May 19th, 2011

 

DISMANTLING THE VOICE AND VOTE OF THE PEOPLE

   “People and their rights are being set aside to keep political power”

(MADISON, WI) - Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) fiercely opposes the legislation her fellow Republican colleagues voted for that would directly cause massive disenfranchisement on the countless number of minorities, elderly, disabled, and low-income families around Wisconsin. “There is no reason to suppress the vote, to implement a poll tax, to make GOP responsible for the reincarnation of Jim Crow Laws” says Senator Taylor.

The Voter Suppression Bill will have life long effects on people who are not able to sign a poll list or pay for an ID due to disability, financial challenges or mobility. This bill also affects universities severely by requiring the campuses to issue an ID every two years, a cost to the defunded UW-System under GOP leadership, thereby mandating higher spending.

Senator Taylor also states “Its one of the most restrictive bills to limit access to a constitutional right- the right to vote; and in this bill the GOP drives us backwards. In fact, so far backwards I feel like we are back at Dred Scott!” Communities must assist everyone, especially the homeless, seniors, poor, and the under-represented to get an ID to preserve their right to vote. We must work to prevent any further disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of people. Contrary to the GOP’s claim to prevent fraud, this bill does not address the type of fraud cases identified by the DOT which identified simultaneous voting both absentee ballots and in person as well as convicted offenders who unknowingly voted while on suspension.