Northeastern Wisconsin to Host People’s Legislature
Effort to Bring Clean Government to Wisconsin, and Ensure Citizens Have a Voice Gains Momentum Throughout State
Since January, People’s Legislatures have been happening all over the state. Now it is Northeastern Wisconsin’s turn. There will be a People’s Legislature on Saturday, May 21st at the Rendezvous in Luxemburg at E896 County N. It will be an all day event, from 9 AM to 4 PM, and is open to the public. All citizens who are interested in working towards democracy in Wisconsin are welcome, whether they are Democrats, Greens, Independents, Libertarians, Republicans, or politically homeless. Registration is $5 per person. Attendees should bring a bag lunch.
“We’re hoping to draw people who are concerned about the influence of big money in Wisconsin government,” said Jill Bussiere, one of the organizers. “A variety of people have been attending these forums – League of Women Voters members, Libertarians, Greens, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. We hope that people in our region will come together to work towards building democracy in our state – it will benefit us all, no matter what our political affiliation.”
The People's Legislature is a unique, multi-partisan citizen assembly devoted to building a statewide, grassroots movement to take back government and rehabilitate democracy in Wisconsin.
“This movement is about giving the government back to the people - requiring our elected officials to respond to the people and not the big donors,” said Melissa Huizenga, an organizer of the regional People’s Legislature.
The Northeastern People’s Legislature will begin with speeches by Mike McCabe, of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and Ed Garvey, as well as regional speakers. McCabe will be speaking on “Our Common Interest in Political Reform”. Participants will have a chance to speak as well during an open forum period. The afternoon agenda will include breakout sessions.
The first People's Legislature was convened on January 4, 2005 in Madison and drew more than 1,100 people. Participants from all over the state approved resolutions which called for the following:
∑ Comprehensive campaign finance reform that includes public financing of state election campaigns, and full disclosure of political contributions that restores the state's ban on corporate campaign contributions;
∑ Independent ethics enforcement by combining the state Elections Board and Ethics Board into a single enforcement agency under the direction of a politically independent board;
∑ Competitive elections through reform of legislative redistricting modeled after the system used in Iowa, and
∑ Preservation of local fiscal control to prevent arbitrary and centralized budget limits on local units of government.
Since then, regional forums of the People’s Legislature took place in LaCrosse, Cable, and Milwaukee. The 4th regional forum is located centrally in the four county region of Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Brown, and Door Counties, but interested people from all over Northeastern Wisconsin, and beyond, are encouraged to attend.
To register online for the Northeastern Wisconsin People’s Legislature or to learn more, visit http://www.peopleslegislature.org/
For more information, or to RSVP, contact Jill Bussiere at jdt@itol.com or 920.388.0529 or Melissa Huizenga at 920.388.2353 or mjhuizenga@itol.com. You may leave a message.