Tuesday, September 30, 2014

60 State Legislative and Statewide Candidates Pledge Support for Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform



For Release: Tuesday - September 30, 2014


60 State Legislative and Statewide Candidates Pledge Support
for Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform

As of the end of September, 60 candidates on the November 4th ballot for state legislative or statewide office have pledged support for non-partisan redistricting reform based on the "Iowa Plan" to be in effect for Wisconsin's next redistricting process in 2021. These are candidates who have pro-actively contacted CC/WI.

Are the candidates you support for the Wisconsin Assembly, State Senate or for statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer) on this list? If not, you should contact them and urge them to add their name to the list. And if they refuse to do so you should ask them why? And let us know!

An unprecedented 19 daily newspaper editorial boards support this common sense, non-partisan political reform. So does the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites. Voters ought to select their elected representatives, not the other way around – as is currently the case in Wisconsin. Only about ten percent of the 99 Assembly Districts and 17 State Senate Districts are even remotely competitive this year. And not a single congressional district of Wisconsin's eight is considered truly competitive at least "on paper" in 2014. That's just pathetic.

You can do your part to end partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin by contacting candidates running in your area for the Assembly and State Senate (and all statewide candidates) and urging them to support non-partisan redistricting reform (the Iowa Plan). Then tell them to contact us.

Candidates or their authorized campaign proxies can contact CC/WI by phone: 608/256-2686 (leave a message if no answer) or by email. But they better hurry. Only five weeks to go until Election Day.





CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org



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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Reform Groups Call on Attorney General Van Hollen to Investigate “Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia”




For Release: Wednesday - September 24, 2014

Contact: Jay Heck
Common Cause in Wisconsin
608/256-2686

Contact: Andrea Kaminski
League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
608/256-0827


Common Cause in Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
Call on Wisconsin Attorney General to Investigate
“Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia”

(MADISON) – The leaders of two state government watchdog groups sent a letter to Wisconsin Attorney JB Van Hollen today, calling on him to investigate felony violations of Wisconsin election law that appear to have been committed by the Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia, a self-described militia group who announced they plan to “confront” voters at the polls who signed a petition to recall Governor Scott Walker in 2012 and who may have outstanding violations of the law on their records. The plans of the militia were revealed on their website and in a recent news account about their proposed Election Day intimidation activities.

Andrea Kaminski of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin call upon Van Hollen to work with District Attorneys in the counties where the intimidation activities are planned (Milwaukee, Racine and Rock) as well as the two U.S. Attorneys for Wisconsin to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

The letter to Attorney General Van Hollen is here.




CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org





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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

What You Need to Know About the Reinstated Wisconsin Voter Photo ID Law So You Can Vote!



For Release: Tuesday - September 23, 2014


What You Need to Know (in a Two-Page Flyer) About the Reinstated
Wisconsin Voter Photo ID Law

The unexpected and completely unprecedented order by the three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago to reinstate Wisconsin's extreme and restrictive photo voter ID law on September 12th for the November 4th election has caused widespread chaos and confusion for Wisconsin voters in the forty two days before Election Day.

The failure of the Walker Administration and the Republican majority in the Legislature to commit any additional resources to inform Wisconsin voters about the significant changes right before an election is unconscionable.

Proponents of this burdensome, unnecessary and obviously partisan measure should have at least had the decency to make the additional resources necessary for the Wisconsin Government Accountability and the State Department of Transportation through their Department of Motor Vehicles – the state government agencies charged with implementing the voter photo ID law – to reach out and inform every citizen of Wisconsin about what they need to do in order to be able to cast a ballot on or before November 4th. But no such urgent initiative has been forthcoming – an indication that those in control of state government are more interested in benefiting in a partisan manner than in ensuring that as many Wisconsinites who have been able to vote in the past, can do so this November.

CC/WI Director Jay Heck discussed this issue on statewide Wisconsin Public Radio on Monday.

It falls to organizations such as CC/WI to get the word out to as many citizens as we can in advance of November 4th so that as many Wisconsinites as possible will not be shocked at the polls when they learn that they cannot vote as they have before and are required to show one of a narrow array of identification in order to exercise their most basic and fundamental right as a Wisconsinite and as an American.

We have created a simple flyer that you can download and print out to tell you what you need to know about the now-in-place Wisconsin photo voter ID law so that your vote can be cast and counted on Election Day. We encourage you to forward this e-mail to everyone you know and/or print out the flyers for distribution.

Do not allow this unexpected and undemocratic law to prevent your vote from being counted on Election Day. Get the proper ID for yourself and everyone you know who lacks it, now.

Don't agonize about this law. Instead, organize and help others to get what they need to vote.



Revised: 9/23/2014 at 7:55 AM




CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org



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Friday, September 12, 2014

Common Cause Promises Intensified Voter Registration, Turnout Effort After Court Reinstates Wisconsin Voter ID Law



For Release: Friday - September 12, 2014

A federal appeals court decision reinstating Wisconsin’s Voter ID law places an unneeded and unjustified obstacle in the path of thousands of Badger State voters, Common Cause said Friday.

“This is a terrible, undemocratic ruling,” said Common Cause President Miles Rapoport. “The Voter ID requirements imposed by the state law fall most heavily on senior citizens, the young, and people of color, many of whom already are less likely than the general public to register and vote.

“Our focus from now through Election Day will be on helping every qualified voter meet the law’s requirements and cast a ballot. We have a message for the elected officials who erect such barriers: we’re determined to see that they don’t work. And in the long term, we’ll continue working across America to repeal unneeded and discriminatory voter ID requirements.”




CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org

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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

If an Eligible Voter is Denied a Ballot at the Polls and No One Sees it, Did it Happen?



Are you concerned about the integrity of Wisconsin’s elections?

Maybe you'd like to do something to help ensure that no eligible Wisconsin voter is denied the right to cast a ballot on November 4th?

Something relatively easy and rewarding?

Our friends at the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin are providing folks across the state with a way to help: they are looking for volunteers to serve as the League's eyes and ears at the polls during the November 4th election, watching for and reporting any signs of voters being disenfranchised.



You don't need to be a League member to volunteer.

It's simple.

The League provides online training, a reporting form, a polling place assignment and numbers to call on Election Day if you have a question or need to report a problem.

Just sign up on their 2014 Election Observer Volunteer Form and the League will get back to you about where you are needed and times for online training.

Whether you can spend all day or just a few hours at a polling place, you can sign on to be an election observer.

Please take a moment and make this commitment to help – and tell your friends about this important opportunity to make a difference. Many volunteers are needed!





Contact:

Sandra Miller
Director of Information Services & Outreach


608/256-2686
smiller@commoncause.org

Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
Holding Power Accountable Since 1970

www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org



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Friday, September 5, 2014

Ron Johnson Should Vote for Key U.S. Senate Measure Monday to Overturn Citizens United Decision



Common Cause in Wisconsin Reform Update
Friday September 5, 2014


1. Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson Urged to Put Country over Party and Vote for Senate Joint Resolution 19 on Monday

2. Wisconsin Citizens Overwhelmingly Want to Know Who the Donors Are to Outside Spending Groups in Elections

3. Governor Scott Walker Now Apparently Opposes Disclosure Measure Introduced By State Representative Scott Walke



1. On Monday, U.S. Senators will return to the nation's Capitol for a key test vote on support for a constitutional amendment to control money in politics. The measure (S.J. Resolution 19) would give Congress and the states explicit power to set limits on campaign contributions and spending, including the power to ban campaign money from corporations, unions and other "artificial" entities. S.J. Res. 19 would overturn U.S. Supreme Court decisions equating campaign spending with speech and that the First Amendment prohibits limits on campaign money.

In other words, S.J. Res 19 would overturn the terrible 2010 Citizens United vs. F.E.C. decision as well as the even more infamous 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision which started all of this mess.

Half of the 100 U.S. Senators, including Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, are co-sponsors and supporters of S.J. Res. 19. Wisconsin's other U.S. Senator, Ron Johnson, ought to be a true "maverick" in our state's finest tradition, and buck his party leadership's opposition to the measure and support it.

Here is our letter to Senator Johnson urging him to do just that.

You can call Senator Ron Johnson at 202-224-5323 or email him using the contact form here (a phone call is far more effective), and urge him to support S.J. Res19 for Wisconsin!



2. Last week, the widely-touted Marquette University Poll asked Wisconsin residents a variety of questions about the race for Governor of Wisconsin and other elections this Fall. It also asked a question about secret money in Wisconsin, specifically about whether Wisconsin voters favored knowing who was behind the millions of dollars of communications (particularly TV and radio ads) run by outside special interest groups.

The statewide Wisconsin Radio Network interviewed CC/WI Director Jay Heck about the poll's findings on campaign disclosure.



3. In 1997, then-State Representative Scott Walker (R-Wauwatosa) introduced legislation that CC/WI supported and which would have required the disclosure of donors to all groups outside of Wisconsin who spent money in Wisconsin trying to influence the outcome of Wisconsin elections. We reported on this in mid-August.

Recently, the Shepherd Express in Milwaukee explored this issue in more depth with CC/WI Director Jay Heck and further, compared what Governor Walker may have been doing in 2011-2012 to conceal outside spending with what State Senator Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) merely talked about doing last April before being driven into retirement.





CONTACT:
Jay Heck

608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org

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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Mary Burke Informs CC/WI of Her Support for Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform



For Release: Wednesday - September 3, 2014

Mary Burke Informs CC/WI of Her Support
for Non-Partisan Redistricting Reform


On Labor Day, Common Cause in Wisconsin heard from the campaign of Mary Burke, the Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin, that Mary supports non-partisan redistricting reform in Wisconsin – specifically the "Iowa Plan." She supports a measure that would put the new redistricting process in place for the 2021 redistricting process, following the next decennial census in 2020.

Mary Burke joins Robert Burke, the Libertarian nominee for Governor, who informed CC/WI of his support for the Iowa Plan earlier this Summer. Neither incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker nor his campaign has contacted CC/WI thus far in support of non-partisan redistricting reform. In the very few public statements Walker has made about this issue, he has indicated neither support nor opposition to this much-needed, common sense reform that has the endorsement of 19 Wisconsin daily newspaper editorial boards and thousands of Wisconsin citizens.

Go here for the complete, updated listing of the 59 statewide and state legislative candidates on the November 4th ballot who have contacted CC/WI in support of non-partisan redistricting reform.





CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org



Read More...


Monday, September 1, 2014

In the News - September 2014



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