Madison seems like a long way away, and yet that is where our representatives in the Wisconsin Legislature make decisions that affect us all. And man, they are busy these days trying to tear down the pillars of democracy in our state. Shannon Zimmerman, Clint Moses, Gay Magnafici, and Rob Stafsholt are voting on proposals that impact not only our daily lives but also our democracy. We don't answer to them; they answer to us.

The impeachment threat

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has threatened to impeach Justice Janet because she used her First Amendment rights to tell us her views on two important topics that were at the heart of the past April election when she ran against Dan Kelly for a ten-year term on our Wisconsin Supreme Court. She favors women’s health care rights and fair maps.  Robin Vos and a few Republicans want to impeach her for sharing her values with the voters who elected her in a landslide this past April. A large majority of Wisconsin citizens share her concern about severe restrictions on women’s reproductive health, as well as concerns about Wisconsin’s obviously gerrymandered legislative districts.  

This is happening because Robin Vos and others see her election to our Supreme Court as a threat to their unfair and radical control of the legislature through gerrymandering. Vos has appointed three retired Supreme Court justices to study the legalities of impeaching Justice Janet, but he won’t say who they are. Former Justice David Prosser, one of the most extreme conservative justices (and the one who allegedly attempted to strangle Justice Ann Bradley) self-identified as one of them. Remember when Vos appointed Gableman to a sham investigation of the November 2020 election that wasted tax dollars? Vos did say Gableman isn’t on his new sham commission. Probably because Vos fired him last time.

Take action on this obscene power grab by contacting your representatives. You can find out more at a web page created by Wisconsin State Democrats at Defend Justice.

Making Wisconsin into Iowa, NOT

In an attempt to distract us from his flailing attempt to impeach Justice Janet, and with timing that resembles the introduction of ACT 10 back in 2011, Robin Vos rammed through a bill (AB 415) that seems at first glance like the “nonpartisan” process that Iowa uses to create its legislative districts. In fact, Democrats have proposed similar language (but with significant differences) for several years now, only to be smacked down by the gerrymandered majority. However, Iowa is not Wisconsin in many ways, particularly in population distribution and demographics. There are many concerns about this sudden change of heart and about the fine details in AB 415.  

In a key development on Thursday afternoon, the Iowa State Auditor and also a former Chair of the Iowa Republican Party released a statement saying there are critically important differences between Vos’s proposal and the Iowa process. The Iowa Legislature has very limited powers to change the maps developed by the nonpartisan commission and gives final say to the Iowa Supreme Court.  The Wisconsin version gives the legislature complete power over the maps and “lacks judicial review,” according to the Iowa officials. Also, note that the Iowa Supreme Court justices are not elected. It’s a lie to say that Vos’s proposal is the same as the Iowa model.

This huff and puff about the “Iowa model” is a tactic to distract from the threatened impeachment of Justice Janet, which is in deep legal doo doo. Although it could have represented a starting place for negotiations, it’s far from ready for prime time. The details matter. Gov. Evers and other Democratic elected leaders are rightly very skeptical.

Firing the WEC administrator, Meagan Wolfe

The State Senate Republicans illegally voted to oust Meagan Wolfe as administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. It’s clear that the politically motivated vote didn’t follow the necessary protocols to remove her from office. Wolfe was unanimously elected by the WEC to the position in 2019, but when WEC staff came under threats and accusations from MAGA election deniers for implementing guidance at the direction of the WEC, she got the blame.  Attorney General Josh Kaul has spoken out and is representing her in this bizarre misuse of legislative procedures.

This was a crazy week in Madison. Don’t just get mad. Take action!  

Actions you can take to defend democracy in Wisconsin

• Go to Defend Justice and call, email or write your representative

• Follow St. Croix County Democrats’ Facebook page - local actions will be posted

• Sign up for the WisDems social media action network 

• Monitor developments at WisPolitcs

• Talk to family and friends and encourage them to take action

• Join St. Croix County Democrats

• Make a donation or sign up to volunteer on our webpage to help with the coming elections

• Attend a St. Croix County Democrats meeting and get to know us. We’re fun to be with!

• Come to our fall picnic on September 28 and have a blast.

Deeper Reading/Watching and important references

Listen to wispolitcs.com Rewind Podcast HERE

“Here and Now” with Frederica Frieberg covered the madness this week with some great interviews: HERE

Vos’s version of the “Iowa model”  is not the same as the Iowa process. Read about it HERE.

AB 415 - the text of the bill Vos introduced HERE

AP piece about AB 415 HERE 

New Republic on Impeachment HERE

Vos Fires Gableman HERE

AG Josh Kaul files a suit defending Meagan Wolfe’s position HERE

Firing WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe HERE

Justice David Prosser alleged to choke Justice Bradley HERE