Artwork by Michael DiMilo
By Geoff Carter
Something doesn’t smell right in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t for a long time. Something’s gone sour—rotten, and the odor seems to be emanating from the State Capitol Building. It’s the smell of greed, corruption, and mendacity, and it stems from the insatiable lust for power displayed by the Wisconsin Republican Party. Since it took power of the Wisconsin Statehouse in 2011, the Republicans have clung to the levers of power like a tick hanging onto its host, and now, ten years later, they still refuse to let go.
Wisconsin was—and is—a very politically balanced state—a purple state. It used to be quite progressive. Public employee unions began here. At one time, we had one of the finest public university systems, and public-school systems, and one of the best conservation programs in the country, yet those institutions—and others—have been left to decay through and neglect and deliberate sabotage.
The last few national and statewide elections in Wisconsin have been decided by the thinnest of margins, reflecting a very evenly split electorate. Yet, somehow, despite this, the Republicans have managed to maintain a dominant majority in the Assembly and Senate. They’ve done it by hook and by crook, gerrymandering voting maps, illegally refusing to relinquish control of the DNR Policy Board, attempting to stack the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and ruthlessly limiting voting rights for the good people of Wisconsin.
There are many, many other examples of these cynical practices.
On April 7th, 2020, during the height of the pandemic, in a brazen attempt to suppress the democratic vote, Assembly Leader Robin Vos and Senate leaders refused to postpone the primary election, putting voters’ health at risk. When the pandemic caused severe poll work shortages, the democratic stronghold of Milwaukee saw the number of its polling places drop from one hundred and eighty to five. Yet to their credit, Milwaukeeans turned out to vote, anyway. That is the spirit of the true Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Republican lawmakers are currently attempting to oust non-partisan Wisconsin Election Commissioner Meghan Wolfe for decisions she made during the 2020 elections, including the handling of absentee voting in nursing homes and her refusal to acknowledge Republican claims of election fraud. Democrats say this attempt to remove Wolfe is retaliation for the WEC’s refusal to accept allegations that the 2020 election was stolen.
Early in 2021, Republican House members appointed former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Gableman as a “special counsel” to investigate claims of voter fraud. Convinced that the election was stolen, Mr. Gableman attacked Wolfe and WEC policies to ensure voter participation during the pandemic. He ended up calling for Wisconsin to decertify the election after the fact, an act which is impossible under state law, and advocated new laws to make it easier to decertify elections in the future.
State Republicans also comprised the ten fake electors who signed certificates that falsely proclaimed that Donald Trump had won the 2020 presidential election. This fake slate was reportedly given to Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who allegedly attempted to deliver it to former Vice-President Mike Pence on January 6th, 2021, hours before the Capitol riot. Johnson has denied any involvement in this even though testimony in the January 6th House Hearing implicated him. Fake electors in Michigan have been indicted by the Attorney General there. A civil lawsuit has been filed against these Wisconsin fake electors.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Wisconsin Republicans manipulating the election process. They have repeatedly tried to limit voting access, early voting, and mail-in availabilities—most of which are taken advantage of by Democratic voters.
In 2011, the Republican Assembly, Senate, and Governor Scott Walker drew up a set of voting district maps that are so heavily gerrymandered that the Senate now has a 22-11 Republican majority, while the Assembly is only one seat short of a two-thirds supermajority. This has been the case despite the fact that in statewide and national elections, Wisconsin is consistently one of the most closely contested states in the country. We are a purple state. The district maps obviously do not reflect the will of the people.
Most recently, Republicans are threatening to impeach newly elected Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz unless she recuses herself from sitting in judgement on an upcoming case asking the court to review the 2011 election maps. They allege that because of comments she made during her campaign, Judge Janet has already made up her mind on the issue. Of course, the fact that the Court now has a liberal majority has nothing to do with the matter.
In May 2021, Democratic Governor Tony Evers appointed Sandra Naas to replace Fred Prehn as a member of the Department of Natural Resources Policy Board when his term expired. Prehn, however, refused to leave, and when the Republican Senate refused to confirm Ms. Nass as his replacement, there was nothing the Democrats could do. Prehn argued he didn’t have to give up his seat until a replacement was confirmed and the courts agreed with him. Never mind fair play and following the spirit of the law.
After his refusal to leave, Prehn cast deciding votes to throw out limits on forever chemicals in the groundwater and increasing the quota for the state wolf hunt, both positions which the Wisconsin Republicans and their lobbying groups supported. Last December, Prehn finally did resign his position—but only after the damage had been done.
The Republicans have maintained this chokehold on the Wisconsin Statehouse for twelve years now. During that time, public schools have suffered, workers’ rights have been eviscerated, and private interest groups have thrived.
While a citizen might agree or disagree with Republican policies, the truth is that the people have the right to choose their own government, and if Republicans continue to manipulate elections, limit voter rights, and unfairly tilt district maps to their own advantage, they are making a mockery of the democratic process. A majority of Wisconsinites believe common sense gun laws, reproductive rights, and the legalization of marijuana should become law. Now, they have to travel to Illinois to get a safe abortion. Illinois and Michigan are getting millions in tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana—from Wisconsinites. That money could—and should—be staying in our state.
Now that there is a possibility that the Wisconsin Supreme Court now may overturn their tilted election maps, they are crying foul and trying to get rid of Judge Janet, who would probably be the deciding vote in forcing Wisconsin to implement fair election maps. Should this happen and the State Assembly and Senate start to fairly reflect the will of the people, the Republicans might have to resort to actually playing fair in order to win elections. If they remember how.
If so, the fetid odor of mendacity and corruption may begin to clear from the hallowed halls of our beautiful state capitol and the sweet smell of democracy and fair play might once again return to our fair state.
Notes
- https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/29/a-wisconsin-election-official-has-bipartisan-support-she-may-be-driven-out-anyway-00113233
- https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-elections-commission-meagan-wolfe-reappointment-bb9702c5ebd3b62d9bea3f48ac8ec8e7
- https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-fake-trump-electors-lawsuit-2020-12f3abcb9e7b398ded654da51d2b52c2
- https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-supreme-court-justice-impeachment-9b28383d30371c8c109b644f9b9a8d72
- https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/12/scott-walker-appointee-fred-prehn-resigns-from-wisconsin-dnr-board/
- https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/02/22/conflicts-between-bear-hunters-and-property-owners-in-northwoods-lead-to-fears-of-cowboy-war/
- https://www.wisdc.org/follow-the-money/46-influence-peddler/5792-influence-peddler-of-the-month-wisconsin-bear-hunters-association
- https://geoffreymalcolmcarter.com/2021/04/22/slaughterhouse-north/
- https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2021/04/08/high-capacity-wells-found-reduce-lake-levels-region-wisconsin/7108375002/
- https://geoffreymalcolmcarter.com/2020/04/09/indecent-exposure/