Contact: staushforassembly@gmail.com or 920.857.3425. Thank you! Green Bay – In a crowded room surrounded by conservationists from 11 local advocacy groups, friends, and family, Brown County Supervisor Staush Gruszynski received the 2018 Local Legislator of the Year award on Wednesday night from the Brown County Conservation Alliance at Stadium View in Green Bay. Gruszynski thanked the many local conservation groups in attendance and the Brown County Conservation Alliance for their work to help pass a resolution against the Back 40 mine in 2017. “I couldn’t have been prouder of the groups that worked on this resolution with our county board,

CONTACT: AshLee Strong, Doug Andres 202-225-0600 WASHINGTON—Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that the House will honor the life of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) with a memorial service in Statuary Hall on Wednesday, April 18 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Congresswoman Slaughter served her New York constituents for more than 30 years. Notably, she was the first woman in history to chair the House Committee on Rules. As Speaker Ryan said after her passing, she “did not need a gavel to make a dent in history. . . . she was tough, but

Statement from Alderman Michael J. Murphy Recent high profile court cases have demonstrated the high level of expertise and competence that exists in the Office of the City Attorney. Attorney Kail Decker was instrumental in the jury’s rejection of a civil rights claim from Jeffrey R. Strasser, who took a Lamborghini for a drunken drive through downtown Milwaukee. Attorneys Naomi Gehling and Elleny Christopoulos were instrumental in the court victory that removes notorious landlord Elijah Mohammad Rashaed causing him to lose control of his more than 160 properties and the revenue produced by the units. Representing an office that is

Gretchen Schuldt Executive Director Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc. P.O. Box 100705 Milwaukee, WI 53210 Phone: 414-331-0724 Email: gretchen@wjiinc.org March 29, 2018 ​– ​The Republicans’ failed attempt to strip residents of two legislative districts of their right to representation shows the importance of an independent judiciary. “The judges provided a strong defense of the rule of law,” Schuldt said. “Dane County Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds especially deserves a shout-out as a Walker appointee who stood up to the governor and his friends and endured undeserved personal attacks as a result.” ​ A fourth-grader would have been embarrassed to raise the arguments

Contact: Rick Reyer, Central Regional Manager Ph: 715-261-6391 or rick.reyer@wpr.org Because The First Five Days After The Weekend Are The Hardest Madison, Wis. – After two successful pilots, BETA lands on WPR’s weekend schedule beginning April 7. According to host and producer Doug Gordon, BETA takes an immersive, innovative, playful and provocative approach to exploring arts, culture and technology. “I think there’s a lot more room for playfulness and irreverence on public radio,” says Gordon. “Coming out of the gate, BETA’s first episode fuels that feeling of fun and curiosity, which are the main ingredients of the BETA formula.” Gordon

Contact: Sen. Jennifer Shilling, 608-266-5490 Rep. Gordon Hintz, 608-266-2254 Special elections called after Governor Walker’s attempts to undercut judicial system fail MADISON, WI – After weeks of chaos and three court orders later, Governor Walker conceded, finally calling special elections in the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District. The residents of these districts have been unrepresented in the legislature since December 29th when Rep. Keith Ripp and Sen. Frank Lasee were appointed to the Walker administration. Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) and Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statements: “There is nothing more fundamental

Sexual assault charges are the most difficult crimes to prosecute in court. Experienced prosecutors know that such cases require a balancing of the facts of a case and the additional trauma that may result to the victims against the need for public accountability. A recent campaign ad that highlights a sexual assault case prosecuted in Milwaukee County disgracefully identifies the relationship of the offender to his victims, thereby re-victimizing the victims and family for political gain. The family has reached out to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to express their sorrow and disdain for the fact that this tactic

Contact: Jessica Ward, (608) 213-5939 Brookfield, Wis. — After Gov. Scott Walker called special elections for the 1st Senate District and 42nd Assembly District, Leah Vukmir’s campaign issued the following statement Thursday from spokesman Mattias Gugel: “The court’s demand for an election now when both seats will also be on the November ballot is unnecessary and duplicative. Once again, all logical thought processes fail to exist, and the taxpayers are on the hook.” “These elections should be held with the standard timeline and procedures as the general election. Due to the hasty speed of special elections, Wisconsinites ought to be

Contact: Rep. Greta Neubauer, (608) 237-9166 Gov. Walker Finally Calls Special Elections, Legislative Republicans Won’t Change Elections Law for Political Purposes MADISON, WI – Today, Representative Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) released the following statement regarding special elections called for SD-1 and AD-42: “Today is a true victory for democracy in Wisconsin. Governor Walker has finally called special elections for the 1st Senate District and the 42nd Assembly District. Walker delayed for over ninety days and fought through three court rulings against him before finally acknowledging Wisconsinites’ right to equal representation in the legislature. “Walker and the Republicans in our legislature threatened

CONTACT: Logan Vidal logan.vidal@legis.wisconsin.gov (608) 266-8570 MADISON – State Representative Jimmy Anderson released the following statement in response to Governor Walker reluctantly calling for special elections in the 1st Senate District and the 42nd Assembly District. “Today is a huge victory for voting rights and democracy. After three different judges emphatically ruled that we must hold special elections, Governor Walker has finally relented. As the judge from Waukesha so eloquently put it, ‘Representative government and the election of our representatives are never ‘unnecessary,’ never a ‘waste of taxpayer resources’ and the calling of the special elections are, as the governor

Contact:  Rep. Daniel Riemer, 608-266-1733 Democratic Weekly Radio Address Audio File of Radio Address Hello, this is State Representative Daniel Riemer with this week’s Democratic Radio Address. “No taxation without representation.” The rallying cry of the American Revolution stood for a simple but powerful idea—that no free person should be governed without an opportunity to have their say in the way their government is run. That high ideal has grown over the centuries, enfranchising Americans with the right to vote regardless of their economic position, their race, or their gender. What took root in America is visible in budding republics around

CONTACT: Reid Magney, 608-267-7887 MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Elections Commission reminds voters to bring an acceptable photo ID when they go to the polls for the Spring Election on Tuesday, April 3, 2018. “Most people already have the ID they need to vote,” said Meagan Wolfe, Wisconsin’s chief election official.  “If you don’t have a photo ID, you still have time to get a free one at the DMV, but you should not wait.” Acceptable photo IDs for voting include a Wisconsin driver license or Wisconsin state ID card, Veterans Health Administration ID card, military ID card, U.S. passport, tribal

Contact: Rep. David Bowen, 608-266-7671 Elections for vacant seats could have taken place weeks ago MADISON – This morning, after a third judge repudiated Governor Walker’s effort to ignore his legal obligation to call special elections in vacant districts, Republicans officially dropped plans for an extraordinary session to keep 200,000 Wisconsin taxpayers without representation. Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) issued the following statement: “The governor and Republican leaders are calling these elections ‘too expensive’ and ‘meaningless,’ yet the governor easily could have put these elections on the same schedule as he did the special election for the 10th Senate District, which

The Wisconsin State Journal has endorsed Susan Crawford for Dane County Circuit Court Judge. In explaining why it chose Susan, the Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Board cited Susan’s “strong and diverse resume,” stating that “the best candidate to oversee Dane County’s Branch 1 criminal court is the one with the most experience in criminal law who has proven she can handle a large and complicated caseload. That candidate is Susan Crawford.” You can vote early at your municipal clerk’s office or, if you live in the City of Madison, at a public library. Find your polling place and other information at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/