Progressive Thinking

GREEN BAY - If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That seems to be the Republican motto when it comes to keeping those pesky Democratic voters from voting. A few years back, they invented the great “voter fraud” epidemic, with no real evidence that it ever existed, to justify a voter ID law in Wisconsin. Since many more poor people, espec ...

GREEN BAY – I have been listening to the “debate” coming out of our nation’s capitol all day on CNN and just can’t help but comment. Today, the Republicans in the House voted to hold the budget of the United States hostage so that they could make a statement about ObamaCare. They would fund the budget but not the implementation of the Affordable C ...

A few months ago Burke wasn't on the radar screen of possible Democratic candidates for governor in 2014, and now she seems to be the hand picked candidate pushed by the party establishment. But having family money and running with the country club set have not been known to buy you love in traditional Democratic circles. GREEN BAY - According t ...

GREEN BAY - Maybe, if you don’t look at it, it will go away? That seems to be the conservative stand on the Affordable Health Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare. In Washington, the right wing in the House has voted 40 times to kill ObamaCare, while the pressing problems of the nation like job creation and immigration go unanswered. Governor Sc ...

GREEN BAY – The American Legal System boasts that it gives the accused the right to a trial before his or her peers. Unfortunately for justice, it sometimes does not guarantee the same right for the victim. Such was graphically the case in the trial of George Zimmerman last week in Florida for the murder of Trayvon Martin. In case you were vacati ...

Senator Smith highlights a new report on the state of childcare in Wisconsin which found that parents are giving up an estimated $1.1 billion in lost income to solve their childcare needs by leaving the workforce. MADISON - The child care crisis in Wisconsin is undeniable and urgent. As child care centers continue to close across the state, th ...

Senator Smith brings attention to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October by highlighting the work needed by policymakers to strengthen protections and justice for the victims of domestic violence. EAU CLAIRE - October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I am committed to advocating for increased awareness and action on this critica ...

Senator Smith writes about green energy tax credits now available to homeowners thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act which passed in 2022. EAU CLAIRE, WI - As the ranking Democratic member on the Senate Utilities Committee, I’ve spent much of my career fighting to make utility costs more affordable for families while addressing the urgent ne ...

Trump’s claim that he is a "protector" of women falls apart when placed under even the slightest scrutiny. Women are far more aware of Trump’s contradictions than he gives them credit for. LAKE GENEVA, WI - In recent attempts to court female voters, Donald Trump has rebranded himself as the "protector" of women. At rallies across Pennsylvania an ...

Senator Smith writes about the glaring gap in school funding for special needs students which is contributing to the price tag of referendum questions asking voters to make up for the shortfall. EAU CLAIRE, WI - Over the past decade, you’ve probably noticed more and more referenda questions on your ballot to help fund your local school distric ...