(Madison) Today, the Assembly Committee on Health heard testimony and approved Assembly Bill 1, relating to various measures addressing the COVID-19 pandemic including granting broad immunity to businesses and other entities from litigation related to workplace safety. In response to a number of inaccurate and false statements made by various representatives of the business community, Jay A. Urban, President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ) released the following statement: “This bill legalizes negligence, pure and simple. Unlike immunity measures passed in other states requiring businesses to take reasonable steps to ensure employee and customer safety, this legislation grants broad immunity from

Today District Attorney Mike Graveley announced he is not charging Officer Rusten Sheskey for Jacob Blake’s shooting. I place tremendous faith in the men and women of our justice system. Still, we must acknowledge that our community is in pain. Division still exists and mistrust penetrates the souls of many in our community. As concerned community members exercise their right to demonstrate, I urge all those gathering to maintain peace, exude calm, and prioritize safety. At this moment, we must focus our energy on securing and strengthening an inclusive vision of justice for all Americans. For Kenosha to move forward,

MILWAUKEE – State Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement in response to Kenosha County DA Michael Graveley’s decision to not levy charges against Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey or others involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake: “As heartbreaking as this decision is to see, I am not surprised to see yet another miscarriage of justice in a police-involved shooting. DA Graveley and other law enforcement experts may sincerely believe that no laws were broken when Jacob Blake was shot, but that just proves one thing: if what we saw in that shooting was ‘legal,’ it’s time to

MADISON – Today, the Assembly Committee on Health met to consider Assembly Bill 1 (AB 1), which was introduced by Assembly Republicans yesterday under the guise of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. After eight months of inaction, a slew of lawsuits to thwart the Governor’s ability to address the public health crisis, and thousands of lives lost to COVID-19 in Wisconsin, Republicans are now taking swipes at the ability of local communities to address local impacts of the pandemic in a bill that does more to protect big corporations and special interests than it does for the people of our state.

“I would like to reassure all of my colleagues, constituents, and the people who work within the Capitol complex that I have complied with all doctor and CDC guidelines following my COVID-19 diagnosis and isolation, and that I am COVID-recovered and safe to work and vote on behalf of the people of the Fourth Congressional District of Wisconsin. While I quarantined immediately upon exposure on December 22nd and tested positive the next day, I have been diligent in working with doctors to put my health and public health first. I appreciate the many calls and prayers that have been so uplifting.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), who represents Kenosha County in the U.S. House of Representatives, released a statement on the Kenosha County District Attorney’s decision to not file charges against Kenosha police officers involved in the Jacob Blake shooting. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Kenosha County District Attorney have made their determination after a lengthy process. This has been a difficult period for Kenosha, but, when the riots ended, constructive dialogue began and must continue. We also need to continue supporting what is working and fixing what is wrong. I support everyone’s First Amendment rights to lawfully express

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today released the following statement regarding the charging decision made in the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, 2020. “Over the past year, our state and country have witnessed a movement—one that echoes hundreds of years of movements that have come before it, demanding justice, equity, and peace for Black lives. What is just as clear today as it has been is we have failed to deliver on these promises, both as a state and as a country. “Jacob Blake’s life has forever been changed and his kids witnessed violence no kid should

MADISON – Today, Legislative Republicans on the Assembly Committee on Health are holding a public hearing and executive session on the GOP COVID-19 Response legislation, Assembly Bill 1. This hearing comes one day after the introduction of two separate COVID-19 relief bills – Assembly Bill 1, championed by Republicans and LRB 0993/1, championed by Legislative Democrats. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released this statement regarding the competing legislation: “Legislative Republicans have had nearly 300 days to pass lifesaving COVID-19 relief for the state of Wisconsin. Democrats have stood ready to get to work, while our colleagues across the aisle took a vacation after