Harriet Rowan's News Articles

Democrats Lose Control of Wisconsin State Senate, Leaving Republicans With Full Control Again

  • Topics: Politics
  • Election night was a good night for national Democrats; President Obama won reelection, and Democrats gained two seats in the Senate. The news was not as good for local Democrats in Wisconsin, though, who lost their hard-fought majority in the Wisconsin State Senate, the only thing standing between Governor Scott Walker and Republicans' full control of the Wisconsin Legislature.

    "Bainport" Workers Protest Vulture Capitalism; Ask Romney to Stop Sensata from Outsourcing Their Jobs to China

    Late in the evening on Halloween about 100 people gather around the campfire in "Bainport," Illinois, marking the 50th day of the encampment. People gather close to warm up as they help each other put on hand-made vulture masks and prepare for an evening rally. Out of the dark comes a procession of Sensata workers, holding letters from the Wisconsin "Overpass Light Brigade" that spell out "Vulture in Chief." Leading the procession is a puppet of Mitt Romney flanked by two huge vultures. They walk past the campfire as their families and supporters join the march in their vulture masks, slowly crossing the road to the parking lot of the Sensata plant, to take a picture of their message in front of their soon-to-be-former place of employment.

    Einhorn Family Foundation Behind Voter Suppression Billboards

    One Wisconsin Now and theGrio have uncovered that the Milwaukee-based Einhorn Family Foundation is the "private family foundation" that funded controversial billboards in Milwaukee which warned: "VOTER FRAUD IS A FELONY! 3 1/2 years and a $10,000 fine." The billboards were denounced as voter suppression by Mike Wilder, director of the African-American Round Table, and other community groups. The billboards were put up in largely African-American and Latino communities in Milwaukee, Cleveland and Columbus by media behemoth Clear Channel, but the client remained anonymous.

    NFIB's "I Built My Business" Astroturf Bus Tour Gets Rolling in Wisconsin

    The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) "I Built My Business" astroturf bus tour started rolling through Wisconsin this week in support of Republican candidates for office. NFIB advertises itself as the nonpartisan "Voice of Small Business," but CMD's new web resource NFIBexposed.org presents a wealth of facts that challenge that assertion.

    Meet a Few Other Presidential Candidates on the Ballot This Fall

    If you think the presidential debate last week was a little bit of a snooze fest you were not alone. What might jazz things up a bit? More candidates.

    Chicago Teachers "On Strike for Better Schools"

    Negotiations between the Chicago Teacher's Union (CTU) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) failed to result in a contract before Sunday, September 9, 2012 at midnight, sparking the first teacher's strike in Chicago in 25 years. The strike is now in its second day.

    Walker's New Capitol Police Chief Cracks Down on the First Amendment

    On September 5, 2012, eight people were arrested, handcuffed, and ultimately given citations for simply holding signs in the Wisconsin State Capitol. This may come as a surprise to the hundreds of thousands of people who marched through the Capitol in February and March of 2011 proudly holding home-made signs that denounced Governor Scott Walker's attack on collective bargaining rights, but there's a new sheriff in town -- a new Capitol Police chief to be exact.

    Conservative School Choice Group Spends Big Supporting Pro-School Choice Democrats

    The American Federation for Children Action Fund Inc., a pro-school privatization group bankrolled by conservative financiers, has spent more than $113,000 supporting five Milwaukee Democrats running for State Assembly and Senate, who are facing primaries on August 14.

    Koch-Funded AFP Hails Walker as Conquering Hero, Rallies the Troops for November

    Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker flew to DC over the weekend to thank the Americans For Prosperity astroturf group for its help with the Wisconsin recall. Walker headlined AFP's 2012 "Defending the American Dream" Summit two months after winning his June 5 recall battle -- with a $10 million assist from the organization that was founded and is funded and led by billionaire David Koch. (The $10 million spent by AFP was $3 million more than what was spent by Walker's opponent.)

    New Report on ALEC’s Influence in Utah

    As corporate lobbyists and state legislators from across the country meet in Salt Lake City for the 39th annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group of open government advocates has released a report called "ALEC in Utah: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests in the Halls of Utah's Legislature."

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