Contact: Danielle Endvick, 715-471-0398 dendvick@wisconsinfarmersunion.com On March 21, the Lincoln County Board voted 18-4 in favor of a resolution supporting a nonpartisan process for drawing fair legislative maps. “Lincoln County Democrats and Republicans stood together and said our system for drawing these lines is fundamentally flawed and needs to be changed,” said Hans Breitenmoser, a WFU member and one of the Lincoln County Board members who took the lead on the resolution. “Now we want board members in other counties to pass similar resolutions to demonstrate to our legislators that this is an important issue and people care about it.” The resolution

Contact: Rep. David Bowen, (608) 266-7671 MILWAUKEE – Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement on GOP legislation introduced today that would allow the concealed carry of firearms without a permit: “This is just the next step in the ridiculous Republican effort to make Wisconsin communities less safe. To let almost anyone carry a gun without a permit or any level of training, including some on school grounds, is to put the lives of children, teachers, parents, and police and other law enforcement officers throughout Wisconsin at risk – all in the name of a poor reading of the

Contact:  Donna Gilson, 608-224-5130 donna.gilson@wi.gov Bill Cosh, 608-224-5020 William2.Cosh@wi.gov MADISON – Public comments are open through April 5 on a proposed pesticide registration for a special local need in Wisconsin, allowing lima bean growers to use Reflex® to control two weed species. The registration would help growers control Palmer amaranth and nightshade. Palmer amaranth is a new weed to Wisconsin’s specialty crop farmers in recent years. It is often resistant to herbicides and each plant may produce 100,000 seeds, so it can quickly take over a field and crowd out crops. Nightshade produces toxic berries late in the season. Processors may turn down an

Contact: Rep. Crowley, 608.266.5580 MADISON, WI – State Representative David Crowley (D-Milwaukee), Chair of the Milwaukee Legislative Caucus, issued the following statement today, following the announcement of his appointment to the Milwaukee Black Male Achievement Advisory Council (BMAAC). “It is a great honor and an extraordinary privilege to be appointed to the Milwaukee BMA Advisory Council. The challenges that many of our African American men and boys in the City of Milwaukee face, can at times seem overwhelming. However, I know first-hand that they are not insurmountable. That is why I am proud to join this council and get to work addressing

Contact: Jim Flaherty, (608) 286-6308 (o), (608) 698-0928 (c) jflaherty@aarp.org The cost of retiring poor: Modest increases in workers’ retirement savings would save WI taxpayers $3.1 billion in 2030 Madison, Wisconsin – New research released today shows that even modest increases in the net worth of those who save the least for retirement would greatly improve retirement readiness and reduce government spending on public assistance programs. Wisconsin’s growing elderly population is ahead of the national trend. Between 2015 and 2030 there is a projected 60% increase in the number of people age 65-plus. Due to these steady increases in life expectancies, older Wisconsinites will require income and resources

Contact: Ald. José G. Pérez, (414) 286-2861 The public is invited to join residents and City of Milwaukee employees at the second annual Milwaukee César E. Chávez Day celebration at City Hall on Friday, March 31, which proudly marks the birthday of the renowned civil rights activist. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the first floor rotunda at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St., and city resource tables will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 12 p.m. (noon) Alderman José G. Pérez will host a news conferenceand a celebratory cake cutting. “Milwaukee’s César E. Chávez Day is a great example of progress, and illustrates how our

Contact: Nicole Tieman, 202-225-5101 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner delivered the following remarks during the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee hearing on “Restoring Enforcement of Our Nation’s Immigration Laws.” Watch Congressman Sensenbrenner’s remarks here. See full transcript below: It is fitting that today’s hearing is called “Restoring Enforcement of Our Nation’s Immigration Laws.” The past eight years witnessed the Obama administration’s deliberate undermining of our immigration laws, the growth of anti-immigration enforcement policies at every level of government, and the vilification of federal, state and local law enforcement officers who attempt to enforce our nation’s duly enacted immigration laws. Our immigration laws are

Contact: Keith Reopelle, (608) 251-7020 x11 Madison, WI — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday undermining years of bipartisan progress aimed at protecting future generations from the most devastating impacts of climate change. Trump’s latest executive order marks the beginning of fossil fuel industry-backed efforts to rescind the federal Clean Power Plan — a common-sense blueprint for cutting carbon pollution from the largest fossil-fuel burning power plants. Trump’s executive order rescinds at least six executive orders issued by President Barack Obama that address climate change. One of those orders dealt with national security, and another laid out Obama’s Climate Action

Contact: Alesha Potter, 608.266.2401 (o), 608.334.4237(m) The problem of homelessness in Wisconsin is an issue that often follows the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Though we can all recognize the people standing on corners or sleeping on benches, there are many unseen people living out of their cars, moving from motel to motel, or consistently on the verge of eviction. These “hidden homeless” are hard to recognize and quantify, making funding for preventing and ending homelessness equally difficult. In 2015, Wisconsin had 27,532 clients who received services and shelter from agencies that enter into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Contact: 202-662-4140 Jon Thompson, jthompson@rga.org WASHINGTON D.C. – RGA Chairman Governor Scott Walker and RGA Policy Chair Governor Mary Fallin released the following statement praising President Donald Trump’s signing of an Executive Order that begins to roll back the disastrous Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) that restricted carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants. “President Trump’s latest Executive Order that begins to roll back the EPA’s job-killing so-called Clean Power Plan is a win for states and a win for the American people. The Obama administration’s plan was an unnecessary and burdensome regulation that would have threatened jobs,

Contact: Sen. Steve Nass, (608) 266-2635 Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), Chairman of the Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee, issued the following statement regarding committee action on Senate Bill 76, relating to high capacity wells: “On March 15th, the committee held a joint public hearing for nearly 10 hours at which 166 citizens spoke or registered in favor of SB 76, 144 citizens spoke or registered in opposition to SB 76 and 5 citizens spoke or registered for information only. On, March 28th, the committee held an executive session by paper ballot to vote on a recommendation of passage for SB 76. 

Contact: Nicole Tieman, 202-225-5101 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) sent the following letter to the Government Accountability Office, asking it to evaluate the status, effectiveness, and benefits of current federal public access policies. This letter builds upon previous legislative efforts between these Members to ensure taxpayers, who are footing the bill for federal research, have adequate access to the published results free of charge. Representative Johnson: “I want to thank Mr. Sensenbrenner for his continued leadership on this issue.  I am pleased to join him in this GAO request to evaluate the status, effectiveness, benefits, and challenges associated with current federal