Wisconsin State Senator - Milwaukee and South Suburbs. Proud defender of public schools.
Milwaukee, WI
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If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay married
If you don't like gender-affirming care, don't have any
If you don't believe in abortion, don't get one
If you don't think your kid should read a certain book, stop them
But don't tell others how to live their lives.
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In Wisconsin, it is illegal for businesses to give even a small discount to customers for voting.
Giving someone $1 million because they voted is clearly illegal.
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We're the richest country on earth - we can afford universal healthcare and lifelong education for all Americans. We just choose not to because the rich have rigged the system for themselves.
This must change.
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No seriously, what if we just fed every kid that walks into school every day - breakfast and lunch - and finally erased the term “school lunch debt” from our society?
What kind of person could be against that?
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An underreported detail of Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest at her workplace by federal agents is the fact she was handcuffed and photographed, and later shackled and placed in a holding cell ahead of her initial court appearance.
Not only is this extremely abnormal, it was entirely unnecessary. A sitting judge with no history of breaking the law is not a flight risk.
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An anonymous group has sent thousands of text messages to young voters in WI with misleading claims about college students' eligibility to vote.
Let me be clear - college students CAN vote in Wisconsin so long as they do not also vote in another state. Pass it on!
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Texts between Attorney Jim Troupis and Kenneth Chesebro suggest that WI Senator Ron Johnson had a larger role in the Trump "Fake Elector" scheme than the "virtually no involvement" he previously claimed.
The Senator has some explaining to do regarding his role in this scheme.
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Intimidation, dehumanization, and media manipulation are hallmarks of fascism, and this President has no hesitation in using all three - the law and past precedent be damned.
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All people are entitled to due process in any functional democracy.
That the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel's on social media is indicative of the true goal of this action - to intimidate other judges into complying with this admin’s authoritarian goals.
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It’s both amusing and utterly frustrating watching my GOP colleagues say how bad Wisconsin is doing when they’ve had control of the legislature for 12 years and counting, and complete control of state government for 8 of those years.
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Deleting it and pretending he made a mistake suggests his lawyers advised him he was breaking the law - 12.11 of WI Statutes, a Class I felony.
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The Amtrak Borealis train, with service between Chicago, Milwaukee, La Crosse, and the Twin Cities, had 18,500 riders in its first month of service, and instantly turned a profit with fares as low as $41 each way.
People want affordable, reliable mass transit, including trains
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It turns out Wal-Mart is bad for the communities where they are located. Very bad.
Two new studies described in a recent article in @TheAtlantic found that when a Wal-Mart opens in a given county, total employment there falls by 3% within 5 years, and poverty rises by 8%.
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Speaker Robin Vos says there's no "pathway" to fully legalizing cannabis in WI. One of the most popular policies across the state and the party with control of the legislature says it's a non-starter. Just who exactly are they working for?
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Imagine if America had a universal healthcare system. One where we didn’t make people jump through hoops to prove they’re poor enough to get coverage - we just covered everyone because it’s the right thing to do.
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In a stunning development, the WI Supreme Court has now adopted GOP legislative maps, reducing the number of majority black districts to just 5, and further gerrymandering our state.
Further legal challenges seem a certainty at this point, but this is a huge blow for democracy.
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Wisconsin residents sent $36 million in tax revenue and $121 million in total sales to Illinois last year because Republicans in our state refuse to legalize marijuana.
It’s past time we joined our neighbors in legalizing cannabis.
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I've spoken at length about how Wisconsin's GOP legislature has underfunded public education for the past decade-plus. Now that Education Governor Tony Evers has been reelected, those same Republicans are starting to recognize that voters want us to fully fund our schools.
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A friendly reminder to all my friends across Wisconsin with school referendums on your ballot - the reason these are happening so frequently is because the Republican-controlled legislature has refused to provide adequate state funding for public education for a decade and a half
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In order to afford a median priced home in the Milwaukee area, you need to make $74,000/yr, or over $35 per hour.
Our minimum wage is $7.25. That’s not a salary, that’s class warfare.
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HUGE NEWS: On a 4-3 ruling, the WI Supreme Court has ruled our state legislative maps unconstitutional, and that they must be replaced prior to the November 2024 elections. One step closer to ending #gerrymandering in WI.
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The WI Supreme Court has overturned the lower court’s ban on absentee ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin.
This is a huge win for democracy. We need to erase barriers to voting, not create arbitrary limitations out of thin air.
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~~ACTION NEEDED~~
On Tuesday there’s a good chance I will be asked to vote on a resolution to kill Wisconsin residents by ending the mask mandate.
I will of course be voting “no,” but if you or a loved one lives in a GOP district, it’s critical they contact their Reps.
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Sigh. If Wisconsin were a yard, half of it would be covered by weed already.
I mean, it is - we just don’t get the jobs, product safety, or tax revenue we deserve.
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Note to WI Republicans who are mad about the tax cut veto: give us more tax brackets and Dems will gladly create targeted tax relief for people that need it.
There’s no reason a household making $34k and $374k should pay the same tax rate.
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In 2022, Illinois cannabis sales generated $466.8 million in state taxes on $1.5 billion in total sales. WI is leaving so much money on the table for no good reason. #LegalizeIt
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It still boggles my mind that Wisconsin could cover 126,000 more people under BadgerCare while increasing state revenue by $1.3 billion and legislative Republicans are like "nah" year after year.
When people can't afford health insurance, we all pay for it. Cruelty is expensive.
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Open records regarding WI's fake presidential electors suggest Cong. Scott Fitzgerald played a significant role in trying to overturn a free and fair election. Here is his room reservation for the Republican Party of WI for Dec. 14, 2020 - the day the fake GOP electors met.
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In less than four years, Pres. Biden has forgiven approx. $180 billion in federal student loans for 5 million Americans.
That's $ that will go back into the economy to buy houses, raise children, and free families from the weight of crippling debt.
Credit where it's due.
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Wisconsin should join the other states where school meals are free for every child. 🍎 🧀 🥑 🍽️ 🥪 🌮 🍉 🥝 🥕 🌽 🍓
"School lunch debt" should not be a thing in the richest country on the planet.
Hungry kids in schools only learn that the community doesn't care about them.
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Wisconsin has no reason to trust that anything Robin Vos does is in good faith, and this attempt to ram through a redistricting bill to prevent the Supreme Court from ruling on his gerrymandered maps is no different.
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Arizona did what WI Republicans have wanted to do for years - implemented a private school voucher program with no income limits or enrollment caps.
The result: vouchers cost AZ over 5 times what they predicted, contributing to a $1.4 billion budget deficit.
Say NO to Vouchers
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Huge news for Wisconsin workers:
Judge Jacob Frost has declared unconstitutional much of 2011 Act 10, which stripped collective bargaining rights from most public employees.
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HUGE NEWS: A coalition led by Law Forward has filed a petition with the Wisconsin Supreme Court seeking to overturn our state's gerrymandered state legislative maps.
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The 50 Democratic US Senate seats have 43 million more people than the 50 Republican seats. Abolishing the filibuster is one way to restore our democracy. If we don't, we will continue to live under minority rule indefinitely.
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Wisconsin's minimum wage of $7.25 is disgustingly low. California recently raised it's minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour.
You know what happened? It worked! Covered workers saw their pay increase by 8-9%, there was no negative impact on jobs in the industry, and customer prices increased just 1.5%.
It's past time we #RaiseTheWage!
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It isn’t lost on me that Republican state legislators, who make over $50,000 plus expenses, complain about teachers having summers off, when they gavel out for 10 MONTHS.
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4 days later, I still can't get over the fact that WI Republicans thought $341 million was too much to spend to prevent 25% of childcare centers from closing, but $367 million in tax cuts for people making over $500k/yr was something they just had to get done.
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The most gerrymandered state in the nation finally has a chance to un-rig its electoral maps.
Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission - 1 of the most impactful court case in WI history - begins oral arguments tomorrow. Here's what you need to know: 🧵
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Starting tomorrow, the WI Supreme Court will no longer be a rubber stamp for legislative Republicans’ regressive, anti-democratic agenda.
Perhaps one day soon we will have district maps where voters pick their representatives instead of the other way around.
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You may have noticed right-wing pundits freaking out about the first week of the new State Supreme Court. What you may not know is why.
To sum up: Republicans in WI are like a football team that has been paying off the refs for years.
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We are not a Christian Nation. We are a nation of religious freedom, including the freedom not to practice.
The rise in Christian nationalism that has taken place over the past few years is toxic and goes against our nation's fundamental values.
wpr.org/milwaukee-religious-…
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Imagine the kinds of wages companies could offer if they didn't have to pay for health insurance, because our government provided healthcare to every citizen as a basic right.
That's the country I want to fight for.
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Huge news for public education in WI:
DPI Superintendent Jill Underly announced a plan for 90% special education reimbursement for all public schools in our state - the same rate that private voucher schools already get.
Closing the special ed funding gap helps all kids!
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They want to stop our kids from reading "The Handmaid's Tale."
I want to stop us from living it.
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Governor Evers has now vetoed 98 bills, topping the previous record of 72 held by Gaylord Nelson.
It’s not a legacy any Governor hopes for, but with the extreme GOP legislature we have now, it was the only viable option.
I thank @GovEvers for being the defender WI deserves.
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I’ll support the right to peaceful protest as long as I live, but if you ever find yourself on the same side of a protest as these guys, maybe rethink your priorities.
This was taken over the weekend at a Pride event in Watertown. Hate has no home here.
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This morning, @RepBrostoff and I sent a letter to DA Chisholm requesting an update on the 10 fraudulent GOP electors who met in the State Capitol in December 2020 and submitted forged electoral votes to Congress in hopes that the election would be overturned in favor of Trump.
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Robin Vos’ response to Milwaukee wanting the ability to raise revenue with a local sales tax was to claim we’ve been bad at managing money in the past.
This is the leader of the party that spent $1 million investigating imaginary voter fraud and millions more on bogus lawsuits.
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Huge news:
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has accepted original action in the redistricting case (Clark v WEC).
#FairMaps are one step closer to closer to becoming a reality in Wisconsin!
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A strong majority of Wisconsinites favor legalization of cannabis. Despite this, WI Republicans are holding a public hearing Thursday on a bill (SB 440) that creates stricter penalties for cannabis in our state.
While IL, MI, and MN move forward, WI goes backwards.
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But why look for the truth when you could just deliberately misunderstand for clicks like my Republican colleagues?
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WI Republicans officially unveiled a "flat tax" today. Here are the facts:
-82% of the benefit goes to people making over $100k
-Millionaires average a $112,167 tax cut
-People making minimum wage get $38
More like a "flatten the middle class" tax cut.
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It should be exactly as hard to own a gun as it is to own a car.
Every gun owner should be licensed, register all their guns, have to take a proficiency test, and have liability insurance.
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With no warning, ICE has detained Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts. No reason has yet been provided for the detainment.
Roberts is a native of Guyana and a former Olympic Athlete, and by all accounts is a well-regarded member of the Des Moines community.
This kind of action does not make us safer, and only serves to instill fear in vulnerable communities.
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Happening now: WI Democrats introduce the “Teaching is a Profession” package, designed to support our dedicated professional educators through higher pay, longevity incentives, greater prep time, and more!
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Every day Wisconsin doesn't legalize marijuana is a day our state loses jobs and tax revenue - mostly to Illinois - while making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens for no good reason.
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I want to build a society where voter registration is automatic, gun ownership is well-regulated,
and healthcare and education are free of charge.
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A 2nd offense for marijuana possession in WI can lead to a Class I felony conviction and a 3.5 year prison sentence.
Meanwhile, a Wisconsin resident can drive to our neighbor states and buy the same substance on the open market without fear of prosecution.
It’s past time we legalized cannabis in WI.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, WI had universal school meals for all children with no out-of-pocket cost.
While that program has expired, 10 states - including neighbors MN & MI - have passed policies to make this permanent. WI should join them! #NationalSchoolLunchWeek.
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The anti-democracy party scores another victory in the WI Supreme Court. Drop boxes, which ARE allowed for the Feb 15 primary, will NOT be allowed for the April 5 election.
The court has NOT yet ruled on the merits of the case, but this is a serious blow to voter access in WI.
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If you are disabled and cannot return your ballot you ARE allowed help to do so. Don’t let anyone take away your voice.
Disabled voters say local election leaders across Wisconsin are not following federal law during early voting in the high-stakes race for state Supreme Court, incorrectly telling them they can't have another person return their absentee ballot for them.
apnews.com/article/disabled-…
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Public dollars should go to public schools
Curriculum should be determined by educators
Children should be free to be their authentic selves
None of this should be controversial, but because extremists have taken over the Republican Party, all of these things are in doubt.
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Pretty wild that we had a $7 billion surplus and we still don’t have universal healthy school meals or paid family leave in Wisconsin.
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In WI, a majority of our neighbors support:
-Cannabis legalization
-Abortion access
-Medicaid expansion
-Gun reform
-Fully funded public education
I will continue to fight for these priorities as long as I am State Senator. My Republican colleagues would do well to join me.
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Wisconsinites in need of abortion services have a new option available - in Illinois. The Rockford Family Planning Center was started by a Wisconsin-based OB-GYN and was designed to help women here access abortion services relatively close to home.
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Wondering why WI Republicans have cut so much money from the state budget when they’re sitting on a $7 billion surplus?
We just got our answer: next week they plan to unveil $3 billion in tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the rich.
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It’s time we get…
Police out of our schools
Politicians out of the doctor’s office
Religion out of science books
Money out of politics
Assault weapons off our streets
PFAS out of our water supply
Who’s with me?
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Policymakers: "Why don't people want to become teachers anymore?"
For starters, the median teacher salary in WI fell from $62k to $56k in 2021 dollars over the past decade, and fringe benefits dropped by $8.5k, for a total loss of $14.5k per year.
Start with paying them more!
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It turns out the ridiculous allegations made by WI Republicans against Justice Protasiewicz - made to justify attempts to silence her - have already been dismissed by a state judiciary disciplinary panel.
They will stop at nothing to try to hold on to power, voters be damned.
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I would say these bills make the Wisconsin GOP a laughingstock but @TheOnion already said it for me.
GOP-Controlled Wisconsin Legislature Votes To Dissolve State Rather Than Let Democrats Have It trib.al/RrrJpOl
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Prohibition is expensive, unfair, and even dangerous. It's past time we legalized, regulated, and taxed cannabis in Wisconsin.
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Wisconsin is underfunding its public schools to a severe degree. This fall, 137 referendum questions will be on the ballot in 120 districts, with a total ask of over $4.25 Billion.
By shortchanging our kids and our teachers, we're bankrupting our own future.
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For years, Waukesha-area elected officials have criticized Milwaukee for how it spends money, never acknowledging that available revenues have been stagnant due to fiscal constraints imposed under Scott Walker in 2011.
Now, Waukesha County faces a $5 million shortfall.
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Amidst a critical shortage of baby formula in the U.S., all 5 Wisconsin Republicans in the House voted “NO.”
They literally voted against feeding babies.
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I find it incredibly ironic that WI GOP are holding a hearing right now to talk about their imaginary plans for spending federal dollars they have no control over, when if they would simply expand BadgerCare they'd have another $1.6 billion available they could actually control.
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Undocumented immigrants pay $96.7 billion per year in federal, state, and local taxes each year. In Wisconsin, and 40 other states, they actually pay a higher effective state and local tax rate than the top 1%.
If there are freeloaders in the U.S., immigrants are not them.
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People who oppose raising Wisconsin’s abysmal $7.25 minimum wage often claim “nobody makes minimum wage anymore,” or “it’s just teens and college kids.”
However, 41% of Milwaukee’s 243,221 workers make less than $15 per hour, and their median age is 30.
We must #RaiseTheWage
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The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly is meeting today with a group that is seeking to "decertify" the 2020 election - something that is legally and practically impossible.
He's giving false hope to the extremist fringe, and undermining our democracy as a result.
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Republicans: "Inflation is out of control!"
Democrats: "We have a $4 billion state surplus - why don't we use some of that for childcare and paid family leave so families can afford to pay their bills?
Republicans: How about tax cuts for the rich instead?
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A minority owner of the Brewers just listed their California home for $75 million.
And yet they claim they can’t afford to fix the stadium (and are willing to let the most overtaxed City in the state pick up 1/3 of the tab for upgrades).
Give me a break.
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So if Wisconsin is open for business as you say, what’s your excuse for not coming to work?
Thank goodness in Wisconsin, because of the @wisgop, everyone who needs to have their hair done can find an open business. In solidly Democratoc states, it appears it's just hypocritical liberal politicians who get special access.
foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-…
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With the RNC over, downtown Milwaukee is open again (barricade removal began at midnight). From most media accounts, downtown didn’t see the promised economic boom from the RNC. Venture downtown this weekend to support your favorite local bars, restaurants, and shops. #MKEProud
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Day two of the RNC in town and the people of Milwaukee and beyond are showing exactly how they feel about the party of Trump being brought to our city and our state.
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Robin Vos is unhinged for even floating this possibility. It’s clear he doesn’t believe in separation of powers, but if he goes down this road he will find out very quickly that the people of Wisconsin do.
jsonline.com/story/news/poli…
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Required to drive in Wisconsin:
-Proficiency test
-Licensure
-Turn 16
-Vehicle Registration
-Liability insurance
-Willing to follow rules of the road
Required to possess a gun:
-No felony conviction
-Turn 18 (with exceptions)
It's time to reform our gun laws.
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I want to live in a society where assault weapons are banned and books are not. Who’s with me?
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Menomonee Falls School District has banned 33 books for high school students, including classics like Slaughterhouse Five and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
This move will not stop high school students from reading them if they want to, but it does set a dangerous precedent.
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