MADISON, Wis. — This weekend, Wisconsin Democrats called out extremist Republicans and their plans to drag Wisconsin backwards in a media blitz across western Wisconsin. From town halls with Rep. Mark Pocan to blast Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda and the devastating impact it would have for western Wisconsinites to events with state legislative candidates on the fight to bring down costs and protect our water and environment, Wisconsin Democrats are committed to finding solutions to the challenges facing our state.

See more coverage below: 

LEADER-TELEGRAM: “’It’s 920 pages of bad ideas,’ Pocan told the crowd. ‘It’s the road map, if (Trump) gets elected.’ Pocan said the policy plans are ‘draconian’ and an attack on reproductive health care. Some of the recommendations include eliminating the Affordable Care Act (commonly called Obamacare), raising taxes on those earning less than $120,000, and would cause prices for prescription drugs to rise, as the government would no longer negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on lower prices. Sarah Godlewski, Wisconsin’s Secretary of State and an Eau Claire native, was concerned about policies that call for banning schools from teaching diversity, equity and inclusion programs. ‘It explicitly says it wants to get rid of the Department of Education,’ Godlewski said. Godlewski said she hears questions from people who are doubtful that these policies could actually be enacted. ‘No one thought Roe V. Wade would be overturned either,’ she said.”

WQOW: “Current Representative Jodi Emerson, Wisconsin Assembly Candidate Joe Plouff, and Wisconsin Senate Candidate Paul Hambleton shared all of the factors they believe drive up costs for Wisconsinites. They cited rising child care costs, health care prices and higher property taxes from referendum votes as factors that have increased cost-of-living. Their solution: passing Democrat-proposed bills in the legislature. ‘Almost all of these solutions have been proposed in past legislative sessions and been rejected by legislative Republicans,’ Emerson said. ‘For instance, child care, we’ve proposed several solutions that would prop up the child care system but every single one of them was rejected.’ Emerson explained how expanding school funding and providing child care assistance doesn’t mean raising taxes, instead drawing on existing funds in the state coffers.’”

NEWS8000: “Local leaders are addressing crucial PFAs funding that’s been frozen in Madison for more than a year. Democratic candidates joined Representative Jill Billings Friday morning; Claiming the Wisconsin GOP is holding up vital funds for pfas mitigation for political gain. The $125 million remains stuck in the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee. An additional $15 million for crisis management following recent hospital closures is also affected. ‘Western Wisconsin deserves leaders who’ll put rural folks ahead of partisan games. We have the power to help people with the issues that really matter to everyday folks, not just play partisan power games in Madison,’ said Billings.”

WQOW: “Trump has claimed to have no connection to Project 2025 and said he knows nothing about it. But Pocan says many of the authors were part of the Trump administration. ‘140 of his former staff, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, campaign staff and others who wrote parts of this,’ Pocan said. Godlewski spoke in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s economic plans, with the economy ranking as the top issue among Wisconsin voters, according to the latest Marquette polls. ‘We are behind the national average when it comes to first time home ownership, it’s a big issue here in the Chippewa Valley,’ Godlewski said. ‘Kamala Harris is talking about down payment assistance, but also money for communities for affordable housing units which we know is often left behind. These are issues that are going to lift everybody up, not just the wealthy 1% and corporations.’”

NEWS8000: “Pfaff argued that Project 2025 is a national agenda being imposed on the people. He stressed the importance of politicians listening to their constituents, stating that ignoring their voices is not a recipe for success. ‘The thing that concerns me the most is the fact that again it continues this trend of nationally pushing down these ideas at the local level, and that is not a good recipe for success,’ said State Senator Brad Pfaff. At the local level, he expressed concerns about several issues, including the protection of reproductive freedoms and the safeguarding of Medicare and Medicaid.”