Contact:  Karen Hickey, 414-573-7579, khickey@wisaflcio.org (Wisconsin Rapids, September 15, 2021) — Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement on the Wisconsin AFL-CIO endorsement of Attorney General Josh Kaul for reelection in 2022. The endorsement was announced today at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Building Trades Conference in Wisconsin Rapids: “Wisconsin union members are proud to support Josh Kaul for reelection as Wisconsin’s Attorney General,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. “Josh Kaul has served the people of Wisconsin as Attorney General and will continue to go to bat for working families to protect our rights in the workplace, in

“With the Build Back Better Act, we are addressing the systemic inequities that have put the American Dream further and further out of the grasp Americans, which was laid even more bare during the pandemic and tackling the challenges we continue to face now. By ensuring wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share in taxes, we can make crucial investments in health care, housing, green energy, and fight poverty. The claim that our country is broke is a broke lie! To be good stewards of the Earth, we should be doing everything we can to help Americans reduce their

Madison – State Representative Sara Rodriguez (D-Brookfield) issued the following statement on Hispanic Heritage Month: “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect and celebrate the long and storied history of Latinos in Wisconsin. This is a special time of year for my family—my husband and children are proud Latino Wisconsinites. We honor the legacy of Latinos in our state who for generations have been integral to our state’s culture and character, who have contributed so much to the wonderful place we call home. “Please join me in celebrating the countless contributions, culture, and achievements that enrich our nation, state,

The Waukesha School District Superintendent recently reiterated a policy and directed teaching staff to remove all divisive propaganda and signage such as Black Lives Matter, Anti-racist classroom, pride flags, inclusive language signs etc. from the classroom.   Rep. Allen released the following statement: Divisive symbols serve as barriers to students’ learning, and therefore, must be prohibited. Students must not feel discouraged and deterred from engaging in both a positive learning experience and environment. Students in the classroom should not be directly influenced by a teacher’s personal and seemingly private political or moral positions. The Superintendent’s directive is supported by and consistent

La Crosse, WI – Today, Rep. Ron Kind voted to pass provisions of the Build Back Better Act through the Ways and Means Committee that make landmark progress in lowering health care costs, creating jobs, boosting our economy, and supporting working families across Wisconsin. “This pandemic has been devastating for communities across the state. However, far too many Wisconsinites were struggling even before this crisis. As we recover, we need to address these longstanding issues and ensure our economy works for everyone – and the Build Back Better Act will help do just that,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “I’m proud to vote for this legislation

MADISON – State Representative Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) released the following statement regarding the WI Elections Commission (WEC) meeting on Thursday, September 9th: “On August 11th, I put out a press release stressing the need to protect voting machine data. I was gravely concerned about the potential loss of data during manufacturer-requested updates. The response I received was not what was needed, with my call being met with indifference and lack of action by leadership.” “However, my sense of urgency was justified during last week’s WEC meeting. During the debate over allowing voting machine manufacturer ES&S to perform these updates, it was

Madison, Wis. — As Wisconsin families continue to feel the positive impact of the historic middle class tax cuts passed by President Biden and Congressional Democrats, Ron Johnson, who voted against tax cuts that will help roughly 1,000,000 Wisconsin children, stating it would be “social or economic engineering,” instead continues to brag about the tax break he spearheaded in the 2017 GOP tax scam bill that benefited himself and his two biggest donors.   “But I still thought, well, the successful, the larger pass-throughs, also need to be treated fairly. So kind of held out, in the end we got some

Rebecca Kleefisch’s gubernatorial bid is less than a week old, and she is already being called out for lying on the campaign trail. Today, a PolitiFact fact check determined that Kleefisch’s favorite talking point about Gov. Evers’ response during the Kenosha protests is false. The fact check determined that unlike Kleefisch and the Wisconsin GOP like to claim, Gov. Evers promptly sent the National Guard to Kenosha during protests last summer. PolitiFact rated the claim used by right-wing super PAC Empower Wisconsin and similarly echoed by Kleefisch that “it took the loss of lives before help finally came” as “False.”  Instead, a

LA CROSSE, Wis. — State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski visited Emerson Elementary School today, meeting with State Senator Brad Pfaff, Superintendent Dr. Aaron Engel, Principal Eric Check, faculty and students. The visit included a tour of the school library which receives library aid from the Common School Fund, which the State Treasurer oversees as the chair of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. In March, Godlewski announced the annual distribution of $39 million for public school libraries across Wisconsin — the largest regular distribution in BCPL history. La Crosse Schools received $311,155 in library aid, which can be spent on books and technology. “Whether

WISCONSIN — As Congress works on a budget plan that includes giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, a new project shows the overwhelming, bipartisan support for this reform across Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District represented by Rep. Ron Kind.   The findings are part of a new website and interactive map showing support for district-by-district and state-by-state data. Rep. Kind, other members of Congress, and their constituents can now find the level of backing for Medicare negotiation, opinions about pharmaceutical companies, concerns about Congress failing to act, and belief in pharma’s top arguments. The project was conducted

Madison…Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) released the following statement regarding public input on the State Legislature’s ongoing redistricting efforts. “The people of Wisconsin want transparency, they want checks and balances, and they want cooperation. On August 1, the Legislature launched a website called Draw Your District Wisconsin for any Wisconsinite to provide input on the 2021 redistricting process. “We recently sent a letter to all representatives and senators inviting input, and to share with their constituents who may be interested. A letter was also sent to the governor’s hand-selected ‘People’s Maps Commission’ for their participation. Submissions will be accepted until

Contact: DOJCommunications@doj.state.wi.us Amicus Brief Filed in Federal District Court Rejects Texas Law Banning Abortions After Six Weeks MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) challenge to Texas’ new unconstitutional six week ban on abortions. The brief specifically supports DOJ’s motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction of the law, which went into effect earlier this month. “This Texas law drastically restricts reproductive freedom and relies on a disturbing and likely unworkable bounty system to enforce it,” said Attorney General

Contact: WisDems Communications (press@wisdems.org) PolitiFact: “No, Wis. Gov. Evers did not wait to send help to Kenosha during unrest” MADISON, Wis. — One year after a police officer shot Jacob Blake, GOP dark money group Empower Wisconsin released an ad meant to stir up conflict and sow division. Politifact Wisconsin found the ad’s central claim to be false, reporting that the governor sent in National Guard troops prior to the night Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two men. The state of Wisconsin fulfilled every local request for support, including having Wisconsin National Guard troops on the ground within hours of Kenosha

Contact: Sidney Litke, 608-266-9170 Speaker Vos’ continues to waste taxpayer dollars and sow doubt in our elections MADISON- Yesterday, it was reported that former Justice Gableman and his team of investigators have been sending emails to clerks around the state from a Gmail account with the name “John Delta”, and attaching documents from a former Trump administration official. These actions confused and upset election officials around the state. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement: “Wisconsin’s election was -and always has been- fair, secure, and transparent. Speaker Vos is continuing to pander to a disgraced former President and his