Common Cause in Wisconsin Reform Update
Tuesday - February 4, 2014
CONTACT:
Jay Heck – 608/256-2686
1. A Public Hearing in the Capitol on Ending Gerrymandering in Wisconsin: Next Monday
2. Former FCC Commissioner and Chair, Michael Copps in Madison -- Also Next Monday
3. Why Political Reform in Wisconsin Will be a Big Election Issue in 2014
1. Wisconsin's current legislative leadership: State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Assembly
Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) continue to forbid the chairs of committees with jurisdiction over redistricting reform legislation (Senate Bill 163 and Assembly Bill 185) to schedule even simple public hearings on the issue.But two other legislators have announced that they will hold their own public hearing on non-partisan redistricting reform on Monday, February 10th beginning at 10:00 AM in Room 411-South of the State Capitol Building in Madison.
State Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) and State Senator Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) will hear invited testimony from experts from Iowa -- where non-partisan redistricting has been in effect since 1981. Two Wisconsin redistricting experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Professors Barry Burden and Ken Mayer) will testify, as well as CC/WI Chair Bill Kraus, a former Republican strategist and top adviser to former Republican Wisconsin Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus. The public is also invited (and encouraged) to attend the public hearing and testify. This is an opportunity for the citizens of the Madison area and beyond to express their views about the current, hyper-partisan, secretive and expensive redistricting process in this state and why it should be changed.
For full details about this "must attend" (if you can) event, go here.
2. Also Next Sunday evening and Monday morning, the former Chair and Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission,
Michael Copps will be in Madison. He will address critical issues such as media consolidation, net neutrality and the importance of independent and local media. You can go see and hear Copps speak at this event, and/or hear him speak about critical media issues on statewide Wisconsin Public Radio on the "Ideas" Network with Joy Cardin from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM on Monday morning, February 10th.3. But wait.... there is more! The following Monday, February 17th, CC/WI has organized another in our series of "reform
forums" on redistricting and other needed political reforms. Panelists at this event at Edgewood College from 6:30 to 8:00 PM include retiring Republican State Senator Dale Schultz of Richland Center, as well as Madison's State Senator and the longest serving state legislator in the United States, Democrat Fred Risser. The forum is free and open to the public to attend and participate. Full details are here. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend!
Jay Heck, Executive Director
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
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