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NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance behind the 11-year war in Afghanistan, will be holding its annual meeting in Chicago the week of May 13th-20th. Peace and justice activists in Chicago are planning a large, family-friendly march on May 20th from Grant Park to McCormick Place, where the summit is being held. Please join us on the bus from Madison to Chicago for Sunday's march! We leave the UW-Madison Memorial Union at 8:30am and return by 8pm the same day. Click here for details and to reserve your ticket. |
WNPJ Special Legislative Action Alert: June 12, 2011
Submitted by admin on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 11:37am
Walker budget report and budget facts
Action Alert 1 - Madison: Protest the people behind the Walker Budget
Action Alert 2: Plan a solidarity action in your own community
Action Alert 3 - Madison: Join Walkerville, now entering its second week
Action Alert 4: "Guns in public" bill now allows guns on campus, with alcohol
Budget report: Madison Representative Marc Pocan reports that Republican leaders will be taking the legislature into "Extraordinary Session" in order to limit debate and amendments to the budget. Republican leaders hope to vote on the budget in the Assembly on Tuesday and in the Senate on Thursday, in order to have the budget ready for Governor Walker's signature on Friday. Rumors are circulating that Republicans may re-introduce legislation taking away collective-bargaining rights in order to circumvent a court ruling that nullified an earlier vote on the anti-union legislation.
In response, an unprecedented alliance of labor and community groups have come together to protest the budget, uniting around a call that this budget cannot be fixed, and that the whole budget must be rejected. In calls to your Representative, if you choose to highlight specific issues with the budget (see Budget Facts below) please also include this "reject the entire budget" message. Protests are planned in Madison every day of this coming week and Wisconsin Wave is calling for solidarity actions in all parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday (details below)
Action Alert 1 - Madison: Protest the people behind the Walker Budget
Background: Although Governor Walker has become a lightning rod for criticism, his budget package of severe cuts in social services, attacks on public sector unions and tax breaks and reduced regulation for business come straight out of the playbook of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's biggest business lobby. Wisconsin Wave will be shining a light on the people pulling the strings on Monday in Madison, with a noon march on WMC headquarters, just two blocks from the Capitol.
Take Action: On Monday, June 13th at noon, join teachers and other public workers and concerned citizens at the corner of State St. and Mifflin (location of Walkerville) and march to WMC Headquarters to hear speakers make the connection between WMC's influence and Walker's policies.
Contact for more info: Wisconsin Wave, online contact form here...
Action Alert 2: Plan a solidarity action in your own community
Background: While people in Madison mobilize for unprecedented protests against the Walker budget, Wisconsin Wave is calling for statewide solidarity actions during the week to call attention to the Walker budget, its attacks on working families and the most vulnerable in our society. Protests, even relatively small ones, around the state in opposition to the Walker budget can be very effective in communicating that all the people of our state, and not just Madison residents, reject the Walker budget.
Take Action: Click here for more information about plans for statewide solidarity actions. To have your event publicized on the Wisconsin Wave website, use this online contact form to communicate time and place and any other details.
Contact for more info: Wisconsin Wave, online contact form here...
Action Alert 3 - Madison: Join Walkerville, now entering its second week
Background: Walkerville, the tent-city erected on Madison's Capitol Square to call attention to the Walker budget, continues despite a week of punishing heat and driving rain. This week is expected to be an especially critical one for the denizens of Walkerville, with the Governor's budget coming up for a vote, and it looks like they may finally get a break in the weather. Senator Russ Feingold is planning to visit and speak at 5pm on Sunday.
Take Action: Walkerville welcomes new residents, and their city permit allows you to set up a tent on grassy or concrete areas of the sidewalk along Mifflin or Carroll streets. If you're planning to spend the night, please check in with the Walkerville info tent in front of the Veterans museum.
Contact for more info: Peter Rickman, rickman.peter@gmail.com
Facts about the Walker Budget: (contact info for your Representative here...)
- Commits hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds to construct a drone-aircraft training facility at Volk Field
- Eliminates health coverage for 55,000 people now receiving BadgerCare
- Cuts $500 million from Medicaid spending over the next two years
- Cuts $110 million from Family Care, which provides long-term care for people who are elderly or disabled, denying access to 5,000 people who are now on a waiting list for care.
- Eliminates Wisconsin's Earned Release program for nonviolent offenders who have earned “good time” by following prison rules and participating in programs which can reduce their risk of re-offending
- Includes a measure that would make it more difficult for citizens to obtain information about potential conflicts of interest of elected officials, including business interests and stock ownership
- Makes $700 million in cuts to K-12 education, including cuts to school nurses, Advanced Placement courses and extra science, technology and math classes (Walker initially proposed $800 million in cuts)
- Makes $250 million in cuts to the University of Wisconsin system (about 11% of state funding) and cuts of $71.6 million from the state's technical college system (about 30% of state funding)
- Cuts participation in the W-2 family assistance program to 24 months down from the 5 years allowed under federal law, and cuts the monthly W-2 payment by $20 to $653 per month.
- Makes a 21% cut in the Earned Income tax Credit for low-income families, takling $162 from a married couple earning $32,500 with two children, combined with $360 million in tax cuts for business
Action Alert 4: "Guns in public" bill now allows guns on campus, with alcohol
Background: Friday's Special Action Alert incorrectly reported that the gun lobby's "guns in public" bill was part of the budget. The bill, approved this week by the Joint Finance committee, is a separate piece of legislation that now permits guns to be carried on college campuses (a feature rejected by legislators in Texas, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana) and also allows those carrying loaded guns in public to consume alcohol while armed.
Take Action: Please call your Assembly Representative and Senator to urge them to vote "no" on the "guns in public" bill.
Contact for more info: Heidi Rose, Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, 414-351-9283, wave@waveedfund.org
WNPJ posts these weekly alerts from member organizations, individual members and national affiliates. If you are a WNPJ member and have an alert you would like posted , please send it to Steve Burns, WNPJ Program Director, at: outreach@wnpj.org.
Steve Burns
Program Director
Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice
122 State St. #405
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 250-9240
608-250-9240, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, 122 State Street, Suite 405A, Madison, WI 53703, Send an email to the office info@wnpj.org.