Long vacation continues for Wisconsin lawmakers

Just what will it take? What will it take for Wisconsin lawmakers to do their jobs? Our state representatives have been on vacation since March, and currently have no plans to return to Madison any time in 2020. That is despite the fact that the coronavirus continues to surge in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has one of the highest rates of infection in the country, with upward of 2000 new cases a day becoming commonplace. We have become a hot spot. But our lawmakers can’t be bothered to come back to Madison to deal with the pandemic, or anything else. The state continues to deal with a huge backlog of unemployment claims, but other than blaming the Governor for the problem, state lawmakers have done nothing to fix it. Our state elected officials have taken no action to address racial injustices that have prompted protests across the state and calls for change. When lawmakers began a special session to address the Governor’s ideas for reform, lawmakers took no action, other than to appoint a task force. In short, those whose salaries we pay have literally done nothing even as we deal with crisis after crisis. It seems no matter how many struggles we face, our lawmakers can’t be bothered to respond. Something to remember on election day.