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Black History Month ended
with a bang. In a collaborative effort with NAACP, The Greater Urban League
of Madison, and NPHC, the Legislative Black Caucus Black History Month’s
final act this week was Lobby day at the State Capitol. After spending a month
talking about the issues important to the black community, we dedicated a day
to turning those discussions into political action. With the issues of our
community in mind, Representative Crowley, Representative Bowen,
Representative Fields and I held workshops throughout the day on economic
development, health, education, and criminal justice. Participants then
listened to a presentation by the Legislative Council on how to successfully
lobby their Legislator. Our group of newly-trained lobbyists spent the
afternoon knocking on the doors of their Legislators, advocating for their
community and the issues they care about. Black History Month may be
over, but here’s the thing – you don’t need a designated day or month to
lobby your legislators. You can and should be loud and proud every day. Your
voice has the power to create a better future for yourself and your children
as long as you have the courage to fight. If you didn’t make it to Lobby Day
this time, don’t worry, we’ll see you next year. In the meantime, be sure to
call your legislators, stop by their office, and do whatever you can to make
your voice heard! More
roadwork delays In a
new review released by his own administration, Gov. Scott Walker’s
transportation plans are set to result in more congestion, deteriorating road
conditions and decades of delayed projects. The plans will also force more
money to be spent on temporary repairs as the state puts off major projects,
according to a Department of Transportation memo written in January. This
situation will only continue to get worse. Our roads are 4th worse in the
nation. We can’t be playing games with our roads. We need results sooner
rather than later. Call Governor Walker himself at 608-266-1212 to tell him
that this is unacceptable! Only 1 in
5 black UWM students will graduate in 6 years A
report released Wednesday stated that the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
needs to, “get far more serious about success rates for their black
students.” This is a problem that needs addressing, and looking at the Trump's
pivot? Not so fast! On Tuesday, President Trump
delivered his first joint address to Congress in which he laid out his agenda
for the coming session. Many people were shocked and even pleased by Trump's
calmer tone, pointing out that he spent the first few moments of his speech
condemning recent attacks on the Jewish community and last week's hate crime
in Kansas City. Let's be real - this is not a "pivot." President
Trump has not changed. While he condemned these attacks, he did not claim any
responsibility for his role in inciting the hate that lead to and validate
these attacks. Trump's recent
actions on immigration and his continued plan to institute a Muslim
travel ban prove that this is still the same Trump whose disregard for
humanity should disturb us all. We need to continue to keep an eye on this
administration and not be distracted. Court
watchdog turns into court lapdog The judicial commission, an independent body created to conduct unbiased
investigations of our state's judges, is being manipulated by the Walker
administration. In his budget, Governor Walker proposed to place the judicial
commission directly
under the control of the state Supreme Court. This is huge. The judicial
commission polices judicial ethics. Allowing the Supreme Court to control its
own oversight board means that justices could have more sway over
investigations, or even strip the commission of its funding and staff. Frankly,
this is a watchdog being turned into a lapdog. Taking away the commission’s
independence will just make the court more biased and rigged. This is the
same Governor under which GAB was eliminated and the same Governor who
shielded us from any John Doe investigation. We need to keep an eye on this
administration which has been known to manipulate the system in its favor. Time for
Women's History Month! Did you know that March is
Wisconsin's Women History Month? Wisconsin has a lot of women leaders to be
proud of, like Vel Phillips, the first woman and first African American
elected in a statewide election as Secretary of State, or Ada Deer, the first
woman to head the US Bureau of Indian Affairs and the first Native American
woman from Wisconsin to run for US Congress! Check out www.womeninwisconsin.org to read
more stories about the inspiring women who've lead our state. |
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Quote
of the Week: “You may not
always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all
of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance
you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and
hope can take on a life of its own.” -Michelle Obama 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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