CNOW for Nov. 6 2023

Today's conservation notices:

• Oppose SJR 71: Undermining Local Democracies
• Oppose SJR 73: Baking the Discriminatory Voter ID Law Into Our Constitution
• Oppose SJR 78: Prohibiting Grants that Make Our Elections More Accessible
• Oppose AB 137: Setting an Arbitrary Wolf Population Goal in Statute
• Support LRB 4428: Protecting Incarcerated Wisconsinites from Extreme Temperatures
• Support LRB 4434: Protecting Incarcerated Wisconsinites’ Right to the Outdoors

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SJR 71, which is before the Senate on Tuesday.

Communities should have the right to expand participation in their local democratic processes. State and federal governments should be the floor, not the ceiling, for what local decision making looks like – whether that’s expanding the freedom to vote, protecting drinking water, or fighting climate change. SJR 71 works against this principle by proposing a constitutional amendment that would prevent Wisconsin communities from allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SJR 73, which is before the Senate on Tuesday.

The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy. Wisconsin should be finding ways to ensure that every person eligible to vote has access to the ballot. SJR 73 works against this goal by proposing a constitutional amendment that would bake our discriminatory voter ID law into the Wisconsin constitution. This would disproportionately impact voters of color, transgender voters, voters with disabilities, and low-income voters.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose SJR 78, which is before the Senate on Tuesday.

Our elections officials are responsible for making voting as accessible as possible. Budget shortfalls can hinder their ability to do that. SJR 78 would make voting access even harder by proposing a constitutional amendment that would prohibit elections officials from using donations and grants for elections administration.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose AB 137, which is before the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage on Wednesday.

The main goal of wolf management in Wisconsin should be to move towards an outcome-based management plan where there is a healthy wolf population, while minimizing depredations. The DNR has engaged in a multi-year, diverse stakeholder process that brought together hunters, farmers, conservationists, and tribal governments to develop such a plan. AB 137 works against this goal by requiring the Department of Natural Resources to establish a numeric statewide wolf population goal in statute. This undermines the ability of the DNR to balance multiple goals and respond to the changing populations.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 4428, which is circulating for co-sponsorship.

As Wisconsin faces an increasing number of climate change-related heat waves, we must protect all residents from the health risks associated with extreme temperatures. LRB 4428 would ensure that people in our correctional institutions, county jails, and houses of correction receive those protections.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 4434, which is circulating for co-sponsorship.

Every person deserves access to the benefits of nature. Research has demonstrated that access to natural settings help increase mental health benefits, which would have a positive impact on staff and incarcerated individuals. LRB 4434 would increase the number of windows in state correctional institutions and ensure that every person has access to those windows, and/or time spent outdoors.

Conservation Notices of the Week (CNOW) announces the pro-conservation positions on issues before the senate, assembly and/or governor in the week ahead to state legislators. Others wishing to follow activities in the state legislature also receive CNOW, including legislative staff, conservation voters, and media. All of these issues are tracked on the Vote Tracker. Issues in the CNOW may appear in the Conservation Scorecard.