Latest news with #ChristianPhelps
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Democrats in the state Legislature call for LGBTQ+ equality measures
Flanked by state Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and state Rep. Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton), Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) outlines a joint resolution for Pride Month, (Screenshot/WisEye) Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers are circulating four draft bills and two joint resolutions to address issues of discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, trans and queer community. The package was announced just before Pride Month begins on June 1. 'We celebrate the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and the future of our population, and I can't think of a more important time to do that,' said Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire), at a Capitol press conference Thursday. 'Meanwhile in Washington the Trump administration and Republicans here in Wisconsin are engaging in rhetoric and political activity that seeks to erase LGBTQ+ people and target us … the goal in that rhetoric and in that movement is to make us feel alone.' Embracing diversity and joining with allies give the community strength, Phelps said. 'Everybody who is not themselves a member of the LGBTQ+ community knows and loves at least one person in the community. And I think when they shut out all the noise and look inside, they know that they want the best for that person or those people,' Phelps said. In addition to a joint resolution embracing Pride Month, the Equality Agenda legislation includes measures to: Update various Wisconsin laws pertaining to married couples, including laws on adoption and on in vitro fertilization, to ensure they apply to same-sex couples. Prohibit 'conversion therapy' aimed at changing a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity and subjecting licensed professionals who practice it to professional discipline. Bar the use of a 'gay or trans panic' as a defense by persons accused of crimes. Provide grants for training school counselors and social workers on LGBTQ+ rights. Also part of the package is a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that would repeal the 2006 amendment declaring marriage to be only between one man and one woman. The amendment preventing the state from legally recognizing same-sex marriages remains on the books although it was overridden by the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage across the country. 'With the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin's constitutional amendment that banned marriage equality coming up next year,' said Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit), chair of the Legislature's LGBTQ+ Caucus. 'It is long past time to give voters the chance to remove that discriminatory language from our constitution.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers unveil urgent plan to protect state from financial fallout: 'There's no scenario where we simply just don't pay'
Wisconsin lawmakers are working to garner public support for legislation that would significantly reduce the state's carbon footprint. As WQOW reported, several state lawmakers gathered in late April in Eau Claire to discuss the Climate Accountability Act, a bill that targets Wisconsin's harmful carbon pollution. The proposed bill doesn't feature concrete ideas. It would, however, require the legislature to create a plan that reduces emissions statewide by 52% by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The lawmakers stressed that the state must act now, and this bill must receive bipartisan support or pay the price when it comes to the effects of a changing, warming climate. "There's no scenario where we simply just don't pay," state Rep. Christian Phelps, a co-sponsor of the bill, said. "We either pay by destroying the planet or we pay by investing in renewable energy and by divesting from carbon emissions. I would rather do the latter." The bill also includes language guaranteeing that any carbon-reduction plan would also improve economic and racial equality. Wisconsin, the 20th most populous state, ranked 19th among all states for carbon emissions in 2022, at roughly 100 million tons. That puts it on par with levels from countries like Venezuela and the Czech Republic. Conservation nonprofit Clean Wisconsin says that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is possible with aggressive action from governmental and business leaders — and that would provide the state with several benefits outside of a cleaner, healthier planet. It said that investing in renewable energy sources to reach that goal would create nearly 70,000 new jobs and add $16 billion to the state's economy, boosting Wisconsin's gross state product by about 3%. It would also create a healthier population, potentially resulting in billions of dollars saved in avoided health care costs. Do you think America could ever go zero-waste? Never Not anytime soon Maybe in some states Definitely Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
