Aug 8, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
Last week, Judge Janet Protaciewicz became Justice Protaciewicz when she was sworn in as a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a move that changed the ideological balance of the court from 4-3 conservative to 4-3 liberal. Two lawsuits have already been filed with the state supreme court that challenge the current legislative maps. Democrats are asking the state supreme court to overturn GOP-drawn maps. The court has to formally accept these “direct-action” petitions, which will likely happen soon given the new makeup of the court.
The filing of these lawsuits was anticipated following the addition of Justice Protasiewciz to the court. She emphasized the existing maps, crafted by GOP legislators and implemented by the state supreme court in spring 2022, as a central theme of her campaign, characterizing the maps as “rigged” and unfairly skewed in favor of Republicans.
Democrats argue that the state legislative maps exhibit partisan gerrymandering. As a result, one of the lawsuits calls for all 33 state senators to run according to new districts next year, and the other lawsuit says all state legislators should be compelled to compete in redrawn districts in fall 2024. Both lawsuits, if successful, would mean the half of the state senate who was elected last year and wouldn’t be up for re-election until 2026 would still be forced to run again next fall.
Republican legislative leaders criticized the lawsuits, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) pledged to protect the existing maps.
“The timing of this lawsuit questions the integrity of the court,” he said. “It’s clear that liberal interest groups are coming to collect from Justice Protasiewicz after her campaign broke judicial code to earn their financial support earlier this year.”
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said the petitions appear to be an “attempt to get the Wisconsin Supreme Court to do what the United States Supreme Court has said judges cannot — decide political issues about redistricting.” Vos is referring to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said federal courts cannot play a role in deciding partisan gerrymandering claims. The 2019 verdict undercut a district court’s decision that had determined the Wisconsin GOP legislators’ drawn boundaries constituted an unconstitutional gerrymander.
Both lawsuits are directed exclusively at the current state legislative maps (Senate and Assembly districts), not the congressional maps, which were accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court at the same time as they rejected the original state legislative maps submitted by Governor Evers. If either of these lawsuits is successful (and in all likelihood if the state supreme court decides to accept both, they will be combined and heard together), and new maps are drawn and ultimately forced upon the legislature, the strong majorities Republicans have in both the Assembly and the Senate would be in jeopardy. This, of course, is exactly what the Democrats want: to eliminate or at least reduce the majorities.
With 2024 being a presidential election year and Wisconsin once again being a targeted state, we can be sure an all-out assault on our state legislature will be waged with massive amounts of money being spent to flip both houses from conservative to liberal majorities. Should that happen while Evers is governor, well, let’s just say it won’t be good for marriage, family, life, religious freedom, or any other freedom.
As we know, elections have consequences. These map challenges are significant; please join us in prayer as these cases and others impacting marriage, family, life, and religious freedom will no doubt soon be filed.
Sep 7, 2022 | News, Press Releases
Wisconsin Family Action Releases 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard
27 state legislators earn 100% for their work in most recent session
Madison, WI – Today Wisconsin Family Action (WFA) released its 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard, giving its assessment of how all thirty-three State Senators and all ninety-nine State Assembly Representatives did this past legislative session. The session began in early January 2021 and floor activity concluded in March of this year.
“Within our mission, we work on or at least track quite a variety of bills during a legislative session. It’s important that citizens get an idea of how their elected officials did relative to those proposals,” said Julaine Appling, WFA president.
This past session, sixteen (16) senators and eleven (11) representatives earned a 100% score from WFA, meaning on all bills scored, these legislators agreed with WFA’s position.
The 100% senators are Kathy Bernier (R-SD 23), Julian Bradley (R-SD 28), Alberta Darling (R-SD 8), Mary Felzkowski (R-SD 12), Dan Feyen (R-SD 18), André Jacque (R-SD 1), John Jagler (R-SD 13). Chris Kapenga (R-SD 33), Devin LeMahieu (R-SD 9), Steve Nass (R-SD 11), Jerry Petrowski (R-SD 29), Roger Roth (R-SD 19), Rob Stafsholt (R-SD 10), Duey Stroebel (R-SD 20), Van Wanggaard (R-SD 21), and Eric Wimberger (R-SD 30).
Representatives achieving a 100% are Scott Allen (R-A 97), Janel Brandtjen (R-AD 22), Rick Gundrum (R-AD 58), Cody Horlacher (R-AD 33), Dave Murphy (R-AD 56), Kevin Petersen (R-AD 40), Tim Ramthun (R-AD 59), Michael Schraa (R-AD 53), Shae Sortwell (R-AD 2), Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-AD 52), and Chuck Wichgers (R-AD 83).
“Earning a 100% on our scorecard is not easy. We are proud of these state legislators whose body of work during this past session evidences courage and true commitment to conservative principles and ideas. We congratulate these officials on a job very well done,” noted Appling.
A number of legislators distinguished themselves with scores in the 88%-90% range.
“We are also pleased to recognize the excellent work of those in this group of lawmakers,” Appling commented. “Being an elected official is not easy. It requires tough decisions in pressured situations. We are grateful for those officials who more often than not vote to protect Wisconsin’s families and their freedoms. We encourage citizens to check out the Scorecard to see how their legislators scored.
This edition of WFA’s Scorecard scores eleven (11) bills in the state Senate and eleven (11) bills in the state Assembly. Details on scoring, WFA’s positions, and the bills themselves are available in the Scorecard.
WFA’s 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard is available online HERE.
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Wisconsin Family Action is a statewide organization engaged in strengthening, preserving, and promoting marriage, family, life, and religious freedom in Wisconsin.
Copy available online here.
Aug 31, 2022 | News, Press Releases
September 1, 2022
Madison, WI – Today, Wisconsin Family Action (WFA) released its 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard, giving its assessment of how all thirty-three State Senators and all ninety-nine State Assembly Representatives did this past legislative session. The session began in early January 2021 and floor activity concluded in March of this year.
“Within our mission, we work on or at least track quite a variety of bills during a legislative session. It’s important that citizens get an idea of how their elected officials did relative to those proposals,” said Julaine Appling, WFA president.
This past session, sixteen (16) senators and eleven (11) representatives earned a 100% score from WFA, meaning on all bills scored, these legislators agreed with WFA’s position.
The 100% senators are Kathy Bernier (R-SD 23), Julian Bradley (R-SD 28), Alberta Darling (R-SD 8), Mary Felzkowski (R-SD 12), Dan Feyen (R-SD 18), André Jacque (R-SD 1), John Jagler (R-SD 13). Chris Kapenga (R-SD 33), Devin LeMahieu (R-SD 9), Steve Nass (R-SD 11), Jerry Petrowski (R-SD 29), Roger Roth (R-SD 19), Rob Stafsholt (R-SD 10), Duey Stroebel (R-SD 20), Van Wanggaard (R-SD 21), and Eric Wimberger (R-SD 30).
Representatives achieving a 100% are Scott Allen (R-A 97), Janel Brandtjen (R-AD 22), Rick Gundrum (R-AD 58), Cody Horlacher (R-AD 33), Dave Murphy (R-AD 56), Kevin Petersen (R-AD 40), Tim Ramthun (R-AD 59), Michael Schraa (R-AD 53), Shae Sortwell (R-AD 2), Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-AD 52), and Chuck Wichgers (R-AD 83).
“Earning a 100% on our scorecard is not easy. We are proud of these state legislators whose body of work during this past session evidences courage and true commitment to conservative principles and ideas. We congratulate these officials on a job very well done,” noted Appling.
A number of legislators distinguished themselves with scores in the 88%-90% range.
“We are also pleased to recognize the excellent work of those in this group of lawmakers,” Appling commented. “Being an elected official is not easy. It requires tough decisions in pressured situations. We are grateful for those officials who more often than not vote to protect Wisconsin’s families and their freedoms. We encourage citizens to check out the Scorecard to see how their legislators scored.
This edition of WFA’s Scorecard scores eleven (11) bills in the state Senate and eleven (11) bills in the state Assembly. Details on scoring, WFA’s positions, and the bills themselves are available in the Scorecard.
WFA’s 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard is available online HERE.
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Wisconsin Family Action is a statewide organization engaged in strengthening, preserving, and promoting marriage, family, life, and religious freedom in Wisconsin.
Aug 30, 2022 | Legislation, News
Wisconsin Family Action (WFA) is pleased to present its 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard. This Scorecard covers the two-year legislative session our state legislators recently concluded, running from January 2021 through this past spring. This publication is a compilation of significant floor votes and committee votes on a cross section of legislative proposals dealing in some way with marriage, family, the sanctity of human life, or religious freedom.
Jan 31, 2017
At Wisconsin Family Action We Are Dedicated to Strengthening, Preserving, & Promoting Marriage & Family Including the economy & education Life From conception to natural death Religious...
Mar 13, 2024 | Press Releases
Pro-Life Groups Intervene to Prevent Abortion
From Becoming a “Constitutional Right” in Wisconsin
Today, Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action, and Pro-Life Wisconsin filed together to block Attorney General Josh Kaul’s pursuit to find a right to abortion in the Wisconsin Constitution. The Pro-Life organizations are petitioning the Wisconsin Supreme Court to accept them as intervenors and are being represented by The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) and the Thomas More Society.
Attorney General Josh Kaul’s original case raised various arguments as to why Wisconsin Statute 940.04 no longer applies as an abortion prohibition. Importantly, the Attorney General did not raise any constitutional challenges in his original filing. Only upon appeal, in his recent supplemental bypass petition, Attorney General Kaul seeks to inappropriately insert a constitutional claim into his own case in order to create a constitutional right to abortion in Wisconsin. This is procedurally improper.
The claim is also without merit. There is no right to abortion in the Wisconsin Constitution. Further, the Supreme Court of the United States in Dobbs recently and properly returned this issue to the duly elected state representatives in the legislative branch. That the Attorney General is attempting to take this issue from the people of Wisconsin is unjust and unwise. Yet there are those who support abortion at all stages and take every opportunity to find a path to full legal abortion.
All three pro-life organizations have been working for years to offer alternatives to abortion and help Wisconsin women make life-affirming decisions.
Attorney General Kaul is attempting to bypass the legislative process to settle the issue of abortion in Wisconsin by enticing the Wisconsin Supreme Court to accept a procedurally unfit case to find an unfounded constitutional abortion right.
Heather Weininger, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life, stated, “The purpose of three branches of government is to ensure each one remains in their appropriate role. Regrettably, those who support taking the lives of our preborn children are now taking it right to the top of our state judicial system to find a right to abortion in our constitution. This is dangerous to our other laws that are in place to protect and inform those who are making life and death decisions about their preborn baby; this is not a precedent that should be set in our state.”
Christine File, President of Wisconsin Family Action stated, “The Attorney General’s attempt to turn his own statutory case into a constitutional abortion case on appeal disregards basic procedural principles. The Supreme Court of Wisconsin should not allow it. Further, under our constitutional republic, creating laws is reserved for the legislative branch, and there are many Wisconsin laws that protect women, girls, and unborn children from the lucrative abortion industry. The Wisconsin Supreme Court should not allow this case to create a purported constitutional right that strips the legislature’s lawfully enacted protections for Wisconsin’s most vulnerable.”
Dan Miller, State Director at Pro-Life Wisconsin stated, “If the Wisconsin Supreme Court were to find a ‘right to abortion’ in our state constitution, it would be the most grotesque form of legislating from the bench in Wisconsin’s judicial history. For Attorney General Kaul and Planned Parenthood to petition the Court to do this demonstrates their total disregard for the rule of law in pursuit of unrestricted abortion until birth.”
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Wisconsin Family Action, Inc. is a statewide organization engaged in strengthening, preserving, and promoting marriage, family, life, and religious freedom in Wisconsin.
Read online here.
Feb 5, 2024 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
As the political climate heats up in Wisconsin, recent developments in election integrity cases are setting the stage for an intense election cycle.
Most recently, a Dane County Circuit Court judge directed the Wisconsin Elections Commission to adopt regulations permitting local election authorities to count absentee ballots that include incomplete address information.
In a clear blow to election integrity, Dane County Judge Ryan Nilsestuen dismissed the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s suggestion that a complete address must include the street number, street name, and municipality name. He determined that a witness address on an absentee ballot envelope may exclude the municipality and ZIP code, or even use terms like “same” or “ditto” when the witness resides with the voter, provided that clerks can ascertain the witness’s residence. This would increase the number of valid votes in critical upcoming elections where slim vote margins could determine the outcomes. At the same time, Governor Evers has vetoed a slew of Republican-led election reform bills that aimed to secure our state’s elections.
Meanwhile, we also had a good election-related court decision recently. Last month, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) won a lawsuit against the City Clerk of Racine and Wisconsin Elections Commission, securing election integrity in the process.
The Racine County Circuit Court ruled that the City’s use of a mobile voting van at particular sites around the City was illegal under state law. Specifically, the Court found that the mobile voting sites gave a partisan advantage to one political party over others and that state law did not allow the use of a van as an absentee voting site.
Other court cases that involve Wisconsin’s legislative maps could significantly impact upcoming elections. Last month, a leftist attorney filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s congressional maps to advance his political agenda.
Up to this point, our Assembly and Senate legislative maps have been the focus of controversy, with the State Supreme Court deciding the current legislative maps are unconstitutional and demanding that new maps be implemented for this fall’s elections.This lawsuit challenging the congressional maps adds yet another wrinkle.
WILL last week took steps to try to block this latest legal maneuver regarding the congressional maps. WILL is calling for Justice Janet Protasiewicz to recuse herself from any ruling that revisits the case that resulted in the current congressional maps because of explicit statements about the maps as she campaigned.
Lucas Vebber WILL Deputy Counsel, stated, “Wisconsin’s current congressional map was proposed by Governor Evers and adopted by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2022. Any attempt to revisit this ruling and once again alter Wisconsin’s Congressional districts is both procedurally improper and legally wrong.”
WILL notes that Wisconsin state law mandates that judges, including Supreme Court justices, must recuse themselves from cases in which impartiality might be compromised or if they have a substantial personal stake in the outcome. The law stipulates that any judge “shall disqualify” themselves whenever they “cannot, or it appears…they cannot, act in an impartial manner.”
Further, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin made a substantial contribution of nearly $10 million to the campaign of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Throughout her campaign, she labeled Wisconsin’s district maps as “rigged” to benefit Republicans and specifically criticized the congressional maps, stating “we know something’s wrong.” Her repeated comments on the Johnson v. WEC case during the campaign underscore the argument for her recusal.
These court cases challenging maps need to stop; the fall elections loom. We the people have a right to know well in advance what districts we will be in, as do candidates who are preparing to run for office. For sure, part of the liberals’ plan is to keep people uncertain and confused as to what is legal and what is not. Keeping everyone questioning about what districts they live in for voting purposes is part of their plan.
The foundation of our republic relies on elections that are transparent, secure, and trustworthy. To preserve a government that truly reflects the will of the people, it’s crucial that we advocate for and demand the integrity of elections and the establishment of fair and transparent electoral laws.
Most importantly, we must show up and vote in the upcoming elections, regardless of how election integrity cases and legislative proposals in our state play out. The surest way for liberal progressives to take over is for conservatives to get so discouraged by the possibility of election fraud that they don’t vote. We cannot hand our state or our country over to the left without a fight.
Jan 17, 2024 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
Earlier this week, a state Assembly committee held a public hearing on Assembly Bill 730. This bill would require companies that host websites featuring pornographic material to do age verification to help ensure minors are not able to access the site. While the bill does not provide penalties for those who violate this law, it does allow individuals who have been harmed by a minor’s access to harmful material because of this law being violated, to file civil claims seeking damages, court costs, and legal fees.
WFA Legislative & Policy Director Jack Hoogendyk provided a testimony to the committee in support of AB 730. It reads as follows:
“A report from Common Sense Media revealed:
- 75% of teenagers have viewed pornography by age 17
- Average age of first exposure to pornography is age 12
- 41% of teenagers saying they had seen images of nudity or sexual acts online during the school day (bypassing existing Wi-Fi filtering)
- Survey of 1,358 Americans age 13 to 17 found that more than half said they viewed violent porn (rape, choking, someone in pain)
- 5% of teen respondents said they first saw online pornography at age 10 or younger.
Research on the impact of pornography on children has revealed:
- 41% of young people (aged between 11 and 17) who knew about pornography agreed that watching pornography made people less respectful of the opposite sex. Only 13% disagreed.
- The exposure of children to internet pornography is having impact on the development of harmful sexual behaviors. The average age of first perpetration of sexual violence is 15 -16 and is associated with exposure to pornography.
- A 2016 meta-analysis of pornography research reveals adolescent pornography consumption is significantly associated with stronger gender-stereotypical sexual beliefs, earlier sexual debut, increased casual sex behavior, and increased sexual aggression both as perpetrators and victims.
- Teens are at a great risk of developing a pornography addiction as their brains are still developing.
Attempts by Congress to regulate or prevent access to pornography by minors have proven unsuccessful:
- In the 1996 Communications Decency Act, Congress prohibited the “knowing transmission of obscene or indecent messages to any recipient under 18 years of age,” or the “knowing sending or displaying of patently offensive messages in a manner that is available to a person under 18 years of age.” However, the Supreme Court struck down this provision, finding its prohibitions so vague that they would limit First Amendment-protected speech. Here is a quote from that 1996 decision:
the Internet is not as ‘invasive’ as radio or television… [and]… [c]ommunications over the Internet do not ‘invade’ an individual’s home or appear on one’s computer screen unbidden. Users seldom encounter content by accident… [and] odds are slim that a user would come across a sexually explicit sight by accident.
- In 1998, Congress tried again to protect children from harmful content online with the Child Online Protection Act (COPA). It required age-verification for minors visiting sites with material “harmful to children.” The Supreme Court struck down this statute on the grounds that “filters are more effective than age-verification requirements” and would place a lesser burden on First Amendment rights. However, filters have since not proved particularly effective at protecting kids from harmful and obscene content online.
On a more fundamental level, the federal government’s historical focus on communications regulation is not addressing the challenges that social media present to society today, especially with regard to content that appeals to prurient interests and that lacks any literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
Mr. Chairman, AB 730, by requiring reasonable age verification methods to verify the age of individuals attempting to access internet websites or social media that is harmful to minors, we will greatly help to resolve the issue of the purveyors of pornography reaching our children. The bill’s provision for civil claims allows those harmed by those who seek to ensnare children into the darkness of pornography to seek some measure of justice, which is certainly warranted.
I might add, Mr. Chairman, that parents will be grateful for this legislation. They need our help. Even the best parental-control software available for purchase does not offer full protection and given the lack of current requirements for age verification, a child can easily falsify his age to access online material that is harmful.
Mr. Chairman, this is common-sense legislation and it is much needed in this cyber-technology driven society. We urge passage of Assembly Bill 730.”
Nov 7, 2023 | News, Press Releases
MADISON – Today the Wisconsin State Senate on a 20-11 vote, passed Senate Bill 344, which not only increases the amount of tax deduction available for a dependent, but also allows a preborn baby in whom a heartbeat has been detected to be claimed as a “dependent” for tax purposes.
Julaine Appling, Wisconsin Family Action president, commented, “We love this bill and have championed it from the beginning. Increasing the dependent tax deduction helps families and recognizing the person of a preborn baby by declaring it as a viable “dependent” is a major pro-life declaration. We applaud the senators who voted for this proposal and thank Senator Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron) for authoring this bill.”
Senate Bill 344 is one bill in the four-bill “Embrace Them Both” package, all authored by Senator Quinn. Senate Bill 343 clearly defines abortion as the intentional killing of an unborn baby, Senate Bill 345 allows for $1,000,000 a year to go to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc. to be distributed in grants of up to $50,000 to Wisconsin’s amazing pregnancy care centers, and Senate Bill 346 allocates $5,000,000 in a biennium to be distributed by the Department of Children and Families to established adoption agencies, which will then in turn give grants to qualified Wisconsin families seeking to adopt a child in Wisconsin. The Senate has now passed all four of the bills.
In other floor action today, the Senate also passed for first consideration Senate Joint Resolution 54, which would amend our state constitution clearly prohibiting the state or any agency of the state, or any unit or agency of local government from ordering places of worship to close during a declared emergency, including a health emergency. The bill will need to pass in the Assembly this session and then pass again in both houses in the next legislative session. After that happens, the proposal would be put on a statewide ballot for the people of Wisconsin to vote. The vote today in the Senate was 21-10, along party lines.
“We learned the hard way that government can and will overreach, especially in emergencies, the very times our rights and freedoms should be more respected and protected,” stated Appling. “The vote today was a first step in making sure that government does not usurp our religious freedom clearly declared in our state constitution. We thank Senator Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) for authoring this resolution and the senators who have supported it. Hopefully, the Assembly will soon follow the Senate’s lead and pass this resolution on first consideration.”
Online Copy is available here.
Sep 26, 2023 | News, Press Releases
MADISON – Today, Wisconsin Family Action participated in a press conference that called on Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne to do their job and enforce the law that protects Wisconsin’s future by prohibiting most abortions. The conference, organized by Wisconsin Right to Life, also included Pro-Life Wisconsin.
A week ago yesterday, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, in direct violation of the law, began doing abortions again in their Milwaukee and Madison facilities. While they tried to present legal arguments to support their illegal actions, the main reason they were not worried about being charged with crimes is that Milwaukee DA Chisholm and Dane County DA Ozanne have both been very vocal on this issue since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, stating publicly months ago that they would not bring charges against anyone who performs an abortion.
Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, commented, “The job of a district attorney is to enforce the law, not pick and choose which laws he or she will enforce based on his/her ideological or political beliefs and positions. District Attorneys Chisolm and Ozanne are out of line and are acting outside the boundaries of their office and the state and US constitutions. Today we are telling them to do their job and quit ignoring Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s blatant life-taking law-breaking that’s taking place in their jurisdictions. We call on these DAs to enforce the law immediately.”
To date, no court has ruled Wisconsin’s pre-Roe law that prohibits most abortions is unenforceable, and no legislative action has revoked the law. This law went into effect immediately upon the issuing of the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case that repealed Roe and sent the issue back to the states. Abortion facilities in Wisconsin stopped abortions that day, continuing until Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced earlier this month that on Monday, September 18, they were resuming this procedure in their Milwaukee and Madison facilities.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin also operates an abortion facility in Sheboygan but has not resumed abortions there. Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski has publicly stated that he will do his job and enforce the law in his county.
Online copy available here.
Aug 15, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
On Wednesday, August 1, Wisconsin experienced an earthquake. Did you feel it? No Richter scale picked up its magnitude, but the impact was felt all across the state, from large cities to small towns. While no buildings were toppled, in fact no property damage was done, the destruction began almost immediately with more to come. It’s true that no lives were lost at the time, but the aftershock will no doubt result in loss of human life as well.
The devastating earthquake happened just as Justice-elect Janet Protaciewicz was sworn in as the newest member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. At that moment, the tectonic plates in our state shifted, as the ideological balance of our high court suddenly went from a slim 4-3 conservative majority to a slim but very significant 4-3 liberal majority.
The new liberal majority lost no time in flexing its muscle and causing the first aftershock. The very day of this human-made disaster, the liberal majority voted to fire the Director of State Courts, Randy Koshnick, who had served with distinction for six years in this important, non-judicial position.
Shortly after Koschnick was fired, the court hired a new interim Director of State Courts. Senate Majority Leader Republican Devin LeMahieu objected, saying that this individual didn’t meet the legal requirements to be appointed to this job. But that didn’t deter the liberal juggernaut in the least.
According to the current Chief Justice, Annette Ziegler, one of the conservatives on the court, the court continued its destructive path by convening a meeting in a way that if not illegal is at least in violation of the court’s self-determined policies and procedures. Some news reports indicated the liberal justices responded pretty much by saying, “too bad. We’re in charge now, and we’ll do what we want, when we want, in the way we want.” Talk about an aftershock!
Legal pipelines were immediately filling up when the ground in Wisconsin shifted on August 1. By Monday, August 7, two lawsuits had already been filed directly with the state Supreme Court, challenging the state legislative district maps that the Wisconsin Supreme Court under a conservative majority had approved in late 2021.
During the campaign in this spring’s election, then Judge Protaciewicz made it very clear what she thinks of the maps in question that gave us the Assembly and Senate districts under which the 2022 midterm elections were conducted. Protaciewicz said they were “unfair” and “rigged.” Used to be that such clear proclamations on an issue sure to come before the court would have been assiduously avoided by a judicial candidate. But the earth in Wisconsin had already begun shifting well before August 1; unfortunately, too many people ignored the signs. Based on what we’ve already seen, I’ll predict the court quickly accepts at least one of the two cases, if not both, and sets a date in the near future for oral arguments.
We care about these maps because they have a great deal to do with who controls our state assembly and state senate. Right now, both houses have solid conservative majorities. But that could change in January 2025, if the maps are redrawn in a way that favors liberals. Imagine Wisconsin with Governor Evers and the liberal majorities in both the Assembly and Senate. Talk about an aftershock!
Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul wasn’t about to be left out of this opportunity to wreak further havoc as a result of the August 1 quake. Last week, he filed a motion in with the Dane County judge who is handling the case challenging our state’s pre-Roe abortion ban, asking that she expedite her decision. Now, why would he do that with a case that has been lollygagging in the system since late June of 2022? Because he now wants this case before the State supreme court sooner rather than later, knowing that Protaciewicz made it very clear in her campaign that she is pro-abortion. And this is how the loss of life happens as a result of Wisconsin’s August 1 ideological earthquake.
I wish I could tell you no more aftershocks will happen, but that would be dishonest. The rumblings have been happening for some time related to Act 10, school choice, executive authority, religious freedom and more.
Elections have consequences. Sometimes they set the stage for cataclysmic, ideological earthquakes that destroy foundations and result in widespread damage that includes the loss of precious human lives. Maybe now people will actually believe it when we talk about election consequences. We can only hope.
Jun 13, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
Last week, Wisconsin Family Action (WFA) provided testimony in opposition to Assembly Bill 176, a bill authored by Republicans and supported by many others as co-sponsors. AB 176 would allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptive drugs and devices. Currently, pharmacists in Wisconsin cannot prescribe any medication— none. But Republicans think prescribing potent contraceptive drugs is the one thing they should be able to prescribe and dispense.
Jack Hoogendyk, WFA’s Legislative & Policy Director, offered the testimony on behalf of WFA, including answering questions from committee members.
Hoogendyk began by noting that one of the main arguments being presented in support of the bill is that it will reduce poverty by addressing unintentional pregnancies. However, the solution to poverty is certainly not contraception.
“We acknowledge the public and personal cost of babies born to single moms, but allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraception is not the answer. One of, if not the best, antidotes to poverty is marriage. It certainly is not contraception. If this body is truly interested in reducing poverty in any kind of meaningful way, it will promote the Success Sequence, which is finish school, get a job, marry, and then have children,” he said.
Further, authorizing pharmacists to prescribe contraception promotes unmarried individuals to engage in sexual activity, at least to some degree, and contraception can fail, leading women to seek abortions. Some forms of contraception even cause a pre-implantation chemical abortion themselves.
Hoogendyk went on to explain problems with the language in the bill, such as the fact that it never uses the word “woman,” but rather “person” and “patient,” opening the door for men with malicious motives to obtain the drugs.
He also notes that contraception is not health care, as the bill suggests. “Contraception is about the personal choices and decisions of individual women, typically made under the advice and guidance of a doctor because of the potency of the pharmaceuticals involved. To talk in terms of this being about women’s health care is, at a minimum, disingenuous.”
Read the full testimony HERE.
This isn’t the first time this bill has been introduced; it’s at least the third time. Typically, the Assembly passes it, and fortunately, it dies in the Senate. However, that may not be the case this time, since the Senate version of the bill got assigned to a committee chaired by senators more favorable to the idea.
Ultimately, this bill would open the door to far more harm than good. Please pray that our elected officials have a change of heart and decide to defeat this bill.
Contact your assembly representative and senator and let them know your opinion on this bill. You can get full contact information for these officials HERE. Just put your address in the appropriate area at the top right. Your senator and representative info will pop up on the map.
Apr 23, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for a monumental religious liberty case on April 18th. Groff v. DeJoy is an important opportunity for the High Court to affirm the right of employees to honor their religious beliefs and the duty of employers to grant reasonable religious accommodations.
Christian mail carrier Gerald Groff requested the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for a religious accommodation that would excuse him from working on Sundays after they started doing Amazon package deliveries so that he could observe the Sabbath and live by his Christian faith. The fact that regular mail isn’t delivered by the USPS on Sundays was a major factor in Groff’s choosing to work there over a decade ago. USPS refused to grant him the accommodation and Groff chose to resign rather than be fired.
Groff is appealing to the Supreme Court in hopes it will overturn its erroneous 1977 precedent in Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison, which enabled employers to deny religious accommodations.
Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief in the case asking the Supreme Court to restore Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides protection against religious discrimination.
“This Court should overrule the interpretation in Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison that Title VII does not require an employer to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs if doing so would impose more than a de minimis burden on the employer. Hardison’s de minimis standard—found nowhere in the Title VII’s text or legislative history—has led to absurd results, allowing employers to discriminate against religious employees with impunity, thereby forcing workers to choose between their religious beliefs and their jobs,” reads the amicus brief.
The Supreme Court justices spent much of the hearing debating the exact meanings of “undue hardship” and “de minimis.”
Groff’s attorney, Aaron Streett, recommended that the justices “construe undue hardship according to its plain text to mean significant difficulty or expense,” which would be consistent with the language in the accommodation standard of the “Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Arguing on behalf of the Biden administration, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the court that Hardison adequately protects religious exercise, to which Justice Samuel Alito responded, “I’m really struck by that because we have amicus briefs here by many representatives of many minority religions, Muslims, Hindus, Orthodox Jews, Seventh Day Adventists, and they all say that is just not true, and that Hardison has violated their right to religious liberty.”
Chief Justice John Roberts spoke about changes in religious liberty case law since the Hardison ruling, arguing that religious protections had been expanded.
Thankfully, it appears that the conservative justices are poised to rule in favor of Groff and the religious liberty of every employee. The Supreme Court is expected to rule over this case by the summer.
At the state level, another religious liberty case will soon be heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. After the state refused to grant a Catholic charity legal recognition as a religious organization, the charity filed a lawsuit. Without legal recognition as an organization “operated primarily for religious purposes,” the charity is unable to use a Church-run unemployment system and instead must provide funds to the state-run unemployment system.
Although the Diocese of Superior operates the charity, the state refused to grant it its legal rights because it does not consider providing services to the poor, disabled, and elderly to be a primarily religious function. Catholic Charities Bureau is arguing that caring for those in need is central to the practice of the Catholic faith. WFA has filed an amicus brief in support of Catholic Charities Bureau.
Please pray that our justices make decisions informed by the Constitution and our nation’s founding principles in both of these cases. If religious liberty is to be truly honored in Wisconsin and the nation at large, the justices must rule accordingly in these cases.
Mar 17, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
On March 15th, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) held a joint press conference to introduce legislation sponsored by State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), and State Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield). The proposed bill would allow abortions in certain cases to supposedly “save the life of the mother” or in the case of rape or incest. Every pro-lifer should oppose this legislation.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Wisconsin’s Statute 940.04 went into effect, making it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion for any reason other than to save the life of the mother.
The new proposed legislation would amend Wisconsin’s abortion ban so that it “does not apply to any pregnancy in the first trimester if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest.”
It also modifies the definition of “to save the life of the mother” to mean any “serious risk of death of the pregnant woman or of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the woman” or any “circumstance in which the fetus has no chance of survival, including a physical condition of the fetus that makes survival of the fetus outside of the uterus not possible, an anembryonic pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy, or a molar pregnancy.”
“A vote to add more exceptions to Wisconsin’s abortion ban is a vote to kill more preborn babies. It is that simple,” said Pro-Life Wisconsin legislative director Matt Sande in response to the proposed bill.
“The fact is that legal abortion — the direct, intentional killing of a living preborn human being — is incapable of being justified. It is always and everywhere wrong, regardless of motivation or consequence. It may never be employed, even in the narrowest of circumstances, as a means to a greater end. It is incredibly disheartening that legislative Republicans are working to restore abortion to Wisconsin.”
Sande is right. The passage of this bill would certainly lead to an increase in abortions across the state, and in every case, the intentional killing of an innocent child is deeply immoral. Further, the language in the bill claiming that abortion is sometimes necessary to save the life of the mother is entirely false.
“The bill mentions three specific circumstances,” said WFA President Julaine Appling, “all three of which are either not pregnancies at all or are already recognized as medically necessary to save the life of the mother. Anembryonic pregnancy and molar pregnancy are circumstances where there is no embryo or fetus; so obviously, it cannot be an abortion. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment. In all three of these cases, there is no current law that would prohibit a physician from providing the necessary medical care.”
Read Julaine’s full statement here.
Healthcare workers should always respect and care for both lives. Often, both the mother and the baby can be saved.
It is possible that the child may be harmed as an unintentional side effect of treating the mother. While this is incredibly tragic, it is not considered an abortion, and therefore not a violation of Wisconsin’s Statute 940.04.
In cases of rape and incest, the child who is conceived is just as valuable as any other child. The child’s “wantedness” or circumstances of conception do not determine his or her worth. Rather, a child’s worth comes from the fact that each and every person is made in the image and likeness of God. Further, the solution to one injustice is never another injustice. Killing a child will not remedy the trauma that the mother endured. It will only add to it.
Lastly, the proposed exceptions would only empower sexual predators. “The problem with this legislation is that it punishes the innocent unborn child while making it easier for the perpetrator, the real guilty party in this situation, to hide his crime. Abortion is often used to cover up crimes from sex-trafficking to rape. Additionally, and very importantly, the legislation does not require any documentation or police record that an actual sexual assault took place,” noted Appling.
Abortion is not healthcare. In fact, it’s the opposite. “Healthcare” that ends one life and traumatizes another is never “safe,” despite what the left wants us to believe.
Passage of this bill will only lead to legalizing abortion again in Wisconsin. Pray that this bill is defeated and that robust protections remain in place for the unborn in Wisconsin. Governor Evers shortly after the press conference, sent a message that he will veto the bill because it doesn’t go far enough. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) issued a statement saying the bill will not receive a vote in the Senate. Contact your state legislators and ask them to protect all preborn life in Wisconsin. You can look up your state legislators and their contact information by clicking here.
Mar 15, 2023 | News, Press Releases
MADISON – Today, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) held a joint press conference to introduce legislation sponsored by State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma), and State Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield). The proposed bill would allow abortions in certain cases to supposedly “save the life of the mother” or in the case of rape or incest. Wisconsin Family Action opposes this legislation.
“The language describing the need for an abortion to save the life of the mother, is totally unnecessary,” said Julaine Appling, President of Wisconsin Family Action. “The bill mentions three specific circumstances, all three of which are either not pregnancies at all or are already recognized as medically necessary to save the life of the mother. Anembryonic pregnancy and molar pregnancy are circumstances where there is no embryo or fetus; so obviously, it cannot be an abortion. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment. In all three of these cases, there is no current law that would prohibit a physician from providing the necessary medical care.
“Using the term ‘therapeutic abortion’ in the bill’s co-sponsor memo and in the legislative analysis is at best misleading. Abortion is not health care, and medical professionals have told us for years that we no longer have ‘either-or’ situations, but rather ‘both-and,’ meaning today both the mother and unborn baby can be saved. If the baby dies inadvertently from the treatment given to the mother, while tragic, it is far different from intentionally killing the baby in an effort to save the mother.
“With regard to allowing for an abortion for cases of rape and incest, the termination of a viable pregnancy, under any circumstances is the destruction of a human life. The child who is conceived under these circumstances is just as viable and valuable as any other child. He or she should not be destroyed because of the crime that was committed by her father,” Appling continued.
“Rape or incest are tragic circumstances to be sure, and the trauma to a woman is horrific. But abortion doesn’t stop that trauma; it actually adds to it. The problem with this legislation is that it punishes the innocent unborn child while making it easier for the perpetrator, the real guilty party in this situation, to hide his crime. Abortion is often used to cover up crimes from sex-trafficking to rape. Additionally, and very importantly, the legislation does not require any documentation or police record that an actual sexual assault took place.
For these reasons, we cannot support this legislation. Passage of this bill would be the first step in fully legalizing abortion again in Wisconsin.”
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Wisconsin Family Action is a statewide organization engaged in strengthening, preserving, and promoting
marriage, family, life, and religious freedom in Wisconsin.
Mar 7, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
Political candidates’ endorsements often speak volumes about how an elected official will handle critical issues.
In the case of Judge Janet Protasiewicz, candidate for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, her endorsements astonishingly speak just as loudly as her own words, which are already bluntly liberal and arguably unethical.
“In regard to the progressive label,” she says, “I embrace that [label] when it comes to issues such as gerrymandering, when we talk about the maps, when we talk about marriage equality, when we talk about women’s rights and women’s rights to choose.”
Further, in one of her ads, she says, “I believe in a woman’s freedom to make her own decision on abortion. It’s time for a change,” showing a clear progressive bias on the issue of abortion. Time and time again, she has stated that her values require her to vote in favor of “a woman’s right to choose” and “bodily autonomy.”
She has also been vocal about her progressive view of legislative maps, saying, “Let’s be clear here: The maps are rigged, bottom line, absolutely, positively rigged,” she said. “They do not reflect the people in this state, they do not reflect accurately representation in either the State Assembly or the State Senate. They are rigged, period. I’m coming right out and saying that.”
Protasiewicz’s statements are not only politically charged, but also a clear violation of Wisconsin’s Code of Judicial Conduct, which states that “a judge, candidate for judicial office, or judge-elect should not manifest bias or prejudice inappropriate to the judicial office.”
She should be disqualified from the race for commenting on how she would vote in certain cases because that’s exactly what she’s done when she talks about her personal values in the way she has during this campaign. She has said she can’t say exactly how she will vote on a certain case or issue because she doesn’t know the facts of the case, but her expressed “values” have been abundantly clear. Protasiewicz says she “embraces” the progressive label when it comes to a myriad of issues. We should listen to her. What she is telling us is she will not rule fairly from the bench; she will be effectively legislating based on her personal opinions.
In case her bias wasn’t clear enough from her statements alone, her endorsements speak just as loudly and are further indications of how we can rightly expect her to vote on a host of important issues.
Protasiewicz has been endorsed by a number of leftist organizations including Planned Parenthood Advocates of WI and EMILY’s List, a political action committee that works to help elect Democrat female candidates who will support abortion. Citizen Action and numerous unions have also voiced their support of Protasiewicz.
Plus, many radical leftist politicians, including US Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) and US Rep Mark Pocan (D-02), who are both openly homosexual and lead the LGBTQ caucuses in their respective houses, have given their endorsements.
A liberal group known as Wisconsin Takes Action is even offering gift cards to entice people to vote for Protasiewicz, which should be considered bribery and therefore illegal.
One need only look at Protasiewicz’s endorsements to understand how she will legislate from the bench of the Wisconsin Supreme Court if elected–and that’s a problem.
And one need not be liberal or conservative to see that she is unfit for the role of supreme court justice. A vote for Protasiewicz is a vote against the rule of law.
Please share this information with family, neighbors, and friends. Protasiewicz is an incredibly dangerous choice for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, and we must do everything in our power to keep her from legislating in Wisconsin’s high court.
The future of Wisconsin is at stake in the April 4 election. Get involved, spread the word, and show up on April 4!
Update: on March 7th after this was originally published, the Human Rights Campaign (same-sex marriage advocates) and NARAL Pro-Choice America both announced their endorsements of Protasiewicz.
Feb 28, 2023 | News, Uncategorized, Wisconsin Family Voice
“What I would tell you is that [on] the bulk of issues, the myriad number of issues, there’s no thumb on the scale,” said WI Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz recently according to the MacIver Institute, “but I will also tell you that I’ll call them as I see them and I’ll tell you what my values are in regard to this particular issue because this issue [abortion] is so critically important.”
So, according to Janet Protasiewicz, “there’s no thumb on the scale”; and yet, she has been quite open about her views and values:
- “[The state legislative district maps] are rigged, period. I’m coming right out and saying that. I don’t think you could sell to any reasonable person that the maps are fair.” Except for the US Supreme Court justices who ruled just last year that Wisconsin’s maps are legally permissible.
- “Women have, for the last 50 years…relied on the Roe v. Wade case. They’ve relied on it to be able to make their own decisions regarding bodily autonomy,” Protasiewicz said in an interview with WKOW.
- Said another way in one of her ads: “I believe in a woman’s freedom to make her own decision on abortion. It’s time for a change.”
Despite the fact that Wisconsin’s Code of Judicial Conduct specifically states that “a judge, candidate for judicial office, or judge-elect should not manifest bias or prejudice inappropriate to the judicial office,” Protasiewicz seems to feel quite comfortable in at a minimum, signaling to Wisconsin voters how she intends to rule on cases. And we should pay attention to that because that means she has no true regard for the rule of law.
If Protasiewicz’s stance on major issues weren’t already made clear, here’s what she said just last month on WKOW’s Capital City Sunday:
- “In regard to the progressive label, I embrace that when it comes to issues such as gerrymandering, when we talk about the maps, when we talk about marriage equality, when we talk about women’s rights and women’s rights to choose.”
There’s no mistaking how Protasiewicz would rule on major cases affecting life, marriage, and elections in Wisconsin—cases that could alter the future of Wisconsin for at least the next decade.
Now, contrast that with what Justice Dan Kelly, Protasiewicz’s opponent in the April 4 election, said in a recent PBS Wisconsin interview:
“…if you think as a candidate that you should be virtue signaling to attract the votes of a certain body of Wisconsinites, what you’re telling them is that you are not — you are not committed to the constitutional order, and you’re telling them that the politics should have a role in the court, even if you don’t intend to follow through on that, what you’re telling the voters is that it should have a role, and I think that’s extraordinarily problematic because when people come in to this room so that the court can hear their case, what people of Wisconsin want to know, with absolute certainty, is that everyone on that bench is going to follow the law.”
The difference in judicial approach is pretty clear.
The April 4 election for the WI Supreme Court is one of the most consequential elections in modern Wisconsin history—and the nation is watching because what happens here in this election has national ramifications.
We urge you to please share this blog far and wide with your neighbors, friends, and family and ask them to pass it on, too.
You can also share this helpful handout that details what else you can do to impact the April 4 election and provides important dates and deadlines for voting.
Help ensure the future of Wisconsin by spreading the word about what’s at stake on April 4!
Feb 22, 2023 | News, Press Releases
Madison, WI – Wisconsin Family Action PAC (WFA PAC), the state’s only conservative pro-family PAC, gave an exclusive endorsement to Justice Daniel Kelly for Wisconsin Supreme Court, in advance of yesterday’s primary election.
WFA PAC director Julaine Appling, issued the following statement:
“We are proud to have given Justice Daniel Kelly an exclusive endorsement for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court and congratulate him on his hard-fought victory. We urge conservative Wisconsin citizens to give Justice Kelly not just their vote in the general election, but their time, energy, and financial support over the next six weeks.
“Justice Daniel Kelly is well positioned to go head-to-head with Janet Protasiewicz, a self-described liberal judge, in the general election. Justice Kelly has everything we look for in a judge, especially for our state’s highest court. He has made it very clear and very public that his judicial philosophy is that the courts are not lawmakers; that’s the job of the legislature. The role of the judiciary, as Justice Kelly puts it, is to interpret the laws according to the clear language of state statutes, the Wisconsin Constitution, and the US Constitution. Deciding a case based on a political or personal agenda is outside the purview of a justice.
“The balance of our State Supreme Court is on the line, which is our last chance, our strongest defense against liberal policies that have resulted in
- low-bail, no-bail practices that put dangerous, repeat offenders back on the streets just hours after being apprehended,
- out-of-control crime rates across Wisconsin,
- a major erosion of our religious freedoms,
- gross violations of our parental rights, and
- our children placed at great risk in public schools.
“And as if that’s not bad enough, add the life of the unborn, school choice, election integrity, and re-districting of our state legislative districts that will tilt in favor of more liberal decisions and outcomes.
“This race has been highlighted as the country’s most important election of 2023 and will undoubtedly be the most expensive State Supreme Court race in Wisconsin’s history. It should not be viewed as a single-issue campaign. Wisconsin voters are encouraged not to become disenchanted by what will soon feel like a race to the bottom with special interest ads that seek to deceive, disengage, and/or suppress Wisconsin voters. Justice Daniel Kelly is the only candidate who will uphold the rule of law.”
The general election for Supreme Court will be held on Tuesday, April 4.
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Authorized and paid for by Wisconsin Family Action PAC, Leslie Harrison, Treasurer.
Not authorized by any candidate or by any candidate’s agent or committee.
Jan 25, 2023 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
With so many schools across the country engaging in activism and radical indoctrination, school choice is more important than ever. In Wisconsin, the Madison Metropolitan School District is introducing this week a “gender identity and sexual orientation curriculum.” Students will learn about “different identities, which include gender identity, sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation,” according to an email sent to parents last week.
“We will be using our morning meeting time to do read-alouds and classroom discussions based around these topics. We will end the week with a rainbow day on Friday!” reads the district email.
Parents must be able to protect their children from these dangerous lies and ideas, and school choice allows them to do so.
This week is National School Choice week—an opportunity to highlight the importance of educational freedom and bring awareness to the educational options that families have in our state. It is a parent’s right to choose whichever schooling option best serves their child’s needs. This educational freedom also helps students thrive.
In Wisconsin, we take education freedom seriously. From open enrollment to brick and mortar and virtual charter schools to our three voucher programs to homeschooling, we believe parents, regardless of zip code or income, should be able to get their children out of a failing school and into a school that works for him or her.
Each student in Wisconsin is assigned a district based on their address. While the majority of families send their children to the school in their district, there are many other options. There are school choice programs for private schools, charter schools, virtual schools, and open enrollment (non-resident public school). Parents can also choose from dual enrollment options (college coursework while enrolled in high school), course options (advanced coursework taken in coordination with a local school district), and home-based private education.
Wisconsin offers the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program—all of which are part of what most people call the “school voucher” option. These programs allow income-qualified families to send their children to private schools—including Christian schools—participating in Choice (voucher) Programs. Parents can apply to be part of a school choice program. Registration begins in February 1 for Wisconsin’s Choice Programs and runs through April 20, 2023.
Wisconsin also has one of the best homeschooling laws in the country. Parents are not burdened by overbearing restrictions as they are in some states. There are no required teacher qualifications or assessments.
While Wisconsin is leading the nation when it comes to school choice, there is always room for improvement. Universal choice, much like Arizona’s recent initiative, would provide Wisconsin families even more educational freedom. Incomes and zip codes should not determine who gets to take advantage of our educational options.
Thankfully, representatives across the country are working to uphold parents’ rights when it comes to educational freedom. Lawmakers in Virginia, Oklahoma, Iowa, Florida, and Georgia are actively proposing initiatives this legislative session that will expand schooling options in their states. It’s time for Wisconsin to do the same. Governor Evers, if he’s really about “the kids” as he claims, needs to cooperate with the legislature and enact true educational freedom here in the form of “universal choice.”
It is parents’ right to direct their children’s education, and a large part of that is choosing where their children go to school. Parents know their children best, and therefore are best equipped to choose a learning environment that will best serve their children’s needs and protect them from ideas that contradict their deeply held beliefs. Let’s take advantage of this week by highlighting the many options that parents have for their children’s education while calling on our leaders to ramp up the school choice efforts even more.
NSCW’s website offers a several resources that teachers, parents, and organizations can use to promote and support school choice. SchoolChoiceWi.org is also a fantastic resource for parents in Wisconsin exploring alternative schooling options.
Nov 9, 2022 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
The votes for the 2022 fall midterm partisan elections are in, and overall, the outcome is as expected—not necessarily as hoped for.
The big races—US senate, governor and attorney general were all close. Unofficially, Republican incumbent Ron Johnson has prevailed over Democrat challenger Mandela Barnes who is currently serving as our state’s lieutenant governor. The margin in this race was razor thin.
In the race for governor, Republican challenger Tim Michels lost to incumbent Democrat Tony Evers, while in the attorney general race, incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul prevailed over challenger Republican Eric Toney. The AG race was even closer than the governor’s race.
In our congressional races, all incumbents won and in the only open congressional race in our state, Congressional District 3, Republican Derek Van Orden appears to have beat the Democrat opponent. This was an open seat because long-time Member of Congress Democrat Ron Kind decided to retire and not run for re-election. So now, Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, or members of the US House of Representatives, is made up of six Republicans and two Democrats.
Turning to the state legislature, Republicans held strong majorities in both the senate and the Assembly going into this election—not veto-proof, but close. As a reminder, all 99 Assembly seats were on the ballot and half of the senate districts, the odd-numbered districts.
In the Senate, one noteworthy race resulted in a seat flipping from Democrat to Republican. In Senate District 25 in the northern part of the state Republican Romaine Quinn prevailed in an open race. The seat had been held by Democrat Janet Bewley who decided not to run again this cycle. In Senate District 31, Republican David Estenson narrowly lost to Democrat incumbent Jeff Smith. In other open Senate races, Republican Rob Hutton won in Senate District 5 and Republican Rachael Cabral-Guevera won in District 19—both of those seats had been held by Republicans. So, at this point, even with just the one Republican pick up in the state Senate, it appears there will be a veto-proof majority in the state senate with 22 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
In the Assembly, incumbents held on, with one or two seats flipped from Democrat to Republican (one race is still too close to call). The Republicans basically maintained their strong majority, but it does not appear they will get to the 66 needed for a veto-proof majority.
With Evers returning to the governor’s office, Republicans would have liked veto-proof majorities in both houses so that they could override the governor’s vetoes. You might recall that this past session, Governor Evers vetoed 126 bills that were put on his desk by the Republican-controlled state legislature. Those bills included pro-life bills, election-reform bills, school choice bills, and many more. We now enter a second 4-year period, which is two legislative sessions, with a divided government which will mean more of the same since the legislature won’t be able to override Evers’ vetoes.
At the federal level, races in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and a few other states, including Wisconsin, loomed very large going into election day. Pollsters and pundits were saying in the days leading up to the election that it looked very favorable for Republicans to gain control of the Senate. Both Democrats and Republicans needed to win 5 seats in order to maintain or gain the majority. Across the country there were tight, close races, but right now without all the races yet being called, it appears that the US Senate will once again be 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans—with a new face or two in that body, but essentially the same scenario we have had. Johnson’s win here in Wisconsin was critical to maintaining the 50-50 split.
This outcome in the US Senate is going to mean some more tense moments as the Senate looks at the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, the potential codification of abortion, bills that deal with special protections for the LGBTQ agenda, and so forth. On the bills that require the 60-vote threshold, Democrats and liberal outside groups will be very heavily lobbying the Republican senators to peel 10 of them off so they can get the votes they need on these bills and more. From our perspective, this means citizens need to stay very engaged and willing to let their senators know their opinion on these highly-charged, very important issues.
We should take a quick look at the US House of Representatives as well. That body had a Democrat majority for the past two years, but that appears to have changed as a result of yesterday’s election. Republicans now have a narrow majority over the Democrats with the New York Times estimating that the Republicans will have 224 of the 435 seats and the Democrats holding 211. Talk about narrow margins! Wisconsin contributed to this majority by flipping Congressional District 3 from blue to red.
Of course, this does mean leadership will change from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to likely Kevin McCarthy. Now, with the Republicans in control of the House and the Democrats in control of the Senate, there’s going to be, at least presumably, some gridlock with the House probably passing more conservative bills than the senate will be willing to take up.
We must remember that in all things, God is sovereign. Scripture says the powers that be are ordained of God, which means we as believers must view even election results through that lens. That doesn’t mean we don’t assess how outcomes happened, what strategies and tactics worked and which ones didn’t. It doesn’t mean we don’t look for ways to do things better if need be to produce different results if that’s what we think is right. But it does mean at some point, we accept the outcome of elections, as at a minimum, God-permitted. We should look for lessons to be learned from whatever the outcome is.
As always, many thanks for all of your work in this election cycle and for your continued support.
Thank you for whatever you did to help determine the consequences of this election. Whether you voted, used your influence to encourage others to join you, worked the polls, were an election observer, took people to the polls who couldn’t otherwise get there, or prayed—it’s all important. And you deserve great gratitude for what you’ve done.
There will be very real consequences from this election, and we need to be ready for those, both the positive and the negative ones. We do our best to honor God with our vote and we engage elected officials now as they begin making policy. We let them know our opinion on bills, but we ultimately accept the outcome as from God, Who could have changed the outcome of any race if He had chosen to do so. We rejoice in victories, and we accept losses, and most importantly, we push forward with hope in King Jesus and in God’s Word and with courage and determination in our mission of advancing Christian values in Wisconsin—because we love God, and we love our neighbor.
Stay tuned for more information on all that our organizations did in this election. We think you will be very encouraged!
Jun 20, 2022 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
Last week, President Biden announced he would sign an executive order to advance “LGBTQI+ Equality During Pride Month.”
Parts of the order are cause for concern, such as the following:
- “Addressing discriminatory legislative attacks against LGBTQI+ children and families, directing key agencies to protect families and children;
- Preventing so-called “conversion therapy” with a historic initiative to protect children from the harmful practice;
- Safeguarding health care, and programs designed to prevent youth suicide;
- Supporting LGBTQI+ children and families by launching a new initiative to protect foster youth, prevent homelessness, and improve access to federal programs; and
- Taking new, additional steps to advance LGBTQI+ equality.”
Much of the legislation is vague and lacking critical definitions. The Biden administration is clearly using euphemisms to sugarcoat its true agenda, but it’s not difficult to infer what these action points really mean.
“Addressing discriminatory legislative attacks” most likely means opposing, blocking, or undermining state laws that prohibit classroom instruction about sexually explicit material or lessons on gender identity for children without parental consent. Children are being groomed and indoctrinated with radical gender ideology in the classroom, and they desperately need legislative protection. Unfortunately, the Biden administration will likely cater to the liberal mob at the expense of vulnerable children.
This item also likely includes laws that protect women’s sports. The Wisconsin state legislature has passed vital bills that would ban biological men from unfairly competing against women. These bills were never given to the governor this session, but the authors are set to bring them back next session. Wisconsin should be able to pass these laws with a different governor – and we have that chance come November 2022 – but with Biden’s new order, Wisconsin could face threats from the federal level for doing so.
Preventing “conversion therapy” is also concerning, as it’s likely that the Biden administration is referring to faith-based counselors who provide therapy to clients who want to avoid same-sex attraction and deal appropriately with gender confusion. One counselor in the state of Washington was banned from treating clients with a faith-based approach to same-sex attraction. As our sister organization, the Family Policy Institute of Washington, explains:
“Brian Tingley is a Marriage and Family Therapist in Tacoma, Washington, and works with adults, couples, and children on a variety of topics from “gender identity” struggles to depression to marriage counseling and more. His practice employs techniques that are no different than those used by any other counselor: he listens to clients, supports them in their goals, and offers advice based on his training and knowledge.
However, many of Brian’s clients are referred to him by local churches, leading to a shared faith and belief system between him and many of his clients…The law specifically prevents conversations between counselors and clients who desire to become comfortable with their biological sex and are attempting to change certain sexual behaviors or practices. This includes clients who seek out counselors like Brian because their goal is to become realigned with their faith and have their actions and desires match the teachings of that faith.”
Under President Biden’s new executive order, this could easily happen in Wisconsin and throughout the country.
“Safeguarding health care” sounds harmless and even admirable, but it likely translates into removing freedom of conscience protections from healthcare providers who object to providing certain services for religious reasons and pushing taxpayer-funded transgender “care.”
Lastly, the White House stated that “the President’s Order charges HHS to work with states to promote expanded access to gender-affirming care.” This includes cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and mutilation surgeries, all of which cause irreparable harm to children. In fact, a recent study revealed that increased access to these harmful “therapies” actually leads to increased rates of youth suicide. In other words, the president is enabling child abuse.
The White House FACT SHEET announcing this EO says Biden is taking this action “to stand up to the bullies targeting LGBTQI+ people.” The “bullies” referenced here are people like you and us who believe children must be protected from this dangerous agenda and religious freedom must be respected and preserved.
If Biden moves forward with this executive order as we think he will, the religious freedom, free speech rights, and safety of children are all in danger.
Hopefully, the American people refuse to watch their rights be stripped at the behest of a woke agenda and respond to these unconstitutional measures with lawsuits. And here in Wisconsin, we have the opportunity to make serious changes for the trajectory of the Badger State this fall at the ballot box.
Jun 15, 2022 | News, Uncategorized
Last week, as part of its “America Together: LBGTQ+ Pride Month” series, Fox News highlighted the story of a 14-year-old girl who was “transitioned” by her parents when she was just a toddler. Many viewers of the popular outlet, which is often seen as one of the only conservative-friendly mass media corporations, have been rightly extremely disappointed.
The segment claims that the child had chosen her gender as a toddler. “Before Ryland could even speak, ‘he’ managed to tell his parents that he is a boy,” reported Fox.
The outlet promoted the false notion that children can choose their sex and that subjecting them to harmful, experimental procedures is morally permissible. It even argued that administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can protect them from suicide.
As we know, this is far from the truth. In fact, a recent Heritage study found the opposite to be true. Increased access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has led to increased risk for suicide among youth.
“Starting in 2010, when puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones became widely available, elevated suicide rates in states where minors can more easily access those medical interventions became observable. Rather than being protective against suicide, this pattern indicates that easier access by minors to cross-sex medical interventions without parental consent is associated with higher risk of suicide,” reads the study.
Fox News’ recent segment is an unfortunate example of the danger in blindly following any “conservative” or even “Christian” outlet or pundit. We must each discern the truth for ourselves and judge every argument not solely based on its source, but on its individual merit.
As Christians, we must rely on God’s Word alone and judge sources and their statements based on whether they align with biblical truths. On this particular issue, Scripture is abundantly clear that God gave each of us our biological sex at the moment of conception, and He does not make mistakes.
Unfortunately, this is not the message young children are learning from our culture. Drag queens are grooming Wisconsin children in Milwaukee, Fort Atkinson, and now Watertown, teaching them to engage in unrestrained self-expression and indulge in selfish desires.
On July 16th, Unity Project will be hosting a “Pride in the Park” event in Watertown featuring a drag show. All of this is part of the left’s attempt to redefine gender and sexualize young children.
Children need legislative protection from the woke culture encouraging them to question their gender and sexuality. Last year, WFA supported Senate Bill 915, which would have prohibited health care providers from offering gender “transition” procedures to children under the age of 18.
This bill didn’t move this session, but the authors are committed to bringing it back next session. Sadly, in the meantime, Wisconsin children are currently left unprotected. This means that parents need to be as vigilant as ever and shield their children from drag shows and leftist propaganda that is bound to leave them confused about human sexuality.
Carl R. Trueman has a poignant quote for these times: “The moral vision here is that whatever makes the modern man or woman happy and which technology makes…possible must be good. That may be the spirit of the age, but it is not the spirit of conservatism.” We would add that it also is not the “spirit” of true, biblical Christianity.
The good news is, we have an election this year. In August, voters can make their primary selections and in November we will have a statewide general election. This is the perfect opportunity for voters to select candidates who are prepared to advance critical legislation like SB 915 to protect our children.
Raise your voices, talk to your neighbors, volunteer for candidates who hold family values and a respect for God’s design
May 11, 2022
Leftist Attacks Won’t Intimidate the Pro-Life Movement
By Julaine Appling, WFA president
Early Sunday morning on Mother’s Day, a leftist anarchist group attacked our office in Madison, Wis. They broke windows and threw two Molotov cocktails into the office, lighting a fire. Making their views abundantly clear, the arsonists graffitied the outside of the building with the message, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
God was watching over us that morning because thankfully, no one was in the office at the time. But imagine if anyone had been. They would have been seriously injured. Additionally, one of the Molotov cocktails did not ignite — an error on the attacker’s part that saved our building. Otherwise, it likely would have burned to the ground.
This act of violence was intended to terrify us into silence, to make us afraid to go to work, to go home, to convene in public with like-minded family, friends, and colleagues. Even worse, to terrify us (all of us who share these opinions) enough to alter our core beliefs and values. Threats like this, right here at home in America. Because I have a different opinion from abortion activists and the violent Left. Because I proudly lead Wisconsin Family Action, an organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the values of marriage, family, life, and religious liberty.
Over the past 36 years, Wisconsin Family Action and its sister organization Wisconsin Family Council have effectively informed citizens about legislative issues, advocated on critical policy issues affecting the family, and prepared citizens for elections, all as the law provides.
Sadly, the cost of dedicating your life’s work to your beliefs — at least if you are a conservative — is to be attacked, injured, or worse.
This is the entire goal of the Left: to silence, by any means possible, those who stand in its way. Destroy small businesses, churches, and organizations like Wisconsin Family Action because of our beliefs.
The hypocrisy is staggering. Liberals demand tolerance, but only if you agree with their policies. If you disagree with them, then violence is the answer. If you disagree with them, as the arsonists in the attack on my office stated, “you aren’t safe.”
Just look at the violent protests taking place at Supreme Court justices’ homes. The Left’s goal in these protests? To make it clear to the justices not only that they aren’t safe, but also that neither are their families. Federal law prohibits picketing at any judge’s residence, yet nothing is being done to stop the picketing and intimidation. Because threatening violence and scaring Supreme Court justices to influence their vote is an acceptable tactic to the Left.
And liberals have made it clear this is just the beginning.
The group responsible for the attack on our office just announced that every pro-life organization in the country could be attacked next. That the assault on Wisconsin Family Action was just “the first of many.”
How did America get to this point? Liberal leadership.
This is what happens when leadership is missing or when leadership implies that violence is an acceptable tactic to employ. In 2020, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers basically looked the other way when violence erupted in Kenosha and Madison. That kind of nonresponse fosters attacks like the one against Wisconsin Family Action, leaving Wisconsin citizens who disagree with his policies extremely vulnerable to similar violence.
In fact, Governor Evers’s initial response to the attack on Wisconsin Family Action said nothing about demanding a full investigation and criminal prosecution. Though he mentioned us, he condemned “violence and hatred in all its forms,” then told his supporters he’d keep supporting abortion.
But let me be clear: The violence needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.
We cannot deal with political disagreements in this country by resorting to violence. Just because liberals don’t get their way doesn’t give them license to threaten bodily harm or to burn and destroy property.
We cannot deal with political disagreements in this country by resorting to acts of lawless violence. One of America’s best attributes is her freedom of speech, but that freedom doesn’t encompass a license to those of the discord to threaten bodily harm or to burn and destroy property.
But did the attack intimidate us? No. It strengthened our resolve. We will repair our offices, remain on the job, and build an even stronger grassroots effort. We will continue to work every day to give a voice to the voiceless and stand up for what’s right.
We will not back down. Too much is at stake.
Apr 20, 2022 | News, Wisconsin Family Voice
The coronavirus crisis has catalyzed a drastic surge in homeschooling as parents’ concerns grow about public education.
While homeschooling numbers are slightly lower than last year’s record high, they are still significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. During the 2020-2021 school year, the number of homeschooling students in the U.S. increased by 63%. Even though schools have re-opened, the majority of families that opted for homeschooling over remote learning have continued with it.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum reported historic drops in enrollment for public and private schools in Wisconsin. Nearly 31,900 students were homeschooled during the 2020-21 school year, which is a 47% increase from the previous year.
Private school enrollment took less of a hit than public school enrollment, but still saw the greatest decrease since 2013.
Virtual charter schools also attracted new Wisconsin families, as enrollment increased by 84% from last year.
In Milwaukee, public school enrollment decreased by 4.2% and 151 students switched to homeschooling.
Parents have attributed their decision to homeschool to philosophical differences with their schools, Covid restrictions, and concerns about the quality of education. Generally, children arebetter off learning vital skills and values from their parents than being propagandized from activist teachers.
With so much corruption happening in public schools, homeschooling acts as a beacon of hope. Children benefit greatly, especially mentally and spiritually, when they are primarily guided by their parents rather than the anti-Christian culture that is overrunning schools.
Thankfully, Wisconsin is leading the country in school choice, and it offers homeschooling parents plenty of freedom to direct their children’s education. The homeschool law was passed in 1983 and hasn’t been changed since then, making it one of the best homeschool laws in the country.
The Academy of Excellence Online (AoE) provides an excellent homeschooling opportunity for families in Wisconsin – it is a virtual program available for Wisconsin parents interested in homeschooling and also is part of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (“the voucher program”).. The deadline for applying is April 21st! AoE also has brick-and-mortar Christian schools in Milwaukee that also participate in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.
Homeschooling is an excellent option for parents who want to protect their children from radical indoctrination. It provides parents the opportunity to train their children for the ideological battle being waged against them. Children need to learn how to recognize and combat the lies they are being fed, meaning all parents must engage in some form of education at home. The very best defense for children is parents being on offense!
This transition away from public school is a necessary and exciting change. Let’s keep the momentum going in Wisconsin and continue to vouch for homeschooling and school choice in order to protect children and parents’ rights. Hopefully next legislative session we can expand educational freedom in Wisconsin.
Mar 31, 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Call our office at 866-849-2536 to schedule a speaker from WFA or WFC for your next event! “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN IT!”TONIGHT, Thursday, March 31, 2022Pizza Ranch — Manitowoc, WI5:30-7pmRegister HERE! SPRING GENERAL ELECTIONTuesday, April...
Mar 24, 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Call our office at 866-849-2536 to schedule a speaker from WFA or WFC for your next event! “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN IT!”TONIGHT! Thursday, March 24, 2022Pizza Ranch — Marshfield, WI6-8 pmRegister HERE! “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN...
Mar 17, 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Call our office at 866-849-2536 to schedule a speaker from WFA or WFC for your next event! EARLY IN-PERSON VOTIINGTuesday, March 22, 2022Learn more HERE. “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN IT!”Thursday, March 24, 2022Pizza Ranch — Marshfield, WI6-8...
Mar 16, 2022 | Election Central, Press Releases
Madison – Wisconsin Family Action Political Action Committee (WFA PAC) announced today that it has endorsed Kevin Nicholson for governor.
Julaine Appling, WFA PAC Director, issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin Family Action PAC endorses candidates based on three criteria: their positions on our core issues and our assessment of the strength of their commitment to those positions, their character and personal integrity as leaders demonstrated by their past and current track records, and their ability to conduct a viable campaign for the office for which they are running. We see our endorsement as a kind of ‘seal of approval’ that says to voters ‘this candidate has been carefully and fully vetted.’
“Sometimes that means we put our seal of approval on more than one candidate for a single office, leaving it to the voters to make nuanced choices between two (and occasionally more) fully vetted candidates. This is one of those times.
“Kevin Nicholson, while he admittedly has no legislative or governing track record, has verbalized commitment to the positions WFA PAC holds on issues such as marriage and family, the sanctity of human life, and religious freedom in our state. But over the past four years, he’s done more than talk about his beliefs and commitment; he’s been actively involved in an organization that has promoted his core values and beliefs—the sanctity of human life, parents’ rights, education freedom, limited government, capitalism and the free market, reduced tax burden, religious freedom and more. We expect that Kevin will govern and lead consistent with what he says and what he has been doing.
“The endgame comes in November when the primary winner takes on Tony Evers head-to-head. The candidates we have endorsed for governor, Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson, are equipped to do that. We need the best we have to ensure Tony Evers and his liberal, destructive ideas are finished in The Badger State. Fortunately, we have that in the gubernatorial candidates WFA PAC has put its seal of approval on.”
Additional endorsements for other offices for this fall’s elections will be issued over the next several months.
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Authorized and paid for by Wisconsin Family Action PAC, Leslie Harrison, Treasurer. Not authorized by any candidate or by any candidate’s agent or committee.
Copy available online here.
Mar 10, 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Call our office at 866-849-2536 to schedule a speaker from WFA or WFC for your next event! “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN IT!”TONIGHT, Thursday, March 10, 2022Pizza Ranch — Waupun, WI6-8 pmRegister HERE! LEAD WIREGISTRATION IS OPENLearn more...
Mar 3, 2022
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Call our office at 866-849-2536 to schedule a speaker from WFA or WFC for your next event! “YOUR BACKYARD: OWN IT!”TONIGHT, Thursday, March 3, 2022Pizza Ranch — Sun Prairie, WI6-8 pmLearn more HERE! LEAD WIREGISTRATION IS OPENLearn...
