This week in review with Rep. Beth Meyers
e Voting Easier, Not Harder
The people of Wisconsin highly value our right to vote, no matter what political party. Our state has one of the highest rates of voter participation in the nation. Anyone who has voted here knows we are lucky to have many hard-working and dedicated volunteers and government employees who make sure our elections run smoothly.
And yet, there is a concerted effort by Republicans to lessen civic participation.
Recently, Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL), a conservative group with close GOP ties, sued the Elections Commission to immediately cancel the registration of more than 200,000 voters who did not respond to a mailing from election officials asking if they had moved.
In the past, voter purges like this incorrectly removed many voters who are in fact properly registered, whether because of incorrect data or simply not submitting a timely response (who hasn’t sat on mail too long?). This is why the Election Commission originally wanted to wait until 2021. As a legal brief by the Wisconsin League of Women Voters contends, this purge “likely once again contains a substantial amount of unreliable and demonstrably inaccurate information.” As of right now, this case is pending. [Since this article was published, an Ozaukee County judge found the commission in contempt and ordered the voters to be purged immediately, but one day later, an appeals court halted the decision while it reviews the case]
This should not be a Republican or Democrat issue. In my district, Bayfield County, which leans Democratic, and Price County, which leans Republican, would both lose 4.2 percent of the voters from the voter rolls if the purge goes through. Every American adult deserves to exercise their right to vote, and we should do everything we can to protect that right and make voting accessible.
If you need to check your registration, find your polling place, make sure you have the right ID or have any other voting questions, please visit myvote.wi.gov. You can also email me at rep.meyers@legis.wisconsin.gov or give my office a call at (608) 266-4690.
Puerto Rico Adjournment
This week, I adjourned in honor of the American citizens that reside in Puerto Rico. Here is a brief transcription of my floor speech:
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I stand to adjourn in honor of the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico. In December, I had the opportunity to attend the Council of State Governments National Conference in San Juan. The conference was held in Puerto Rico to help stimulate their economy after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
"The island has been hit with over 1200 earthquakes since December 28th. One person has died, 550 homes have been damaged.
"I ask you to keep Puerto Rico and the U.S. citizens there in your thoughts and prayers, and if you have an opportunity to get out of town, get on a plane, go visit Puerto Rico.”
Contact Information
If there is an issue that is important to you, even if you are sure I agree or disagree with you, please contact my office. Hearing from my constituents gives me the perspectives I need when researching, discussing and voting on any given bill. Please call, email, write or contact me on social media:
Phone Number: (608) 266-7690Email: Rep.meyers@legis.wisconsin.gov
Address: P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708
Twitter: @beth_rep
Facebook: @RepBethMeyers
Thank you for your interest, and again, feel free to reach out to my office if you have any additional questions or concerns. Thank you!