Contact: Patrick Rodenbush rodenbush@democraticredistricting.com Washington, D.C. — Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, released the following statement on the citizens of Wisconsin being forced to vote in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic: “In spite of the fact that public health experts have told everyone to practice social distancing to help fight the spread of COVID-19, the Wisconsin legislature, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court are forcing too many people to wait in lines to vote today. The pictures coming out of Wisconsin are troubling. This

MADISON, WI – After reports this week that hospitals nationwide are suffering shortages not only of ventilators, but of the sedatives required for patients on ventilators, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) today sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar questioning whether the administration has knowledge of potential drug shortages for specific drugs that patients need when placed on ventilators—including sedatives—and if so, why haven’t they made those shortages known to the public. When Congressman Pocan had previously questioned Commissioner Hahn in a hearing about sedatives shortages last month, the Commissioner noted that he was “aware of pressure on

(MADISON, WI) — On today’s Presidential Primary, State Supreme Court, and 3,829 other elections in Wisconsin, Donald Trump has encouraged Wisconsinites multiple times to physically go to the polls to cast their ballots despite the great risk this poses to their life in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. This comes after Wisconsin Democrats fought to have mail-in-ballot elections so every eligible voter in the state could stay safe while exercising their constitutional right to vote. Trump’s urging  is not in service of our democracy, but rather, in his own words, that when it comes to mail-in-ballot elections: “they had levels

MILWAUKEE — Twenty-five Wisconsin National Guard troops are supporting a Milwaukee County isolation facility for Milwaukee’s homeless population as part of the state’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts. The City of Milwaukee Health Department and the Milwaukee County Housing Division designated Clare Hall on the Saint Francis de Sales Seminary grounds in St. Francis as an isolation facility for referrals from area homeless shelters and healthcare facilities that have individuals with housing instability. The initiative is part of the Milwaukee County Unified Emergency Operations Center. The Wisconsin National Guard is staffing the facility with a team of ten medics and fifteen other

Key municipal revenue streams will take a hit as the economic fallout unfolds from the COVID-19 crisis, with greater impact for cities and villages that rely more heavily on fees and taxes tied to tourism and visitors, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Our latest issue of “The Wisconsin Taxpayer” finds the revenue sources for the state’s municipalities provide some advantages compared to their counterparts in other states. Chief among these is the extent to which they rely on streams of revenue, such as property taxes and state aid, that are less subject to immediate or

MILWAUKEE — The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation announced today that its 2020 award recognition luncheons have been canceled. The events scheduled for April 26 in Eau Claire, May 3 in De Pere, May 9 in Milwaukee, and May 16 in Baraboo have been canceled due to the ongoing public health emergency. Because of the potential long-term need for social distancing, and restrictions on large group gatherings, the events will not be rescheduled. “The decision to cancel these events was a difficult one, but it was one that was made with the health and safety of our attendees on our minds,”

Voces de la Frontera continues its fight on Tuesday against Wisconsin’s dangerous election by protesting in Madison to ask the state’s top health officer to intervene and stop the ongoing election. A caravan of several dozen cars circled the headquarters of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, calling on Secretary Andrea Palm to declare a health emergency and stop the election, even as voters were already risking their health at the few polling places still open in the state. See images below. The Milwaukee-based non-profit organization, Voces de la Frontera, is the largest immigrant-rights group in Wisconsin and was part

Ads will reach voters in 14 battleground states, generate hundreds of millions of impressions and compliment the eventual nominee’s get-out-the-vote efforts  Today the Democratic National Committee announced a $22 million general-election YouTube reservation across 14 battleground states (AZ, CO, FL, GA, MI, MN, ME, NC, NH, NV,  OH, PA, VA, WI) to help support get-out-the-vote efforts for the eventual nominee and Democrats running at every level of the ballot. “Now more than ever, it’s critical that we reach voters where they are online — and this digital program will help us mobilize the voters we need to make Donald Trump

Today, against all public health guidance and common sense, Wisconsin was forced to open the polls and hold an election in the midst of a pandemic. Wisconsin was the only state in the nation to go forward with an in-person election the same week that federal officials were warning of ‘Pearl Harbor’ levels of death and illness. The results of this action – in both voter disenfranchisement and public health – will become more apparent in the coming days, but this much is clear right now: holding this election today was a travesty. Wisconsin Republicans have perfected the art of