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Alpha
Kappa Alpha, Sorority Inc. volunteers to improve MPS playground It was my pleasure to work with teachers, parents, and of course my sisters of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. to fulfill our commitment to the Refresh, Restore, and Renew national project. Through this project, we take direct action to improve the quality of life for many underprivileged communities, so that young students can learn in the best environments possible. On Saturday May 21, we installed a new garden onto the MPS Thurston Woods Elementary School playground, adding new aesthetic to the community and providing a constantly beneficial hands-on learning opportunity for the students in the garden. The weather was beautifully welcoming and the hardworking atmosphere was definitely an uplifting sight to behold. It is the plan of the AKA Upsilon Mu Omega Chapter to return annually to assist maintaining the garden’s beauty and positively impacting our young students. Remember, I am always about the kids. They are our future and I encourage everyone to join our efforts to ensure their bright future. I would like to thank all those who joined me and my sisters on that warm unforgettable Saturday afternoon. Federal
Trial Exposes the REAL Fraud in Wisconsin Elections Governor Walker and Republicans have attempted to justify their efforts to “curb voter fraud” with their new voter ID law, but the federal trial is proving that the only fraud being committed is by the Republicans themselves. Testimonies from the trial are already showing that the purpose of this law was to give the Republicans an unfair partisan advantage. With Gov. Walker’s voter ID law, all voters are required to show a state-issued ID card to prevent fraudulent votes. Yet, there are only 10 cases proven nationally out of 1 billion votes cast since 2000. More people are struck by lightening than commit in-person voter fraud. That’s why I believe voter ID laws will suppress more people from even going to the polls on Election Day than it ever catches. A few years ago, Republicans figured out that people of color and college students were most likely to not have proper ID for voting. You know what else college students and people of color have in common? They are both groups that are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans. According to WPR, 85% of people denied a state-issued ID card in Wisconsin are black or Latino. 57% of those people denied are residents of Milwaukee! It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Republicans are trying to suppress our vote! Payday lenders are predatory lenders I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people I care about get in trouble with payday lenders. It’s easy to get stuck in the cycle of debt. People with problems paying their bills turn to a payday lender in an emergency. At first it seems like no big deal; they give you cash today and you give them your paycheck next week. But what happens next week when your car breaks down? How are you going to pay off your loan if you can’t get to work? When you miss a payment, the cycle begins. They charge interest rates so high they should illegal. Payday lenders are back in the news this week after a group of consumer protection groups and faith leaders released a report showing the average payday loan is $320 and carries an APR of 589 percent. That means a typical $320 loan will cost $866 to pay off. It should be criminal. Their interest rates are so high, they give the mafia’s loan sharks a run for their money! Over the years, I have cosponsored several bills in attempt to curb the payday lending industry: Assembly Bill 665, Senate Bill 345, Assembly Bill 392, and Senate Bill 530. SB 530 became law, and it significantly reshaped our payday loan laws. Until this bill passed, Wisconsin was the only state in the nation that didn’t regulate the industry. The law allows local municipalities to be stricter on where these stores could operate, requires full disclosure of all fees, prohibits interest gathering on the loan after the original due date, bans motor title loans and prevents individuals from having no more than $1,500 or 45% of their total monthly income in payday loans. Financially literacy is such an important issue. You can’t teach kids how to read a book and not how to balance a check book. My daddy told me when I was a little girl that if it sounded too good to be true, it probably was. Next time you see a sign that says, “Get cash today,” just keep walking. Milwaukee
Bucks and Alliance for Good Jobs announce agreement Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Alliance for Good Jobs announced an agreement that will raise workplace standards and transform traditionally low wage jobs into family-supporting positions. The Alliance for Good Jobs is a network of Milwaukee area leaders dedicated to family-supporting jobs related to the Bucks’ arena and surrounding economic development projects. This deal will create huge opportunities for Milwaukee residents in some of our disadvantaged communities. The agreement covers direct employees of the Bucks as well as employees of contractors engaged by the Bucks in the arena district. When I helped negotiate the state financing for the arena, the team promised they would take care of their workers and be a change agent in Milwaukee. This is a big step towards making good on that pledge. I hope this deal sets the bar for other companies to be good corporate citizens as well. The deal includes a $15 per hour wage indexed to inflation, prioritizes hiring from Milwaukee’s poorest zip codes and ensures workers the right to collective bargaining. I’ve been a Bucks fan since I was a little girl and I can honestly say this is one of the biggest off-court moments for the team in my lifetime.
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Community Events:
Afro-Fest May 25: 7pm
at Kiss
Ultra Lounge More
details and an agenda
here. 5th Annual Heal the Hood Block Party!
May 28th and May 29th on E. Keefe Ave.
between 1st St. and Palmer St. Free
food, vendors, speakers, poets and giveaways all day! More details here. National Night Out August
2nd: 4pm-8pm at Lincoln Park Pavilion Join me
for free food, live music, giveaways, community resources and fun & games
for the whole family! See more details here! |
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Quote of the Week: “It was absolutely clear to me.” -Todd Allbaugh, former Chief of Staff, testified at trial that it was apparent to him and others in the meeting that Lazich and Grothman were referring to making it more difficult for certain demographic groups to vote. Click here for the full story. This is an official government communication from Sen. Lena C. Taylor. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, click here to send me an email to unsubscribe. |
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