March 21 Dispatch
Plenty to keep us busy!
Lots to cover here: the April 7 election is right around the corner; send a word of thanks and a request to Governor Evers; call your Senators about the SAVE Act (again); make sure you are registered for WFFWi’s April 13 monthly meeting; get thee to No Kings; things worth looking at; and a resistance choir musical offering.
Let’s start with opportunities to make a difference. Action Items numbered below.
April 7 Spring Election
If you aren’t working to get Judge Chris Taylor elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, now’s the time. Knock doors, make phone calls, give money. Don’t wait, thinking others will do it for you. With just over two weeks left in the race, every day (minute?) is precious. Thank you for using your time, talent, and/or treasure to help move Wisconsin forward. Volunteer Activities (Mobilize). Donate (Act Blue). Join Chris Taylor’s team (Taylor website).
Don’t forget to vote! Send that absentee ballot in the mail the day you get it. And Tuesday, March 24 is the first day of early voting (aka voting absentee in person). Learn your municipality’s hours and more at https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/.
Thank You, Governor Evers, and please veto these bad bills
Contact Governor Evers now to say
First, On March 19, Governor Evers’ signature made Wisconsin the 49th state to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage. Finally. The Governor also vetoed dangerous bills. Thank him for both.
Next, ask Evers to veto three bills that passed the Senate on March 17:
AB 595 / SB 595 takes people off the voter rolls who are deemed ineligible, rather than labeling them inactive but keeping them on the list. Its provisions also could result in eligible people being removed if they are misidentified as noncitizens. (Learn more.)
AB 446/SB 445 forces government entities to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Antisemitic discrimination is abhorrent, but the IHRA Definition equates protected speech with unprotected discrimination. Criticism of the Israeli government and its policies is political speech, squarely protected by the First Amendment. (Learn more.)
AB 24/SB 57 forces county sheriffs to do ICE’s Bidding. Existing ICE/sheriff cooperation programs have a long history as vehicles for racism and anti-immigrant hate, despite being advertised as public safety initiatives. (Learn more.)
More calls to Washington
We are told the SAVE Act will never pass, but the Senate GOP continue to plow forward amid pressure from the right. Today we will once again ask that you remind Senators that the SAVE Act isn’t going to save anyone, but will hurt women, students, and others. But before you call, watch this video from Jess Craven (Chop Wood Carry Water) — she sums it up beautifully. Then call Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson. Go ahead, call them again. The legislation is so bad it justifies calling them every day until the drama ends. Make sure they know you are paying attention. Contact Tammy Baldwin. Contact Ron Johnson.
As Navigator Research discovered, the more Americans learn about the SAVE Act the less they like it. No surprise to us — but maybe you know folks who don’t know about it. Craven’s post (photos from video below) is definitely worth sharing. PS — Craven suggests several action items, go ahead and do them all!
Are Wisconsin’s Senate and Assembly up for grabs? Find out April 13.
Wisconsin’s full-time GOP led legislature will meet in session only one more time before February 2027. And that sole session is a special one called by Governor Evers, to discuss a constitutional amendment calling for fair maps. We anticipate the Republican majority will simply gavel in gavel out. Then the focus will be November’s election. The GOP leaders of both houses are stepping down, and the Dems are gearing up to flip seats so our state houses can get good stuff done. And lest we forget, we will also elect a new governor in November. Learn more about it at our April 13 monthly meeting. Register at https://bit.ly/WFFWiMonthly.
March 28 - No Kings Three!
It’s simple. Find an event. Register. Attend. Enjoy. https://www.nokings.org/.
Worth a Look
March 15 NYT, Thomas Friedman (gifted) - Why Minnesota Matters More Than Iran for America’s Future
March 13 Wisconsin Examiner - Wisconsin communities grapple with police misuse of Flock surveillance: Pushback over misconduct cases, lack of accountability
March 20 The Recombobulation (Emily Mills guest column) - No more police cooperation with the ICE agenda: “No amount of money is enough to erase the moral stain of cooperating with an administration hell-bent on terrorizing its citizenry and people here seeking better lives.”
March 20 WPR - Advocates, family call for mother’s release from ICE detention in Kentucky: A Sheboygan Falls woman and mother of 4 was taken into ICE custody this month despite a judge awarding her a green card.
March 18 WUWM - The excellent “Status Pending” series continues; the latest is Small Wisconsin towns on the Minnesota border have also seen an ICE surge.
March 16 The New Republic, Norm Ornstein - Jim Crow Redux: The “SAVE America” Act Is a Poll Tax, Plain and Simple.
Musical Offering
This morning, a choir from Wales singing Heidi Wilson’s “Hold On” in solidarity with the people of Minnesota captured our attention and our hearts. Not the Wales that’s in Wisconsin, but the one across the pond, home of the legendary Welsh choir tradition. Take a look.
Note: There are resistance choirs popping up all over the country, including Wisconsin. On March 28, they will lead the participants in song at Milwaukee’s No Kings event. Other Wisconsin communities have the same plan. Maybe there is a choir in your area? If not, maybe you could start one?
