Contact: Lisa Lucas, lisa@wisconsinvoices.org
MILWAUKEE, WI – Wisconsin Voices applauds Governor Evers and Lieutenant Governor Barnes for including commitments to good governance in the biennial budget, including redistricting reform and outreach for the 2020 Census.
The administration clearly had their listening ears on during their public listening tour- ending the gerrymandering that unfairly rigs our voting maps is an important issue for the majority of Wisconsinites. People should choose their elected officials, not the other way around.
The inclusion of census outreach cannot be understated. Census data has huge impact on federal funds – without an accurate count we risk loss of Medicaid dollars, transportation dollars, rural and special education dollars. Wisconsin receives over $12 billion per year in federal spending programs, from Medicaid to Pell Grants to school breakfasts. The data used to guide that money is taken from the 2010 Census. Without adequate outreach, over 800,000 people in Wisconsin are at risk of not being counted and Wisconsin is at risk of losing billions of dollars. An accurate count is necessary for fair and equitable distribution of funds.
We look forward to working with the administration and the legislature to get Wisconsin’s democracy on track.
