Local Control Program & Roundtable

Leaders of towns, villages and cities in Vernon County, as well as all concerned citizens, are urged to attend a bipartisan discussion on unfunded mandates and the stripping of local control by our state government in Madison.

Sponsored by the Vernon Co. Democratic Party, the discussion on April 24^th will feature three expert speakers:

• Matthew Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
• Dennis Brault, chair of the Vernon County Board of Supervisors
• Tara Johnson, chair of the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors

The program will be held at the American Legion Tap House 138, 120 N. Rusk Ave., Viroqua. Tacos will be available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m.

An expert on Wisconsin State Government, Rothschild joined the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015. Previously, he worked at The Progressive magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.

As chairs of their respective county boards in Vernon and La Crosse counties, Brault and Johnson bring firsthand experience and perspective to the struggle of local political leaders who are attempting to meet escalating state-imposed obligations with rapidly dwindling resources.

This is the Party’s second program of this year to provide information on topics of area interest. The bipartisan program is free and open to the public.

APRIL 15: Today's Meeting Cancelled

We are cancelling today's General Membership meeting due to weather. Please stay home and stay safe!

Instead, please join us on April 24 evening for our upcoming program on Local Control. Speakers will include:

• Matthew Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
• Dennis Brault, chair of the Vernon County Board of Supervisors
• Tara Johnson, chair of the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors

The program will be held at the American Legion Tap House 138, 120 N. Rusk Ave., Viroqua. Tacos will be available for purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m.

Your Vote Matters on April 3!

We Wisconsinites will make life-changing decisions in the Spring Election on Tuesday, April 3. And sadly, if history is any guide, remarkably few voters will show up and cast ballots. Your vote is critically important.

The Vernon Co. Democratic Party is proud to endorse Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.

We also urge you to vote NO on the referendum to eliminate the Wisconsin State Treasurer's office and reject Scott Walker's attempt to permanently consolidate power in the hands of gubernatorial appointees rather than elected officials.

Many other important local races -- including all seats on the Vernon County Board of Supervisors -- will be decided on April 3. Please visit MyVote.Wi.Gov to:

• Register to vote
• Find your local polling place
• See a sample ballot based on your address

Your vote has never been more important. Mark your calendar to vote on Tuesday, April 3. If you cannot vote on April 3, please contact your municipal clerk. The deadline for in-person absentee voting is April 1, although office hours vary by municipality.

Protect Wisconsin water from high-capacity wells!

Wisconsin waters – and indeed, all our natural resources – are the shared legacy of us all. They are  literally being sold out from under our feet.

Our groundwater needs defending from rollback of regulatory oversights. Visit our Issues page to access our white paper on high capacity wells, and our other papers on Wisconsin's roads crisis and redistricting reform.

Learn about Gerrymandering!

Would you like to learn more about the Wisconsin gerrymandering case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court? Did you attend our "Tacos and Gerrymandering" event on Nov. 9 and want to read the handouts from Prof. Stephen Schulhofer, who wrote a "friend of the court" brief in the case?

Follow these links:

• Vernon Co. Democratic Party issue paper on redistricting
• Gill v. Whitford "friend of the court brief" to the U.S. Supreme Court
• League of Women Voters "friend of the court brief" co-authored by Prof. Schulhofer
• Op-ed piece by Andrea Kaminski, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, supporting the "Iowa Model" for drawing nonpartisan electoral maps