State of the state

Lots going on in Wisconsin. Budget season. Electoral maps (again). Arrested democracy.

First, an alert from the League of Women Voters. Contact Senator Pfaff about AB-24/SB-57 which "would force county sheriffs to work with ICE, threatening our communities and the safety of vulnerable individuals. We cannot idly stand by while our neighbors are targeted and divided. Now is the time to take action against this dangerous proposed law, which would compromise the rights and safety of countless individuals. 

"This bill passed the Wisconsin Assembly on March 18, 2025. A public hearing is scheduled at the State Capitol (Room 411 South) on Tuesday, May 13th at 10:00am in the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, and Federal Affairs. Join us in protecting our communities by demanding that our lawmakers reject this bill. Send a message to your state Senator now."

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The Joint Finance Committee has tossed out Governor Evers' budget, including better support for child care, environmental programs, Medicaid expansion, PFAS issues, and veterans' services, and will start from scratch, prioritizing reducing taxes for their wealthy patrons. The lopsided committee, with twelve Republican members and four Democrats, has also prohibited discussion of some items in the governor's proposed budget. Whatever budget Republicans deliver will be finalized by the Governor's court-approved  mighty veto pen later this summer.

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Wisconsin voters are challenging Wisconsin's Congressional district map before the 2026 elections. A state that usually splits about 55% Democrats - 45% Republicans in statewide races should not have a 25% D - 75% R Congressional delegation. One of the two suits challenges the current maps based on unequal apportionment. 

The whole issue of gerrymandering and map fairness might be helped if news organizations started using cartograms when illustrating stories about numbers of voters rather than geographical maps that show areas of land. Check out the difference from this article on the 2018 election from UW's Applied Population Lab. Read more about gerrymandering and maps at the Daily Kos Elections site.

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The fascists' show arrest of a Wisconsin judge is the next step in the intimidation and dismantling of the judicial system, the one thing, so far, that has slowed the Great Dismantling. Read this summary of the bogus charges and of the true nature of the arrest. "It was not about the careful administration of justice. It was about manufacturing a headline for Trump’s media allies."

Now that Governor Evers has issued guidelines for state employees' interactions with ICE, the regime is threatening to arrest him, too.

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Are you prepared for ICE? Here's an online resource with facts and training for community response from the Immigrant Defense Project. Here's the Wisconsin ACLU guide for immigrants and their allies. Training videos from We Have Rights.