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BRENNAN CENTER: The hurdles that 1 in 10 eligible voters will have to face to obtain a voter ID

October 17, 2012
Keesha Gaskins and Sundeep Iyer
The Challenge of Obtaining Voter Identification

Originally published on July 17, 2012

Ten states now have unprecedented restrictive voter ID laws. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin all require citizens to produce specific types of government-issued photo identification before they can cast a vote that will count. Legal precedent requires these states to provide free photo ID to eligible voters who do not have one. Unfortunately, these free IDs are not equally accessible to all voters. This report is the first comprehensive assessment of the difficulties that eligible voters face in obtaining free photo ID.

View the PDF version here.

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BRENNAN CENTER: 2012 voting laws will make it more difficult for 5 million racial minorities, students, renters, seniors, and low income citizens to vote

October 17, 2012
Wendy R. Weiser and Lawrence Norden
Voting Law Changes in 2012

In the past two years, states across the country passed a wave of laws that could make it harder to vote. The Brennan Center chronicled these laws in our report, Voting Law Changes in 2012 (originally published on October 3, 2011)

UPDATED 10/16/2012: Voting Laws in effect for the 2012 election

Fourteen states have passed restrictive voting laws and executive actions that have the potential to impact the 2012 election, representing 185 electoral votes, or 68 percent of the total needed to win the presidency.

A breakdown of laws and executive actions in effect in 2012:

Document: 
application/pdf iconVoting Law Changes in 2012.pdf

Voter advocacy groups look at how prepared states are to ensure that our votes are counted

October 17, 2012
Pamela Smith, Michelle Mulder, Susannah Goodman
COUNTING VOTES 2012: A State by State look at Voting Technology Preparedness (Executive Summary)

This report reviews how prepared each state is to ensure that every eligible voter can vote, and that every
vote is counted as cast. Because we cannot predict where machines will fail during the upcoming national
election, every state should be as prepared as possible for system failures.

The Verified Voting Foundation, the Rutgers Law School Newark Constitutional Litigation Clinic and
Common Cause surveyed states’ voting equipment and ranked the states according to their preparedness.
The rankings are based on how states laws and practices compare to a set of best practices already being
used in some places.

Document: 
application/pdf iconExecutiveSummaryAugust2012.pdf
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BRENNAN CENTER: Electronic voting machines record higher rates of residual votes among poor and racial minority populations

October 16, 2012
Lawrence Norden, Jeremy M. Creelan, David Kimball, Whitney Quesenbery
The Machinery of Democracy: Voting System Usability

Originally published August 28, 2006

On August 28, 2006, the Brennan Center released a report and policy proposals regarding the performance of various voting systems and their ability to allow voters to cast valid ballots that reflect their intended choices without undue delay or burdens. This system quality is known as usability. Following several high-profile controversies in the last few elections including most notoriously, the 2000 controversy over the butterfly ballot in Palm Beach voting system usability is a subject of utmost concern to voters and election officials.

Document: 
application/pdf iconThe Machine of Democracy.pdf

Stealing America: Vote by Vote

July 11, 2012
Concentric Media
STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote

A groundbreaking feature-length documentary made after the 2004 election about the enormous security flaws present in the machines that count our votes, and why only hand-counted paper ballots can protect our democracy. 

For related reading see the book Brave New Ballot.

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ACLU: Know Your Voting Rights in Wisconsin

June 5, 2012
ACLU of Wisconsin
Know Your Voting Rights in Wisconsin

The Recall Election is Tuesday, June 5, 2012.  Polls are open from 7am-8pm CST.

WORT: Adam Porton from the Wisconsin Wave discusses No More Stolen Elections

May 7, 2012
Brenda Konkel
"A Public Affair" on WORT

 

Brenda Konkel interviews Adam Porton of the Wisconsin Wave about No More Stolen Elections, and why election integrity efforts are so vital to safeguarding our democracy.

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Teleconference on the Global Wave of Resistance

October 12, 2011
Liberty Tree

On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, the Liberty Tree Foundation convened a special briefing, the Teleconference on the Global Wave of Resistance. This global conference featured over 100 participants, and updates from leading organizers of the global wave of student and labor strikes, occupations, and revolutions. Panelists include core organizers from the UK, Germany, Israel, and Chile, as well as Wisconsin, Boston, Oakland, Washington D.C., and Wall Street, among others. This was the second such teleconference on corporatization and austerity org

Additional Information: 

Panelists included Nicolas Valenzuela, Uri Gordon, Mo Gas, James Sevitt, Adam Porton, Sarah Manski, Nadeem Mazen, Elaine Brower, Matt Nelson, plus moderator Ben Manski.

MANSKI: The Protest Wave: Why the Political Class Can’t Understand Our Demands

October 3, 2011
Ben Manski
Common Dreams

The protests that began in Wisconsin this year, and which now also fill the streets of Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, and this week, Washington D.C., have gotten the attention of the American political class. And how could they not? 2011 is becoming a remake of the 1999 Battle of Seattle, except this time the protests are ongoing, national and global, and the target is not just the World Trade Organization, but the entire edifice of corporate capitalism.

The October 2011 Movement Call to Action

September 9, 2011
October 2011 Movement
Stop the Machine! Create a New World!

[Note- The Wave is working with progressive leaders from around the state to organize a caravan that will travel from Wisconsin to D.C. for the start of the October 2011 Movement on October 6th.  Click here for more information!]

October 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the 2012 federal austerity budget. It is time to light the spark that sets off a true democratic, nonviolent transition to a world in which people are freed to create just and sustainable solutions.

A breakdown of the Wave and EDA's August 9th Exit Polls

August 9, 2011
What happened in Wisconsin? We don’t know, and that’s not good
On Tuesday August 9th a group of volunteers from around Wisconsin conducted Citizen Exit Polls in two of the six senate districts where recall elections took place. A coalition of independent, non-partisan organizations including Election Defense Alliance (EDA), Protect California Ballots, and the Wisconsin Wave helped organize volunteers and advised the group on polling techniques. The exit polls were undertaken in an attempt to monitor the integrity of an election that relied entirely on concealed vote tabulation by computers to count votes and determine outcomes.
 

Wisconsin Budget Project publishes posts explaining the devastating costs of the debt ceiling bill

August 3, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Project
Passage of Debt Ceiling Bill Avoids Cataclysm – At a Huge Cost
1) PASSAGE OF DEBT CEILING BILL AVOIDS CATACLYSM -- AT A HUGE COST
  
The U.S. Senate voted 74-26 late this morning to concur in the House-passed compromise on a bill to increase the federal debt ceiling.  Senator Johnson voted no, whereas Senator Kohl voted yes.  All 5 of the Republican members of the House and Rep. Kind voted for the bill.  Rep. Baldwin voted against it, and Rep. Moore missed the vote. 
 

IWF: Associated Bank pays no state income tax; M&I just a trifle

July 1, 2011
Institute for Wisconsin's Future
Who Does Not Pay Taxes

Who Does Not Pay Taxes logo

New IWF newsletter names corporate tax avoiders

Associated Bank pays no state income tax; M&I just a trifle

Associated Bank—the largest bank based in Wisconsin—made $2.6 billion in profits in the years before the recession, yet didn’t pay a penny in state income tax. M&I, newly sold to a Canadian bank, paid less than 1% on its pre-recession profits, despite a state tax rate of 7.9%.

IWF: Job-killing budget bad for Wisconsin’s economy

June 22, 2011
Institute for Wisconsin's Future
20,000 jobs lost by Legislature’s refusal to tax the wealthiest

We all want jobs. But the budget the Legislature is sending the Governor is a job-killing disaster.

The severe cuts in the budget will destroy the equivalent of 18,000 jobs in the first year and 22,000 in its second year, through direct layoffs of public employees and the ripple effects of reduced government spending.

That’s according to a simulation of the impact of the budget on the state economy, using economic modeling software.

Mark Pocan thoroughly debunks Republican claims that the state budget is balanced

June 16, 2011
Mark Pocan
Debunking the dishonest GOP balanced budget, surplus claims

Tonight, I was the second member of the Assembly Democratic caucus to talk about the Republican budget on the floor of the Assembly. I’ve received good feedback from my speech, so I’d like to provide my Assembly floor speech here.

WBP: The Budget's Effect on Wisconsin's Low-Income Families

June 13, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Project
The Budget's Effect on Wisconsin's Low-Income Families

How will the state budget impact low-income families? Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) has updated two analyses to show how the budget -- as amended by the Joint Finance Committee -- will affect low-income families:

Additional Information: 

See the attached reports for more info

Document: 
application/pdf iconThe Budget’s Real-Life Impact on Wisconsin Families.pdf
application/pdf iconEffects of the Biennial Budget and Budget Repair Bills for Working Families.pdf

WBP: Icing on the Cake for Corporations, Crumbs for Working Families

June 10, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Project
Icing on the Cake for Corporations, Crumbs for Working Families

As the Joint Finance Committee wrapped up its work on the biennial budget bill late last Friday night, June 3, one of the final motions that was offered was a brand new proposal for a large corporate tax break.

Walker's proposed budget spares no one in Wisconsin from devastating cuts

June 8, 2011
Defend Wisconsin
State Budget Update

State Budget Update (from June 8, 2011)

Editor’s Note: Thanks to State Representative Terese Berceau, who sent out the following state budget update in an e-mail on June 8, 2011. Information about the budget is regularly changing as the State Legislature meets to discuss and vote on the legislation.

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has concluded its work on the Governor’s 2011-13 state budget proposal.  In the coming week, the Assembly will consider the budget.  It will then go to the Senate. Here is a quick list of provisions in the current version of the budget, organized by issue area.

Taxes & Borrowing

The WBP publishes report explaining what's in the proposed budget

June 8, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Project
Comparative Budget Summary Updated to Include All JFC Actions

The Wisconsin Budget Project has updated our comparative budget summary, which shows how selected provisions in the budget have been modified in the budget process. Today’s update includes all actions taken by the Joint Finance Committee. If you’re interested in tracking a specific provision through the legislative process, the comparative budget summary is a convenient way to do so.

Additional Information: 

See the attached PDF for the full report

Document: 
application/pdf iconIWF Comparative Budget Summary updated 6.8.11.pdf

Video footage from the WPBA's Save our Beer Rally

June 3, 2011

On Friday, June 3rd the Wisconsin Positive Business Alliance and the Wisconsin Wave organized a "Save our Beer" rally in opposition to anti-craft brewery provision inserted into the budget bill.  At the event a high spirited crowd convened near the Capitol to hear first hand from Wisconsin brewers how this will affect their business.

Lineup and video footage from the Save our Beer Rally:

WBP: Alternatives to Increasing Taxes on the Working Poor

June 2, 2011
Wisconsin Budget Project
Alternatives to Increasing Taxes on the Working Poor

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) voted Tuesday evening for a package of state policy changes that cut taxes for multistate corporations and the wealthy, while raising taxes on working poor families with two or more children.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) Factsheet

May 1, 2011

What is WMC?

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) is our state’s largest and most powerful business lobby group.  WMC’s mission is to further its over 4,000 corporate clients’ goal of transferring even more wealth from the working and middle classes and on to the rich.  Often nicknamed the “real capital” by political insiders, this nefarious institution is, more than any single large corporation or politician, directly responsible for the attacks on working people in Wisconsin over the past three decades.

Bill Cronon investigates the connections between right wing foundations and the Walker agenda

March 15, 2011
Bill Cronon
Who’s Really Behind Recent Republican Legislation in Wisconsin and Elsewhere? (Hint: It Didn’t Start Here)

A Study Guide for Those Wishing to Know More

After watching the sudden and impressively well-organized wave of legislation being introduced into state legislatures that all seem to be pursuing parallel goals only tangentially related to current fiscal challenges–ending collective bargaining rights for public employees, requiring photo IDs at the ballot box, rolling back environmental protections, privileging property rights over civil rights, and so on–I’ve found myself wondering where all of this legislation is coming from.

VIDEO & AUDIO: March 5th "We are Wisconsin!" Rally

March 5, 2011
Ryan Heraly and Tona Williams

On March 5, 2011, 40-50,000 Wisconsinites rallied under the banner of the Wisconsin Wave for full funding for our public sector, the right to collective bargaining, abolishing corporate constitutional rights, and expanding democratic power and participation. A diverse lineup of speakers and musicians regaled the crowds from the stage, including Kabzuag Vaj, Matt Nelson, Lelan Pan, Dave Cieslewicz, Paul Soglin, Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Jennifer Feyerherm, Ben Manski, John Nichols, Will Williams, and Michael Moore, as well Michelle Shocked, Ryan Bingham, VO5, and Jon Langford. MC's included Patrick Depula, Tag Evers, Sarah Manski, and Ben Manski.

AFSCME Report on Gov. Walker’s 2011-2013 State Budget Proposal

March 4, 2011
Susan McMurray, AFSCME government relations
Information on the Legislature’s Budget Review Process

On March 1, 2011, the governor introduced his budget bill as 2011 Assembly Bill 40 (AB 40) and 2011 Senate Bill 27 (SB 27). They are identical companion bills. The bills were introduced by the Joint Committee on Finance, and both bills have been sent before the Joint Committee on Finance. They have also been referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions because legislative rules require that committee to review any bill that creates tax exemptions.

Additional Information: 

To read the rest of this report download the attached PDF's below

Document: 
application/pdf iconAFSCME Report on Gov Walker's Budget Part One.pdf
application/pdf iconAFSCME Report on Gov Walker's Budget Part Two.pdf

Publications & Talks