Apparently Unable to Pass State Budget, Senate GOP Turns to Undermining Freedom to Protest
MADISON, Wis. — Over the weekend tens of thousands of Wisconsinites, and millions more across the country, peacefully exercised their freedom to speak out and protest actions of their government. Today, the Republicans in the state Senate – who appear unable to pass a state budget with mere days left to do so before the end of the fiscal year – are turning their attention to a bill (Senate Bill 94) that seeks to stifle people’s freedom to protest.
“In communities large and small, people are peacefully coming together to voice their opposition to Donald Trump trying to gut healthcare to pay for tax giveaways to billionaires, ordering people’s abductions off the streets, and blatant corruption and refusal to abide by court orders,” commented A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne.
He continued, “But instead of respecting our fundamental freedom to voice our opinions or doing their job to pass a state budget, Republicans in the state Senate are looking to use our government as a weapon against their fellow Wisconsinites.”
The measure Senate Republicans are considering today has also garnered bipartisan opposition. Assembly Republican Ron Tusler, the chair of the committee considering the bill in the Assembly, opined that the measure “… fails to be good legislation” and “… has constitutional, common-sense, and enforcement issues.”
Others registering concerns and opposition range from free speech advocates like the ACLU to the corporate special interest group, Wisconsin Civil Justice Council.
