A space for civil discussion of Wisconsin (and national) politics. People who do not maintain a civil tone or who are threatening will be removed from this space. In this context consider politics in a wide sense - not just inter-party squabbling.
Governor Tony Evers is considering moving the dates of the special election to replace Sean Duffy in the 7th congressional district. Previously Evers had set the date for the primary as December 30 and the final election on Jan. 27, 2020.
Please note, this weekly column contains sensitive information regarding domestic violence and assault, which may be triggering for some readers.
We often focus on highly visible forms of violence in our society, like mass shootings. However, domestic violence happens every day in every town and neighborhood, and it often goes unreported or even unnoticed.
We have been bringing you video of the speeches from the 21st Century Political Chautauqua held on Sept. 7 and 8 in Menomonie. This is another of this series. Mike McCabe of We Are Many - United Against Hate gives one of his typical barn-burner speeches at the Chautauqua about how progressive citizens can prevail.
Recently I joined 700 community members at Carson Park for the Sharing Hope Walk, a fundraiser to promote awareness for suicide prevention. Before the walk began, I read a board describing the walk’s importance. Right below the board, there were hundreds of shoes lined up neatly along the course. When I read the bottom of the board, I learned the empty shoes symbolized the number of community members that died by suicide.
Governor Evers today signed an executive order setting the date for a special election to replace U.S. Representative Sean Duffy in the 7th Congressional District. Today was the effective date of Rep. Duffy's resignation. The special election will be held on Jan. 27, 2020, and the primary (if any) will be held on December 30.
In a news release today Dunn County announced that they are considering implementing a $20 vehicle registration fee for vehicles "normally residing" in Dunn County. This would be in addition to the already-raised state registration fees. The fees would be used to help pay for county transportation needs, primarily roads and bridges (although the money could also be used for trail maintenance, sidewalks, etc.)
On September 7, 2019 a 21st Century Political Reform Chautauqua was held in Menomonie. The chautauqua featured multiple speakers talking about political reform in Wisconsin and ways to achieve that goal. We will bring you videos of many of the speeches at the Chautauqua throughout the next week, but to start out these are videos of Melissa Kneeland (director of the Dunn County Historical Society) and Matt Rothschild of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
Politics is everywhere around us – when you turn on the television, open a newspaper or scroll through Facebook. It’s hard to get away from it all. When we see the divisiveness all around us, it’s easy to think our system is broken.
The need for redistricting reform in Wisconsin is critical. Concerned voters across the political spectrum are calling to end the practice of gerrymandering by our elected officials. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin has advocated for nonpartisan redistricting for decades. Over these decades, the control of the legislature has teetered between the two major parties.
The state legislature has been holding meetings across the state on issues of water quality. On Sept. 4 the committee held a meeting in Menomonie. We have video of the entire session, but have only edited this section so far, which is the public testimony. Earlier in the day there were multiple testimonies from invited guests including local government agencies and agricultural groups. Those videos will be available later in the week.
