Happy belated Labor Day, Milwaukee! Please enjoy our weekly labor of love, the news roundup. If you’ve worked too hard to toil through all the news stories of the week, take it easy and enjoy our bite-sized recaps of all the news you can use. This week features conservative attacks on anything vaguely progressive, a sneak peek at the State Senate’s legislative agenda, and a win for the Milwaukee County Transit System.
A Labor Day Special Report
So, what is the state of labor in Wisconsin? Not great! Let’s start with our state’s labor administration. A recent report from the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) found that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) failed to comply with several of its policies and has not implemented recommendations made in previous years. WEDC has been plagued by myriad scandals since its founding in 2011 by ham-obsessed freak and then-Gov. Scott Walker.
The most recent audit report, which analyzed fiscal years 2020 through 2023, found that WEDC did not adopt several recommendations from previous reports and was failing to comply with policies in several areas. Examples of WEDC’s shortcomings include failing to post approved meeting minutes online and inconsistently applying procedures for awarding tax credits. Wouldn’t it be nice if Wisconsin had an actual Department of Commerce run by elected, publicly accountable officials, and not a murky, messy public-private jobs corporation? (Wisconsin Examiner)
Now onto the workers themselves. The State of Working Wisconsin 2023, published by the cloyingly named COWS research and policy analysis center, (which was founded as the Center on Wisconsin Strategy but now just uses the acronym as its name), presents a mixed bag. Jobs are increasing and unemployment is low, but 2022 wages haven’t kept up with inflation. Workers at the bottom of the economy somehow “did better than those at the top, reducing wage inequality in the state” — at least according to the COWS policy wonks. Women who are working or seeking work dipped below 60% of the workforce for the first time since the 1980s (could the catastrophic state of child care in Wisconsin possibly be to blame?). Employers are scrambling to fill the lowest-paid jobs in the state (here’s a radical idea: pay your workers more). Racial wage inequality has declined slightly. Union organizing and public support for unions are way up. Long story short, Wisconsin workers are just barely able to keep their heads above water. We need to continue organizing and demanding more. (Wisconsin Examiner)
The GOP v. Janet
Terrified of losing its authoritarian grip on power, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has been hellbent on preventing recently elected Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz from doing her job. The GOP’s latest tactic was to complain to a judiciary disciplinary panel about pro-choice and anti-gerrymandering comments Protasiewicz made during her campaign. The panel rightfully dismissed the complaints, but we sense that this won’t be the last we hear about Wisconsin Republicans working to sabotage Protasiewicz’s tenure on the bench. (Urban Milwaukee)
Republican Assault on Reading Continues Apace
Last year saw a record number of demands to censor library books nationwide, according to an American Library Association report. That trend is continuing into 2023, and Wisconsin conservatives have been getting in on the book-banning action. A group of anonymous fascists in Iron River wrote a letter to the community about books they claim promote “gender ideology” and “transgenderism.” They allege that these children’s books include pornographic content. The letter states a few community members approached the library board in July, seeking to hide the books from public view or remove them altogether. The Iron River library board has not yet voted to remove any books; the biggest action they have taken was to move one book aimed at teens, titled “Let’s Talk About It,” from the young adult section to the adult section.
In April, the Marathon County Public Library received a request to reconsider “Let’s Talk About It” from a community member. The resident didn’t seek the book’s removal but instead requested a rating system for books. The Marathon County Library Board voted to retain the book and forgo a rating system. Last week, the Wausau Daily Herald reported that Marathon County Corporation Counsel Michael Puerner said a rating system could set the stage for constitutional challenges that would place the library at risk of litigation.
Most of these book-banning cases that make it to court are dismissed, with judges citing First Amendment Rights. But true to form, Republicans are working on a detour around our civil rights. A recent bill authored by Waukesha Republican State Rep. Scott Allen targets “obscene” materials in school libraries. A companion proposal would also bar school districts from using library aid to buy items considered “obscene.” Allen has claimed the legislation isn’t an attempt to ban books on LGBTQ+ topics, but we weren’t born yesterday. (WPR)
Brace Yourself for the 2024 GOP Legislative Agenda
The fall legislative session will begin next Tuesday. Here are the items on the GOP-controlled Legislature’s docket:
First up is income tax cuts. Republican lawmakers want to take the biggest chunk of our remaining $4 billion surplus to enact a $2.9 billion income tax cut, “with the average tax filer seeing a decrease of $772 each tax year,” according to Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, member of the Joint Finance Committee. Historically, Republican-authored tax cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthy. It’s natural to remain skeptical of where these tax cuts will really go, but it’s somewhat refreshing to see the GOP use some restraint and ostensibly help people for once.
Next, give the Brewers everything they want. Earlier this year, Governor Evers asked that $290 million be spent maintaining and improving American Family Field, so long as the Brewers sign a deal to remain in Milwaukee after its contract ends in 2030. Republicans removed the aid package from the state budget. Now, the package is looking more like $700 million over the next 27 years. It sure is fun to watch those anthropomorphic sausages race around the baseball field, but can we please get a decent transit system in this city? Adequate staffing for MPS? Anything that directly benefits the vast majority of Milwaukeeans?
Third, Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe’s days as Elections Administrator for the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) may be numbered. The term for which Wolfe was unanimously confirmed by the Senate expired July 1. But the three Democrats and three Republicans on the WEC split 3-3 on whether to reappoint her. Republicans argue that the tie constitutes a Senate vote on Wolfe retaining the role; Democrats, including Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, maintain that Wolfe legally holds that office and the Senate cannot vote to dismiss her.
Fourth, and arguably the most evil on the GOP’s part: reject Ever’s proposed $365 million spending bill to help child-care providers and replace it with what is sure to be a monstrosity of means testing – the Republicans’ package would create a child care reimbursement account, offer remodeling loans to centers and offer new rules for in-home providers.
Lastly, get ready for some big changes in the alcohol industry. Senate Republicans may allow a vote on a bill, passed 90-4 by the Assembly, that would enact changes like requiring wedding barns to obtain a Class B liquor license if they hold more than six events per year. All in all, the bill would affect manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and undoubtedly customers as well. (Urban Milwaukee)
A Rare Win for Public Transit
We’ll end on a high note. The Milwaukee County Board gave the first approval Tuesday to a new plan intended to improve security on Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) buses. The plan comes out of a Transit Safety and Security Task Force, chaired by supervisors Ryan Clancy and Peter Burgelis. It contains a list of security-related policy recommendations, with the major piece of the legislation being a proposal to create a new county-run security force that would replace the current private contractor, Allied Universal. The proposal is now headed to the full board for approval. While any victory for our embattled public transit system should be celebrated, the win is Lilliputian in comparison to the huge reforms that are urgently necessary to save the bus system. (Urban Milwaukee)
