Amanda Stuck, candidate for the 8th Congressional District, will be speaking on the Fair Maps legislation.

October 16th
7:00 pm
Shawano Civic Center
Shawano Dems’ Meeting to follow.

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This month’s op-ed on guns was sent in to the Shawano Leader.

IT’S TIME TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE ON GUNS

   What’s worth more?  Guns or our children?

   At the beginning of this school year, students had a new kind of drill.  They had to pretend that an active shooter was in the building.  Students should not have to go through the trauma of worrying about the possibility that someone could come into their classroom and try and kill them.

This fear is related to the unprecedented number of civilian deaths that have occurred in the United States during the past few years.  The rise of individuals with high powered high-capacity assault rifles such  AK47s and AR15s shooting at private citizens in schools, concerts, shopping malls, night clubs and churches is alarming.
     What has changed in our culture that makes it so easy to obtain these guns?
In May of 1994 after there were a series of mass shootings in which numerous individuals died,  former presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, wrote to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of banning “semi-automatic assault guns.:  They cited a poll which found 77 percent of Americans supported a ban on the manufacture, sale, and possession of such weapons.
   A 10-year ban was passed by the US Congress on September 13, 1994.  However, the ban expired on the same date in 2004, in accordance with its sunset provision.  There were multiple attempts to renew the ban, but none were successful.  The main force behind the cancellation of the ban was the National Rifle Association.
   Decades ago hunters joined the NRA because it offered gun insurance and protected their right to bear arms.    Since then, they have become a lobbying group for gun manufacturers.  They have contributed to political candidates who support their efforts.  However, because of recent events, they have been losing members and influence.
    The deeply Southern NASCAR has shown their changed position by banning the ads which show assault-style rifles.  Walmart will stop selling certain forms of ammunition used in military-style weapons.  The CEOs of more than 100 companies have written a letter to the Senate urging them to pass a bill to require background checks on all gun sales and strong red-flag laws.  The red-flag legislation would allow judges to take guns away from people who are deemed to be a danger.  Thus far, Mitch McConnell has not allowed a vote on the House of Representative’s bi-partisan legislation to expand background checks on all gun sales.
     A recent Marquette University Law School poll found 80% of Wisconsin registered voters supported universal background checks.  The same poll backed red-flag laws by 81%.  Governor Evers has rolled out legislation for enacting both of these initiatives, but the Republicans who control the Legislature have rejected both ideas.
   The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights.   The Amendment states “A well-regulated Malitia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Malitias may have been necessary to put down slave uprisings in southern states
   In 2015 Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion in the District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the  Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment did give Americans an individual right to own firearms with his ruling.  The Supreme Court affirmed for the first time that the right belongs to individuals, for self-defense in the home.
   In writing his majority opinion Justice Scalia pointed out important limitations on the right to keep and carry arms. He said the sorts of weapons protected in the Second Amendment were those ‘in common use at the time.”   He said, “We think that limitation is fairly supported by the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons…weapons that are most useful in military service service—M-   16 rifles (which morphed into the AR-15 assault rifle) and the like—may be banned.”
Republicans including President Trump have pushed the narrative that gun violence is mainly a mental health problem.  If that is the case, why haven’t Republicans worked to make mental health care more accessible by expanding Medicaid, the nation’s largest payer of mental health services?     
  We don’t have to choose between the 2nd Amendment and keeping our kids & communities safe. We can do both at the same time. The question now is –What will it take?
 To do nothing is an insult to the lives lost from gun violence and to the survivors that still grapple with the trauma they went through. Republicans need to have the courage to stand up to the NRA and prioritize the safety and well-being of all citizens.
   The youth led March for Our Lives demonstrations and the grassroots groups such as Moms Demand Action have pushed for change.  If we care about this issue, we should donate to such groups and demand change by putting pressure on our representatives.  Every day that we don’t do something is one more day closer to another tragedy.

JOIN IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR FUTURE
MEET YOUR POTENTIAL POLICY MAKERS

BEER, SODA, PIZZA AND WINGS PROVIDED!
CONVERSATION AND IDEAS NEEDED!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019
2:00 TO 5:00pm

RIVER RAIL TAVERN
N5547 River St, Shiocton, WI

CURRENT OFFICE HOLDERS AND CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE HAVE BEEN INVITED.
YOU ARE INVITED, TOO!

LET’S TALK AND GET TO KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS.
JOIN US FOR BEER, SODA, PIZZA, WINGS
AND CONVERSATION

Sponsored by the 8th Congressional District
of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

ON DEMOCRATS’ FORWARD TOGETHER AGENDA

Background:

• Today legislative Democrats unveiled their legislative priorities for the coming session
• While Gov. Evers was able to approve a budget that invested far more in the state than the previous 8 years, many of the Gov’s boldest proposals were pulled from the budget by Republican obstructionists

Highlights of Agenda:

• Affordable Health Care
  • Lower cost of prescription drugs
  • Protect families from surprise medical bills
  • Expand opioid treatment options
  • Lower the cost of private insurance by expanding Medicaid
  • Increase access to women’s health care
• Quality Schools
  • Increase special education funding
  • Ensure rural schools receive their fair share
  • Expand access to early child education including full day 4K
  • Make college more affordable & tackle the student loan debt crisis
  • Strengthen workforce development programs at technical colleges
• Clean Water
  • Replace lead pipes to ensure clean drinking water
  • Promote sustainable water management practices for family farms
  • Help homeowners fix contaminated wells
  • Limit runoff pollution from large industrial farms
  • Prevent toxic PFAS contamination 
• Financial Security
  • Raise the minimum wage
  • Cut taxes for working families
  • Increase access to affordable child care
  • Broaden paid family leave options to care for a child or sick relative
  • Ensure equal pay for equal work
  • Safeguard a secure retirement
• Hometown Success
  • Improve rural broadband access
  • Lower property taxes by closing the Dark Store loophole
  • Support start-up companies, entrepreneurs & family farms
  • Oppose unfair tariffs on WI farmers & businesses
• Justice Reform
  • Reform marijuana laws
  • Keep juveniles out of the adult prison system
  • Ensure our criminal justice system is fair for everyone
• Safe Communities
  • Implement background checks on all firearm purchases
  • Help people in crisis and prevent suicides
  • Protect domestic abuse survivors
• Democracy For All
  • Create a non-partisan redistricting process
  • Improve election security
  • Implement automatic voter registration
  • Reform our campaign finance system
  • Address racial disparities in our communities

Talking Points:

• There is still much work to be done to continue to deliver on the promises made to the people of Wisconsin 
• Democrats’ priorities reflect the will of the people of Wisconsin who voted for bold solutions to fix our public schools, increase access to affordable health care, ensure clean drinking water, and reform our justice system
  • Over the last 10 months, people all across Wisconsin have come to listening sessions, called their legislators, called the governor, and emailed lawmakers to demand action on these issues
• The to-do list facing our state is long, but the challenges facing families, students, and seniors cannot wait any longer