to be aware of how, when and what you’ll need to vote.

“First, make sure you are registered. You can check myvote.wi.gov to see if you’re currently registered, if not, you can register at your local clerk’s office during business hours or at your polling place on Election Day.

“Additionally, absentee ballots are currently available statewide and many municipalities also offer in-person absentee voting at local clerk’s offices. Online, you can search for your polling place, see what’s on the next ballot or learn more about absentee voting. Find this information at myvote.wi.gov.

“To make sure you have the proper ID needed to vote head to bringitwisconsin.com. If you need a free ID to vote, take proof of identity, proof of residency, proof of citizenship and social security card to your DMV. This information can be found online at bringitwisconsin.com.

“The polls are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018. For any other questions, the Wisconsin Elections Commission can be contacted at 608-266-8005.

“Voting is your constitutional right. Make a plan to exercise that right on Tuesday, November 6th.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/laura/attack-ad-evers-s5.pngThe worst are funded by political action committees like Restoration PAC and Americas PAC, along with out-of-state special interest Koch brothers groups. We need to support campaign finance regulations that ensure truth.

Breaking: Sorry, This Polling Place Is VIPs Only

MADISON, WI - Looks like Republican secretaries of state are competing to see who can make it hardest to vote in 2018. Brian Kemp, who happens to also be the Republican candidate for governor in Georgia, is currently under fire (and lawsuit) for freezing more than 53,000 registration applications from (mostly black) voters. And Indiana’s Connie Lawson was just caught red-handed using the notoriously illegitimate Crosscheck tool to purge thousands of voters -- in violation of a court order.

Both episodes cap off years of Kemp and Lawson and likeminded Republicans purging hundreds of thousands of voters in their respective states. But the goalposts just moved now that Republican loyalist Brett Kavanaugh sits on the Supreme Court. Not only will Kavanaugh help conservatives preserve illegitimate laws already on the books, like they just did with a discriminatory North Dakota voter ID measure, they’re also certain to sit back while red states like Georgia and Indiana race to take their years-long voter suppression campaigns to new extremes.

The Fight For Legitimacy Marches On

“Each and every Republican who votes for Kavanaugh, therefore, effectively announces that they care more about controlling the Supreme Court than they do about the legitimacy of the Court itself.”

And the American people won’t forget. Read more >>

There’s only one thing to do after watching Trump and Republicans trample all over the Supreme Court’s legitimacy: vote. Don’t know how to register? Or the best way to vote? Here are the rules in all 50 states plus D.C. Read more >>

More than 20 states have laws that enable private citizens to quietly challenge large numbers of voter registrations at once. And you better believe Republican vigilantes are taking advantage -- like Alan Vera, a local GOP committee chair who got his Texas county to suspend 1,700 voters without notice. Read more >>

*****

LegitAction News is a semimonthly roundup of the biggest news affecting the four pillars of our democratic legitimacy: the right to vote, the popular vote, campaign finance reform, and the Supreme Court.

Panel discusses the Marquette University Law Poll, Brett Kavanaugh, the debate this week between Tammy Baldwin and Leah Vukmir, and Green Bay's own progressive candidate for the State Assembly, Tom Sieber.

STATEWIDE - This week the panel is forced (yet again) to interpret the infamous Marquette University Law Poll, which now declares a dead heat in the Governor's race. We dig through the electoral and movement ramifications of the disturbing confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime SCOTUS appointment. Will it energize right-wing voters in November? Will it build the strength of the #metoo movement?

We take a deep dive into the bizarre U.S. Senate debate this week between Tammy Baldwin and Leah Vukmir. Did Vukmir really say that pre-existing condition discrimination never happened, and is a "big lie" propagated by progressives?

Next we discuss the shocking new UN report on climate change that shows we must take drastic action much sooner to prevent a global genocide. We close with a great discussion with Citizen Action co-op member Tom Sieber, who is a dynamic progressive candidate for the State Assembly in Northeast Wisconsin.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #363
Download MP3
Press Clips

Republican plan for a extraordinary session to pass a bailout for Kimberly Clark AFTER the election a political ploy to prop up Senate President Roger Roth (R-Appleton).

Citizen Action panel discusses the sham FBI investigation into SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the $15 movement’s victory this week at Amazon, Leah Vukmir's extreme attacks on Medicare, and more.

STATEWIDE - We discuss the sham FBI investigation into the credible charges of sexual assault leveled against SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and predict the likely outcomes of the shameful Senate confirmation process and the electoral fallout from Donald Trump's latest degrading remarks.

We also talk about the Fight for $15 movement’s victory this week at Amazon, and the strike in Milwaukee that resulted in 23 arrests outside a McDonald's. Robert reviews the week’s healthcare news, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's stubborn “No way” declaration on accepting federal Medicaid money and Leah Vukmir's extreme attacks on Medicare for All.

Finally, we welcome Aaron Matteson, a Citizen Action Co-op member and candidate for Assembly District 22.

LISTEN NOW - EPISODE #362
Download MP3
Press Clips

Latest information available on the money trail in our state senate elections and more

MADISON - Our indefatigable data analyst, David Julseth, has updated our website with the latest information available (provided at the end of August) on the money trail in our state senate elections.

Here’s the money raised, spent, and on hand by the candidates themselves:

Campaign finances updated for state senate candidates on the November ballot

Here’s the outside spending by groups:

Outside spending in Wisconsin Senate races

And you can find what each state senate candidate is getting from PACs by entering the candidate’s name in the box once you click on this link:

PAC contributions updated for state senate candidates on the November ballot

Our research director, Mike Buelow, also posted an item about the giant frac-sand company whose CEO is a big Walker donor and who managed to escape a fine:

Sand mine owner and GOP donor gets no fine from DNR for spill

And hey, if you’re in the Milwaukee or Tosa area tomorrow (Saturday), I’ll be speaking at 12:45 at the Underwood Memorial Baptist Church, 1916 N. Wauwatosa Ave, on why we need to ban gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Read more on the Wauwatosa Fair Maps Town Hall here and please tell your friends.

Best,

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

P.S. Please support this valuable work we’re doing by sending us a tax-deductible gift. It’s easy. Just click here. Thanks!

Better show up to vote November 8th with a valid ID. Here's a list of documents that can be used.

MADISON – Today, Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) offered the following weekly Democratic radio address reminding Wisconsinites about the photo ID requirements for voting.

The audio file can be found here.

A written transcript of the address is as follows:

“Hello. I’m State Senator LaTonya Johnson.

“Each and every eligible voter has a right to vote for the candidate of their choice. Unfortunately, due to policies supported by Governor Walker and passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, our communities have had their right to vote suppressed.

“While blocked by the courts for several years, the law requiring a photo ID for voting was in effect for the 2016 presidential election. A study done after the election showed that as many as 23,000 individuals were deterred from voting because of the law.

“Wisconsin Democrats believe that our state should be increasing voter engagement and accessibility. In the meantime, however, it is up to all of us to ensure that we are engaged and aware of the voting rules in Wisconsin so that all eligible voters are able to take part in our democracy.

“First, it is important to note that there is not a separate 'Voter ID' card. There are several forms of photo IDs that can be used for voting. If you have a valid Wisconsin Driver License or a Wisconsin State ID card, you already have what you need for photo ID purposes. A Wisconsin Driver License can be used if it is unexpired or expired after November 8, 2016. Your Wisconsin Driver License DOES NOT have to have your current address on it in order for it to be used for the photo ID requirement. A State ID card, Military ID, U.S. passport or card, and other documents are acceptable photo IDs also. For a full list of acceptable photo IDs, go to BringItWisconsin.com.”

Avoid Gov. Scott Walker and Attorney General Brad Schimel's sleight-of-hand politics. Gabriel Gomez, Shyla Deacon, Julie Henszey, Kriss Marion, Dan Kohl and Erica Flynn want to get back to representing YOU.