Dear Fellow Wisconsin Democrats,

It’s me, your Democratic Party of Wisconsin Second Vice Chair, Rep. Lee Snodgrass, and I’m stepping in for Ben this week.

Next week marks my last week as your Second Vice Chair, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the last four years. It’s been a privilege to serve in this position alongside Ben and our Vice Chair, Felesia Martin, since 2019, and I’m incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished together.

When Ben asked me to run alongside him and Felesia, I was fresh off a State Senate Race and serving as Chair of the Outagamie County Democratic Party. I’d put my energy into revitalizing Democrats’ presence in the Fox Valley, and our work was already paying off. We were proving that Democrats could make inroads in areas that were previously written off, one conversation at a time. I knew how important it was for county parties, and the dedicated volunteers who make them run, to have a voice in our state party. As Second Vice Chair, I worked hard to help ensure those voices and the work of the county parties is not only heard, but uplifted as the valuable resources they are.

In 2020, I was elected to the State Assembly, and it’s been an honor to fight for our Democratic values in the Legislature, to challenge my colleagues, and advocate for what’s best for our communities. This year, I stepped into a new leadership role as Minority Caucus Sergeant At Arms with the Assembly Democratic Caucus, and so I’ve decided not to seek another term as Second Vice Chair in order to focus more fully on my work in the Legislature.

What Wisconsin Democrats have accomplished in the last four years is nothing short of historic. We elected President Biden and Vice President Harris, reelected Governor Evers, held off Republican supermajorities in our gerrymandered Legislature. And most recently, we flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court this April! I feel so hopeful about Wisconsin’s future, and it’s largely thanks to the work that you’ve all done to get us to this point.

Even though I’m stepping aside as Second Vice Chair, the work I do in the State Legislature to defend our democracy and fight for Democratic values never ends. As one of only three state representatives in the 8th and 6th Congressional  Districts, I will continue to hold the Governor’s veto and be a strong, unyielding progressive voice for you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Second Vice Chair these last four years, and I can’t wait to continue working with you as a State Representative in the years to come.

With gratitude,

Lee

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is proud to celebrate the resilience and power of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites come from all walks of life, from small business owners and veterans to students and storekeepers, and they deserve to feel safe and welcomed in the Badger State.

For years, Pride has been a celebration of how far we’ve come in the fight for true LGBTQ+ equality, but this year, Pride has taken on a different meaning for so many of us. We’re in the midst of an all-out assault on LGBTQ+ rights by radical far-right politicians across the country who are trying to restrict our personal freedoms and erase the progress we’ve made. Even here in Wisconsin, Republican politicians in the State Legislature blocked efforts to protect people from the discredited practice of conversion therapy and are reviving an effort to ban transgender kids from participating in sports.

While Pride might feel different this year, there’s still so much to celebrate. Millions LGBTQ+ folks and their families around the country now have a measure of security thanks to the hard work of Senator Baldwin to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and enshrine marriage equality as federal law. And this month, the Progress Pride Flag flies high over the Capitol building because we fought hard to reelect Governor Evers in November.

We won’t go back to that time before Pride, when we were forced to live in silence, out of sight and out of mind. We’ve come so far, but we won’t stop fighting until we’ve fostered a culture in which everyone is welcomed and treated with equal dignity and respect.

This week, Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature doubled down on their anti-abortion extremism by proposing a package of legislation to enshrine Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban into law.

The new Republican effort to cement the 1849 ban in state statute was announced on the same day that new reporting from POLITICO detailed just how damaging the GOP’s extreme position on abortion has been in recent elections.

Also under the new GOP legislation, the state would funnel $1 million in taxpayer funds annually to the anti-abortion group Choose Life Wisconsin, which was founded by two of Wisconsin’s leading anti-abortion groups. Choose Life Wisconsin would then distribute this state funding to so-called “pregnancy resource centers” which use misleading and manipulative information to dissuade patients from seeking abortion care.

Despite Wisconsin voters delivering a clear rebuke of the GOP’s extreme anti-abortion agenda last April, the chaos caucus in Madison is pushing a plan to funnel taxpayer dollars to anti-abortion special interest groups. The GOP can’t seem to see the writing on the wall, and Wisconsinites are left paying the price.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg joined Senator Tammy Baldwin and Mayor Eric Genrich in Green Bay to highlight how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering critical funding to help revitalize the Port of Green Bay and strengthen Northeast Wisconsin.

The Port of Green Bay will receive a $10.1 million grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to transform a decommissioned power plant into a state-of-the-art port facility, generating jobs and helping to establish Green Bay as an economic engine in the Upper Midwest. The funding will also help the city clean up a polluted brownfield site and preserve Green Bay’s natural resources for future generations.

Sen. Baldwin helped deliver the funding for the Port of Green Bay through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed without support from a single Wisconsin Republican in Congress. Even Rep. Mike Gallagher, whose district includes Green Bay, voted against the legislation that is now helping to boost Northeast Wisconsin’s economy.

Pridefest in Milwaukee is back! Come visit the WisDems Coalitions team’s table and stick around for fun events and activities all weekend long. If you’re interested in volunteering with us at Pridefest, please sign up here. We’ll follow up with more information once you sign up!

Come walk with the WisDems team in the Milwaukee Pride Parade and show your support for the LGBTQ+ community! The parade will be Sunday June 4 at 2PM. Reach out to our Angel Zamudio at [email protected] with any questions.

Pride Month is upon us! We’re celebrating Pride with some of our Out and Proud elected officials this month, starting with a virtual event with Senator Tammy Baldwin next Tuesday, June 6, at 6:30PM. With the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced and passed around the country, it’s never been more important to show our Pride. Please plan on tuning in for this fun event and RSVP here!

We are excited to again be partnering with the Rural Power Lab program, incubated at Contest Every Race with Movement Labs, to help Democrats build capacity & county party infrastructure in rural areas across our state.

Interested rural county parties are eligible to apply for the Power Lab program’s grants program, which is designed to boost your efforts in organizing by providing training support, volunteer recruitment, free texting services, partnerships, and quarterly grants of up to $500 for groups meeting monthly organizing goals.

If you’re interested in learning more, please check out the program overview hereand apply! The application deadline for Wisconsin’s county parties has been extended through the WisDems State Convention, where you’ll be able to hear more about the program in person.

If you have questions in the meantime, please reach out to Jamie Jarvis at [email protected]

Join WisDems this June to honor Juneteenth—the day in 1865 that news reached the enslaved peoples in Galveston, Texas that slavery had been abolished. Juneteenth is a time to remember the legacy of slavery and the struggle for freedom, to celebrate Black culture and heritage, and to recognize the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.

There are Juneteenth events happening around Wisconsin all month long. Find one near you, and look out for more events in the coming weeks:

• Milwaukee Freedom Ball: Saturday, June 10, 6 PM.
• Milwaukee Juneteenth Jubilee Parade and Street Festival: Monday, June 19, 9 AM – 11 AM.
  
• La Crosse Democratic Party Juneteenth Booth: Sunday, June 18, 12 PM – 6 PM.

Our partners at Wisconsin Progress and Latino Victory Fund are hosting a two day training in Milwaukee on June 23 and 24. This training is designed for any member of the Latino community interested in running for local or state office in spring 2024 and beyond. Lodging and travel scholarships are available.

Learn more and RSVP at https://www.wisconsinprogress.org/trainings

The WisDems team is thrilled to invite you to the 2023 Democratic Party of Wisconsin State Convention in beautiful Green Bay on June 10 and 11. We’re excited to celebrate the wins from the past year that we’ve worked so hard to achieve, and to rally ahead of the crucial fight to reelect Senator Tammy Baldwin, President Joe Biden, and Democrats up and down the ballot in 2024. Head to wisdems.org/convention to purchase tickets and learn more about the biggest party of the year. We can’t wait to see you there!

Looking for social media support? Join our Digital Communities Specialist, Sarah Morgan, for bi-weekly brainstorming sessions. You’ll think through social strategies, build a calendar, or just talk about what’s going on online! Find a time that works for you:

• Thursday, June 15, 5 to 6 PM
• Thursday, June 29, 5 to 6 PM

In preparation for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, we’re asking for the public’s feedback on its proposed 2024 Delegate Selection Plan. The opportunity to provide public comment will be available until June 5, 2023.

The plan can be found at http://wisdems.org/2024DNCdelegates.

In preparation for an exciting 2024 election year, WisDems is offering access to our free Candidate Resource Portal. This portal includes a variety of resources across campaign areas (including finance, communications, and more) that are designed to help support local campaigns across the state.

If you’re interested in accessing the Candidate Resource Portal, you can request access at this link or by going to the Candidate Resources button at the bottom of our website. Please note that each member of your campaign team that would like to access the portal must fill out the form individually to receive the access password.