Call your senator

We may have to make a separate page of all the actions that are going to be recommended until we learn whether this will be an unusually awful presidential term with a weak and clueless opposition where calling representatives might make a difference or the beginning of the supranational autocracy that couldn't care less what people want.

The new alert concerns the "Laken Riley Act," already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives (with 48 obliging Democrats). According to Leah Greenburg, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, "This is a bill designed to 1) hand Trump massive new powers to terrorize communities with ZERO oversight and 2) give extremist right-wing judges the power to set policy for all of us. Let your Senator know that you oppose it and that you're watching how they vote."

Alas, a new batch of Manchin Dems, including some who were supposed to be the good ones, seem ready to continue helping Republicans remake the country. 

For more information about the bill, check out this article by Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. 

The bill, already passed in the House, would hand state attorneys general, like Ken Paxton in Texas, veto power over large swaths of federal immigration policy.

Under a provision of the bill that has gotten little attention, federal courts in places like Texas and Louisiana could hear lawsuits seeking to impose sweeping bans on all visas from countries such as India and China.

Call Senator Baldwin - 608-796-0045 (La Crosse office). And call Ron Johnson, too - 608-240-9629 (Madison office).

Steamroller

From the ACLU of Wisconsin:

This morning, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing and executive session and passed SJR-2, a joint resolution that proposes to enshrine specific voter ID requirements in the state constitution.

This committee hearing was publicly posted Monday evening without the required 24-hour notice.

This proposed referendum would make it more difficult for eligible voters to cast their ballot, particularly voters with disabilities, students, first-time voters, low-income and unhoused voters, and Native, Black, and Latino voters. Wisconsin already has some of the strictest voter ID laws in the country.

If legislators pass this resolution for a second time, voters could see more referendum questions on the April 1, 2025 ballot.

The full Senate plans to vote on SJR-2 during a rushed floor session tomorrow. The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections has also scheduled a public hearing on the Assembly version of the bill (AJR-1) for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in Room 300 Northeast at the State Capitol. The full Assembly intends to vote on the legislation during a floor session next week.

We submitted testimony against the measure, but we need your help.

Your voice can impact the outcome of these votes. The margins are razor-thin, and you can be the difference. It is critical that everyone in the state has accessible voting.

Tell your Senator and Representative to vote no on SJR-2/AJR-1.

Step 1: Find your legislators' number and email.

Step 2: Call or email your Senator and Representative and tell them to "vote no" on SJR-2/AJR-1

1/14: Highway 35 Study Public Meeting

Dear Community Stakeholders,

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is hosting a public involvement meeting for the La Crosse WIS 35 Corridor Study (the Study). The meeting is an opportunity for the public to learn about the Study, engage with WisDOT staff and representatives, and share their comments on the alternatives that have been developed along WIS 35 between US 14/61 (South Avenue) and US 53 (Rose Street).

The public involvement meeting is scheduled for January 14, 2025, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the La Crosse Public Library Auditorium - Main Location (Lower Level) 800 Main Street, La Crosse, WI 54601.

The meeting will be held in an open-house format and is an opportunity to provide input on the detailed alternatives, including a recommended alternative for the WIS 35 corridor.

The public is invited to attend and ask questions regarding the Study. WisDOT staff will be available to discuss the Study on an individual basis. A presentation will also be provided on a continuous loop during the meeting.

The meeting facility is transit accessible via Routes C1, C2, 2, 4, and 5 and is wheelchair accessible. Hearing-impaired individuals needing assistance may contact the WisDOT project representative below via the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (dial 711).  

A Spanish-speaking interpreter will be on-site for the meeting. For a Hmong-speaking interpreter, please contact Michael Bie, Communications Manager - WisDOT Southwest Region, at least seven working days prior to the meeting date by email at Michael.Bie@dot.wi.gov or by calling (608) 246-7928.

See details about the corridor study and subscribe to email updates by scanning the QR code below with your smartphone or visiting the Study website at: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/533516-lacrosse/wis35.aspx.

Michael J. Richardson, P.E.M
Major Studies Project Manager – Southwest Region
Division of Transportation System Development
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
(608) 245-2667 office
Michael.Richardson@dot.wi.gov
 

Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

On January 20 at 7 p.m. Viterbo University will host the Community Celebration in its Fine Arts Center and on its Facebook page. The guest speaker will be Lerone A. Martin, Centennial Chair, Director, Professor Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. This year's MLK Junior Award recipients will also speak. The event is free and everyone is welcome. Learn more at https://www.viterbo.edu/social-justice-and-equity/mlk-day-service-learning-and-celebration

Earlier in the day, you can attend the annual Beloved Community Commemorative Service from the King Center in Atlanta online from 8 to 10 a.m. Central. The program will be streamed by theKingcenter.org and on their Facebook page. The speaker will be Bishop William J. Barber, II

On Tuesday, January 28 at 5:30 p.m., the annual MLK Symposium will be held at UW-Madison and live streamed. The MLK Symposium celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a relevant and thought-provoking speaker who connects their speech/performance to the teachings, lessons, and the legacy of MLK. The annual event provides an opportunity for the campus to remember, learn, and act on lessons from King’s legacy of activism, equity, social justice, and community building.

This year's speaker is Donzaleigh Abernathy, the youngest daughter of American Civil Rights Movement co-founder Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and the goddaughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is an author, actress, and documentarian.

Get more information about the program and register for in-person tickets or the live stream link at https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/theater-mlk-symposium-donzaleigh-abernathy/  (Click "Buy Tickets" to register for live stream link.)

On February 3 at 6 p.m., Cornell University's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration will feature activist, writer and lecturer Angela Davis, speaking on the intersectional struggle for liberation today. Davis is professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies at University of California, Santa Cruz. An activist, writer and lecturer, her work focuses on prisons, police, abolition and the related intersections of race, gender and class. Register for the live stream at https://scl.cornell.edu/MLKLecture

People Power

From People Power United:

Mark the anniversary of January 6th by standing up for democracy and justice. While Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have failed to uphold their allegiance to the Constitution, we must up rise to protect our rights, freedoms, and future.

January 6th at 7 p.m. on Zoom

This event is more than a remembrance—it's a call to action. Together, we will build a resilient, people-powered movement to resist the threats of fascism and ensure that the voices of everyday Americans—not the wealthy elite—shape our nation’s course.

Let’s organize, educate, and mobilize to defend our communities and democracy. Be part of the change.

RSVP today and bring your voice to the movement!