Hi, this is State Senator LaTonya Johnson with this week’s Democratic Radio Address.

As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day, I wanted to take a minute and talk a little about Democracy. Our shared love of democracy creates a bond that binds us together. But in order for this to work, our government must have the consent of the people. Unfortunately, the Republicans who control the state legislature have lost sight of this guiding principle.

On issue after issue, the majority party has ignored the clear will of the vast majority of the people of Wisconsin.  We all know that abortion brings out strong feelings on all sides, but polls consistently show that a majority of Wisconsinites believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases.  Yet the Republicans refuse to even debate repealing the 1849 law that would send doctors and nurses to prison for helping women get an abortion.

Similarly, overwhelming numbers of our neighbors and friends believe that marijuana use by adults shouldn’t be criminalized, yet the Republicans refuse to budge on legalizing medical or recreational marijuana use in this state.

And tragically, the Republicans refuse to discuss reasonable gun safety legislation that substantial majorities of Wisconsinites support, like universal background checks and red flag laws.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, please reflect on the state of our democracy and if your representatives truly listens to the people they were elected to serve.

 

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