Articles that are opinion, or op-ed based

Jeff Smith - Power, Balance and the Status Quo

The English language has many words loaned from Latin, and the phrase “status quo” is one of the most recognizable. “Status quo" is Latin for “existing state,” and in our modern use, status quo is the existing state of affairs, especially regarding social or political issues.

 

If the rules are tilted

Jeff Smith - Freedom to Choose is a Matter of Liberty

The word freedom is tossed around quite a bit. It’s a convenient word to use when trying to make others fear they will lose their freedom. Some politicians will scare voters about losing their freedom to own a gun, or losing control over their children’s education. They beat that same drum and many

Jeff Smith - Ending Pay Inequity Will Lift Up Working Families

“WHEREAS, Equal Pay Day occurs each year on the day that symbolizes how far into the new year women must work full time to earn the same wages that their male counterparts earned the previous year…”

 

That’s the beginning of a joint resolution I recently coauthored with my colleagues in the

Jeff Smith - Seven Billion Dollars!

 

Seven billion dollars!

 

To anyone, that is a huge number, difficult to visualize or comprehend. But that’s the amount of Wisconsin’s projected surplus over our next budget period. Often people joke that such a surplus will be met with 133 different spending proposals – one each from the 99 members

Jeff Smith - Be True To Your School

 

School pride dies hard. Even now, many years after my high school graduation, when I hear of an Eau Claire North Husky that has been awarded for their success, I get a twinge of pride. At face value, that may seem irrational, but as I’ve traveled around western Wisconsin, I’ve found pride in one’s

Jeff Smith - Popular Policies Make for Wise Budgets

It’s that time when the rubber meets the road. You might even say this is when your state leaders better “put up or shut up.”

 

Every odd year the state of Wisconsin begins another budget biennium. During that two-year period, we measure our state’s estimated needs and priorities and balance that with

Jeff Smith - Our watchdogs at work

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) may be the most diverse agency in our state. It’s often referred to simply as the “Department of Ag,” which is understandable since agriculture is such an important industry to Wisconsin. “Trade” covers all of our industries and

Jeff Smith - Breaking Down Barriers and Celebrating Black Resistance

When the state of Wisconsin first tried for statehood in the 1840s, Wisconsin’s constitution allowed for referenda to expand suffrage to new groups. Activists wasted no time in getting Black suffrage on the ballot. Wisconsin’s first referendum for Black suffrage failed in 1847, but two years later

Jeff Smith - Local Government is Democracy in Action

“Where do you live?”

 

There are a lot of ways to answer that question. I live in the United States, in the state of Wisconsin, in Eau Claire County, and in the town of Brunswick. Each of these jurisdictions is a “unit of government” and each has its own powers and responsibilities.

 

The term “local

Jeff Smith - Fifty Years After Roe, The Struggle Continues

As Americans we take pride that we live in a land of freedom and opportunity. Every July 4th we light fireworks to remind ourselves of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 that General Order No. 3 was issued, finally proclaiming the freedom