Gov. Walker drops out of the presidential race, returns to wreak havoc on Wisconsin civil service system

This week Governor Scott Walker suspended his presidential campaign after falling from third in the national polls to near the back of the pack. We, as Wisconsinites, are left wondering whether our Governor’s return home is beneficial because he will no longer be neglecting Wisconsin's problems, or detrimental because he will have more time to create problems in our state. I posted about this on my facebook page and many of you weighed in with your concerns as well. Unfortunately, we have not been left to speculate long.

Just three days after ending his campaign, Governor Walker backed a proposal to overhaul Wisconsin’s civil service system, which would make it easier for supervisors, including partisan appointees, to hire and fire state workers. As our Governor scrambled to reassert his ultra-conservative credentials, he once again threw Wisconsin’s public workers under the bus. Walker's proposal compounds the effects of his 2011 repeal of collective bargaining for most public workers. I cannot support a proposal that opens the door for corruption and cronyism under the jurisdiction of an administration already full of scandal and allegations of unethical conduct.

GOP attacks Planned Parenthood

I am disappointed to share that yesterday the Wisconsin State Assembly voted to strip Planned Parenthood of about $3.5 million in government funding per year. Every Republican backed this blatantly partisan measure and every Democrat opposed it. The bill now heads to the Senate. I assure you, I will stand in opposition, because financially crippling Planned Parenthood will increase public health problems and taxpayer costs by depriving people without other options access to birth control and STD screenings. Although many Republicans take issue with Planned Parenthood on the basis of abortion, their efforts to undermine the organization have much larger repercussions. Young women and men, especially those in poverty, will suffer from a lack of access to basic sexual health and family planning services. This measure has the potential to hurt many Wisconsinites and help none.

New driver’s licenses for Wisconsin

Our state is now issuing more secure driver’s licenses and identification cards geared towards curbing fraud and identity theft. The most drastic change is black and white photographs and details. These IDs also boast raised signature, date of birth, expiration date and driver’s license and ID numbers making them more difficult to copy. No need to rush out to the DMV if your current driver’s license or ID has not expired. However, if you do need to renew your identification you will be receiving one of Wisconsin’s new top-of-the-line IDs!

National Voter Registration Day a huge hit

Tuesday was national Voter Registration Day. I was pleased to partner with members of the historically black fraternities and sororities to register nearly 100 new voters. The effort was a nonpartisan attempt to ensure that those who bravely fought for civil rights and equality at the ballot box did not do so in vain. Our group met at the Clinton Rose Center and took to the streets, registering new voters. Democracy must be learned by each new generation and that is why I was so pleased to meet a high school football team and get them excited about participating in their democracy. Please note that Wisconsin’s new photo ID law will be in place for future elections. Make sure you are informed by visiting here and here for information about how to obtain a free ID to vote if you do not already have a valid photo ID.

Wisconsin’s black unemployment rate four times higher than white unemployment rate

A think tank recently released a report showing that under Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin has slow job growth, wage stagnation, and gender and racial disparities in employment. Looking back at last year, Wisconsin’s black unemployment rate was 19.9 percent, the highest rate in the nation. When comparing races, that 19.9 percent rate was four times higher than the white unemployment rate. Clearly, under Governor Walker’s “leadership,” we have a long way to go to achieve economic justice. According to the report, from a time period of approximately 2 ½ years, Wisconsin’s job growth rate was 5.1 percent while the nation’s was 8.4 percent. Had our job growth kept pace with the national average, Wisconsin would have gained more than 90,000 new jobs. Read the full article about the study here.

Taylor staff heads to Washington, DC

Members of my staff headed to the Congressional Black Caucus’ 45^th Annual Legislative Conference last week. With an opportunity to meet and talk directly with congressional members, our team had more than 70 education, health, civic engagement, and economic sessions from which to choose. The staff learned about the latest proposed legislation, federal agency changes and attended National Town Halls to discuss the challenges in our criminal and social justice system. They were able to attend White House Briefings, meet U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, have lunch with Congresswoman Gwen Moore and even attend a dinner that featured President Obama and the First Lady. They have returned with new strategies to engage constituents and lawmakers. What’s most impressive about this trip is that they paid for it themselves. Understanding limited state budgets, but committed to the constituents we serve, no state resources were used to bring this important information back to Wisconsin. Click here for a video with more information.

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"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

-Yogi Berra

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