Latest news with #RobinVos
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
We are choosing a bleak future for Wisconsin children
Children at the Growing Tree child care in New Glarus. Wisconsin is one of only six states that doesn't put any money into early childhood education. (Photo by Kate Rindy) Children are born into this world innocent. They did not choose their parents. They did not choose to be born into poverty. They do not get to choose if a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol. Children do not get a choice to be born into an environment of neglect. Children do not choose to grow up in a home with violence. Children do not get a choice to be abused or assaulted. Children do not choose to be born with a disability. Children do not get to choose if they can access medical care. Children do not get a choice on whether they are even wanted or loved. Adults do have choices. In Wisconsin, we have chosen to have a state where children are the largest demographic living in poverty. We have chosen to allow some children to live with constant hunger. We have chosen not to support children with disabilities. We are still choosing not to create systems to support children who have experienced adversity like abuse and neglect. We made the choice to create an education system based on the income of the people living in the community. We choose to allow children to be uncared for. We as a community have made these choices deliberately and without shame. Consequently, we have chosen for those children to be less likely to graduate from high school, more likely to fail at a job, have poor health (which is connected to stress in the early years) and to be statistically more likely to be placed in the prison system. We, as a state, have chosen to prioritize funding for prisons and spend nothing on early care and education, one of only six states that don't invest a penny in early childhood programs, even though we know that when children have access to quality early education that they are more likely to graduate high school, have higher incomes, be healthier, and are less likely to enter the prison system. We have chosen to remove health care options for children by not expanding Badgercare. We are soon to be the only state that does not provide postpartum Medicaid, risking the lives of new mothers and increasing the likelihood that children will have to grow up without them. We have decided that children with disabilities will receive services not based on their actual needs, but based on the budget for special education, which our state keeps at the barest minimum. We have chosen to make the word 'welfare' into a bad word. Welfare by definition is the health, happiness and fortunes of a person or group. And we have chosen to deny the health, happiness and fortune of children in our state. Referring to a bipartisan push for Medicaid expansion to cover postpartum care, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said he 'cannot imagine supporting an expansion of welfare.' Why is providing welfare to support the health and wellbeing of children or anyone for that matter a negative concept? Why are we so afraid that if we support people in need that it somehow takes away from us? For example, why would providing children with free lunches at school be a bad thing to do? Why would ensuring that children have access to medical care regardless of whether their parents can afford it or not be bad to do? Why would ensuring that children have access to quality care and education in their early years, regardless of their parents' income, be a bad thing? Why would ensuring that children with disabilities have access to the services they need be bad? Why is it wrong to have systems in our state that ensure we are doing everything we can to give all children the best opportunities to grow, thrive and become productive members of our communities? Rep. Vos and Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Marklein (R-Spring Green), and Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) all disagree with creating and funding policies that support our children. Time and time again, they have voted down policies that would have provided support to children. They have continued to forgo our future by not investing in our children. Instead, they invest in the wealthiest in our state and invest in our punitive prison systems. They invest in large businesses with expensive lobbyists who demand tax breaks and deregulation. They invest in those most likely to donate to their campaigns. These grown-up white men cannot stand the idea of anyone, even a child, getting help from the state. If they had to pay for school lunch, they figure, so should everyone else. If they had to pay for their child's medical visit, then so should everyone else. If they had to pay for child care, then so should everyone else. They are incapable of seeing past their privileges. They cannot appreciate what it is like to be a child born into an environment that causes harm and the trajectory that puts the child on. However, they will certainly be there when that child becomes an adult and enters the prison system. They are more than willing to pay for incarceration and punishment. That's not just financially irresponsible — we spend about four times as much to keep someone in prison as we spend on education — it's inhumane, and it impoverishes our state and condemns children to unnecessary suffering and a bleak future. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage deserves vote in Assembly
For the second time in two sessions, a bill was introduced that seeks to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year. This bill, Senate Bill 23/Assembly Bill 97, has received support across political lines, including lawmakers, pro-choice and pro-life advocacy groups, and Wisconsin residents. We, two women with occasionally divergent views, share the belief that the legislature can come together to pass this bill. However, the bill is in danger of being blocked by Speaker Robin Vos, who has been in the Assembly for two decades fighting for what he believes will benefit our great state. We invite Vos to stand up for the women, children, and families whom he serves by joining the vast majority of Wisconsinites in favor of this extension. We are two of those Wisconsinites. We met last year during a civic experiment that intended to help citizens from across all points of the political spectrum discover common ground on abortion and family well-being. As part of this experiment, hosted by Builders, a nonpartisan movement working to address toxic polarization in the United States, we were encouraged to share our differing perspectives and the unique life experiences that have shaped our views. Despite our disagreement on abortion, we realized we have a shared mission: supporting Wisconsin's women and families. This discovery propelled us – and the other twelve Wisconsinites who participated – forward. Together, we worked through a process that included both conflict and consensus. All of us, from activists who have promoted pro-life public policy to advocates for abortion access, agreed upon the need for high-quality healthcare for the entire 12-month postpartum period. One of the proposals we prepared together matches SB23/AB97, and it received overwhelming support from respondents statewide. Opinion: Changes to Social Security would cost average Wisconsin resident $7,000 a year Wisconsin is one of two states that has not passed this extension. Yet stagnation on this issue does not reflect the public will. Extended Medicaid coverage is crucial for the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of mothers and their children. Sixty days is insufficient to address the vast array of medical needs that arise during the postpartum period. In the United States, 14% of women experience postpartum depression in the year after delivery. In recent years, Wisconsin saw a 30% increase in maternal deaths within one year of giving birth. This is seen especially among Black women and women from low-income households, who suffer worse maternal health outcomes. Prolonged coverage would not only ensure continuity of care; it would also generate cost savings. States that have implemented an extension have seen a reduction in hospitalizations and emergency visits. Given Wisconsin's hospital costs are among the highest in the country, our state could benefit from rethinking the cost advantages of this bill. Against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized political system, the potential of a bipartisan legislative victory feels both meaningful and aligned with what citizens want. Passing this bill would send a powerful message: In Wisconsin, bipartisan collaboration is possible. Opinion: Wake surfing done responsibly is fine. Don't restrict Wisconsin boaters like me. We have faith that Speaker Vos and his colleagues in the Assembly will answer our call. Vos has already expressed his desire to, 'protect life while ensuring women receive necessary medical care.' The passage of this bill offers him the opportunity to properly represent his constituents. Kai Gardner Mishlove is executive director of Jewish Social Services, which serves vulnerable communities in achieving access to vital health and social services. Kateri Klingele Pinell is a clinical mental health professional and co-founder of the Wisconsin Student Parents Organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both are members of the Builders Movement in Wisconsin, which equips citizens to solve problems together. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Robin Vos cannot continue to block vote on bill for new moms | Opinion
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsin voted for a liberal justice and GOP voter ID measure. Why that's not surprising
About 63% of Wisconsin voters approved a Republican-led referendum to elevate the state's voter ID law to the constitution. At the same time, 55% voted to elect a liberal justice to the Supreme Court, according to unofficial results. What gives? Some social media users raised suspicion about the differing results Tuesday night, including one conservative X user who doubted voters would split their ticket by supporting voter ID while electing a "leftist" judge. But it wasn't a surprise that Wisconsin would do both at once. Voter ID is an extremely popular policy in Wisconsin, and even a slight majority of Democratic voters support it. The Marquette University Law School poll, one of the most reputable in the country, polled registered Wisconsin voters in late February of this year and found 77% supported the law. That included 96% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 81% of independents. So, it tracks that some Democrats who voted for liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford also voted to pass the referendum. But supporting the law doesn't necessarily equal wanting it placed in the state constitution. Of the 864 voters polled, 73% favored adding it to the constitution. That broke down to 97% of Republicans, 44% of Democrats and 74% of independents. Even before Tuesday, it looked extremely likely the referendum would pass. The results didn't align exactly with the high support shown in the survey, but public opinion polling isn't meant to be an exact prediction of the final results. A majority of voters in nearly all 72 Wisconsin counties — with the exceptions of deep blue Dane and Milwaukee — voted 'yes' on enshrining the voter ID law in the state's founding document. Meanwhile, Crawford won 23 of Wisconsin's 72 counties. It was even a narrow margin in Milwaukee County — 51% voted 'no' while 49% voted 'yes,' according to unofficial results. That wasn't the case in Dane County, where Madison is located. About 65% voted 'no' while 35% voted 'yes.' More: Robin Vos says voter ID law is supported by 70 to 80 percent of the public. Is that true? The referendum wasn't introducing a new voter ID requirement in Wisconsin. Since 2016, voters have been required to show photo identification at the polls or when requesting an absentee ballot. Wisconsin's version of the law is among the strictest in the country. Instead, the referendum was asking whether to essentially make the law permanent by laying out the requirement to show photo identification while voting in the constitution. More: Here's what to know about the voter ID referendum in Wisconsin's April election Republicans who control the state Legislature placed the question on the ballot in hopes of protecting the law from being overturned by the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court. Republicans who pushed for the amendment, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, criticized Crawford for representing the League of Women Voters in attempting to block the voter ID law when she was a private attorney. She once called the law "draconian." "We can hopefully have it on the April (ballot) and have it enacted into law before anybody would be elected or not," Vos told the Journal Sentinel in December. More: Bice: Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford is mum on voter ID. That wasn't always the case. Crawford remained relatively quiet on the voter ID law while on the campaign trail and didn't say how she would vote on the referendum question. Crawford has said she would look at the parties involved and legal arguments being raised when deciding whether to recuse from cases that relate to her past work. While the court doesn't currently have a case challenging voter ID, it will now be much harder for justices to declare the law unconstitutional because voter ID is part of the constitution itself. Raising voter ID to the constitution also makes it difficult for Democrats to get rid of the law if they eventually gain a majority in the state Legislature. They'd have to go through the lengthy amendment process again to take it back out of the constitution. Elon Musk, who poured at least $20 million into the Supreme Court race to support conservative candidate Brad Schimel, said the referendum passage "was the most important thing" Tuesday night. More: Elon Musk proved 'more of an anvil than a buoy' in GOP's massive Wisconsin Supreme Court loss President Donald Trump called the passage of the referendum "a big win for Republicans, maybe the biggest win of the night" in a Truth Social post. He also claimed the referendum will allow Republicans to win Wisconsin "for many years to come." But researchers have found voter ID laws effectively cancel out an advantage for either party because it can generate enthusiasm among Republicans and anger among Democrats. Political science experts also say voter ID is not the most important factor in driving turnout. Supporters of voter ID argue it increases confidence in elections because voters know they're not being impersonated. Opponents counter that voter fraud is extremely rare in Wisconsin. Most voters find it easy to show their Wisconsin driver's license, but it's not quite that simple for some voters without a car or who have just moved to the state, for example. Jake Spence, the state director for VoteRiders, a nonprofit group that helps voters obtain photo ID, said the referendum passage "marks a troubling setback for voting rights in Wisconsin." "This measure will make it significantly harder to challenge or improve Wisconsin's existing voter ID requirements, further entrenching barriers that disproportionately impact seniors, students, rural voters and communities of color," Spence said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why it's not surprising that Wisconsin passed a voter ID referendum
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Assembly Speaker should listen to people on marijuana, citizen-initiated bills
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is quoted in the March 14 paper saying GOAT will 'make things that we already have work better.' Once again, much like his absurd million dollar boondoggle hiring (former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice) Michael Gableman to "investigate" election fraud, Vos is creating another monster that will most likely cost Wisconsin taxpayers money with all the anticipated lawsuits this committee's questionable actions are sure to bring. Letters: Republican lawmakers in Madison don't care about will of people If Vos really wants to do things better, he could listen to what the polls show, as the majority of Wisconsin citizens have indicated they desire freedom from legislative interference in their medical decisions, regulated and taxed legal private dispensaries selling medical and recreational marijuana and citizen-initiated legislation. Personally, I think it would be most beneficial for the efficiency of Wisconsin if Vos were to resign from politics. Paul Bobrowitz, Colgate Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@ or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vos could make Wisconsin more efficient by stepping down | Letters
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican lawmakers in Madison don't care about will of people. Post per diems.
GOAT? Government Operations, Accountability and Transparency? ('Efficiency committee takes on telework', March 14) What does it say about the party that has been in charge in Madison for almost two decades that they need a committee to review accountability and transparency? Talking about transparency, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos must think the people have forgotten his attempt to drop an iron curtain on information coming from Madison over a July Fourth holiday in 2015. The legislature can start accountability and transparency by publishing the amount of per diem money they each take, the rules for getting that stipend and the checks and balances in place to prevent fraud with it. They can also tell us how many legislative aides each legislator has and their pay and benefits. After all, Rep. Amanda Nedweski said there is 'increased demand from the public' for more information. This would be a good start. Opinion: I'm the father of son with Down syndrome. Using the 'R' word is never acceptable. Opinion: On Wisconsin's glacial lakes, wake-enhanced boating damaging and dangerous Finally, stop talking about the 'will of the people.' This Legislature doesn't care about the will of the people. Maybe they should give the people what they really want, and that is the ability to amend the state constitution according to their will. Wayne Meyer, Oak Creek Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@ or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: GOP has held power for decades. Now it wants transparency. | Letters
