ACT 250 - Under Fire

History- 11/5/13

The Senate will take up the Schultz Senate Substitute Amendment 2 to AB297/SB317 on Tuesday November 5.  We need a large presence in the Senate Gallery that day. The Senate session starts at Noon. Please join us at the West Entrance of the Capitol (State Street ) at 11:30 am for prayer and some words of encouragement. We will then proceed to the Gallery by Noon.

Action until then is to contact all Republican Senators and ask them to vote for the Schultz/Miller Substitute Amendment 2 of AB297/SB317 and oppose the version of AB297/SB317 passed by the Assembly.

Below is the list of names, phone numbers and emails of GOP senators. 

Tell him that you like the Schultz Senate Substitute Amendment and oppose AB297/SB317 and thank him for writing this common sense amendment:
Senator Dale Schultz 
sen.schultz@legis.wisconsin.gov 
(608) 266-0703

Encourage the following to vote for Substitute Amenedment 2:
Senator Robert Cowles
sen.cowles@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0484

Senator Sheila Harsdorf
sen.harsdorf@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-7745

Senator Luther Olsen
sen.olsen@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0751

Senator Jerry Petrowski
sen.petrowski@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-2502

Senator Paul Farrow (Committee Chair Government Operations, Public Works and Telecommunications)
sen.farrow@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-9174

Contact the following as they are in leadership and the Schultz/Miller Substitute Amendment 2 exemplifies good process:
Senator Michael Ellis
sen.ellis@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0718

Senator Scott Fitzgerald
sen.fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5660

Contact the following if they represent your district:
Senator Alberta Darling
sen.darling@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5830

Senator Glenn Grothman
sen.grothman@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-7513

Senator Rick Gudex
sen.gudex@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5300

Senator Neal Kedzie
sen.kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-2635

Senator Frank Lasee
sen.lasee@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-3512

Senator Mary Lazich
sen.lazich@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5400

Senator Joe Leibham
sen.leibham@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-2056

Senator Terry Moulton
sen.moulton@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-7511

Senator Tom Tiffany
sen.tiffany@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-2509

Senator Leah Vukmir
sen.vukmir@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-2512

Include the Office of the Governor as well - 608-266-1212, GovGeneral@wisconsin.gov

Resources
Description of the Review Process under Substitute Amendment 2.

Comparison of Nass’ Sub Amendment 1 and Schultz/Miller’s Substitue Amendment 2 by Carol Gunderson, M.A. and Harvey Gunderson, Ph.D.


November 5th, 2013 is the expected Senate vote for SB317. Contact legislators to support the Schultz/Miller Senate Substitute Amendment 2.

History- 10/15/13

The floor vote for AB297 is Tuesday, October 15, at 1:00 pm. If able, please come to witness at the Assembly Gallery, 3rd Floor West of the Wisconsin State Capitol.

AB297 Vote Results

History - 10/9/13

SENATE PUBLIC HEARING
The Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications has scheduled a meeting on October, 9, 2013 at 09:30 AM.

The committee will hold a public hearing on the following items at the time specified below:

Wednesday, October 9, 2013
9:30 AM
411 South

Senate Bill 317
Relating to: race-based nicknames, logos, mascots, and team names and making an appropriation.

By Senators Lazich, Kedzie, Farrow, Ellis, Olsen and Grothman; cosponsored by Representatives Nass, Craig, Kaufert, Jacque, Tittl, Kramer, Knodl, Ballweg, Sanfelippo, Petersen, Loudenbeck, August, Pridemore, Weatherston, Kuglitsch, Ripp, Schraa, Stroebel, Murphy and LeMahieu.

Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications Members

Senator Paul Farrow (Chair)
Sen.Farrow@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Richard Gudex (Vice-Chair)
Sen.Gudex@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Frank Lasee
Sen.Lasee@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Neal Kedzie
Sen.Kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Robert Wirch
Sen.Wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Nikiya Harris 
Sen.Harris@legis.wisconsin.gov

Senator Jennifer Shilling
Sen.Shilling@legis.wisconsin.gov 

Four bills are potentially being heard prior to SB 317.

It is likely this hearing will take multiple hours and time limits for verbal testimony may be put in place

Testimony Tips-
*Keep points brief
*Work with a group of friends and each decide what points to make to cover more ground
*State what is wrong with AB297 clearly and concisely
*Bring snacks
*Bring a written version of your testimony to leave with Committee
*Follow the rules

Bill History - AB297 was introduced on August 23, 2013 and referred to Committee on Urban and Local Affairs. On September 26, 2013, it was withdrawn from that committee and moved to the Committee on Government Operations and State Licensing. The Assemby Hearing took place on Thursday, October 3rd, 2013. The hearing for companion bill, SB317, is schedule in Senate Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications.

Talking Points for Vos, Nass, Craig, and Lazich amendment to AB297/SB317

Release
Amended AB297

ACTION: Contact the members of the Committee on Government Operations and State Licensing, the legislators that proposed the Amendment to AB297, your local Representative and Senator, and copy correspondence to the Office of the Governor.

The announcement released September 26, 2013 states "A group of Republican legislators has put forth a permanent solution in regards to school mascots in Wisconsin."

Legislation neglects to address the harm caused to children (both Native and non-Native) when subjected to race-based mascots; see Fryberg & Kim-Prieto research.

Legislation allows continued subjectification of a complainant to stereotypical, discriminatory, racist imagery until 10% of the student population support the claim of harm.

Legislation does nothing to create jobs; the number one goal of the Walker Administration.

A permanent solution in regards to school mascots in Wisconsin would be to pass legislation that simply eliminates all race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames from Wisconsin Public schools. 

The announcement claims, "the proposal would expand the opportunity for collaboration and partnership between tribes and school districts on nickname and logos." 

The State of Wisconsin passed ACT 31, the American Indian Studies Statute, with the 1989 Biennial Budget. ACT 31 mandates Wisconsin public school teach about the history, culture and tribal sovereignty of the tribes in Wisconsin. This provides an excellent platform to engage in collaboration and develop partnerships between tribes and school districts to discuss the issues around race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames. New legislation is not necessary for this to happen. 

The legislation as outlined, will infact, have the opposite outcome. Tribal governments, Departments of Education, Wisconsin Indian Education Association, and individual tribal members have been longstanding in support for the removal of race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames. If this legislation is passed into law, it will undermine the decades of collaboration and partnership building that has taken place around this issue, and in fact, move community building backwards. 

The vehicle for collaboration already exists with the Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations. It is the absolute, quintessential state recognized entity to address issues that affect both state and tribal constituencies.  

Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester states, "These changes are reasonable and address concerns brought forth by all parties."

All parties does not include past individual complainants, otherwise the legislation would not include verbiage to strike the past DPI rulings under ACT 250 and allow school districts to return to their discriminatory use of a race-based mascot, logo or nickname.

All parties does not include the 11 Federally recognized nations in Wisconsin that have resolved use of race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames by Wisconsin public schools needs to end immediately.

All parties does not include the Wisconsin Indian Education Association, National Indian Education Association, Great Lakes Inter Tribal Council, Wisconsin Education Association Council, or the American Psychological Association, all of which have provided evidence, entered testimony, or spoken against the continued use of race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames by Wisconsin public schools.

All parties does not include the countless number of children (Native and Non-Native) adversely affected and suffering psychological harm by the use of stereotypic imagery that leads to discrimination and institutionalized racism as that of race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames has been scientifically found to do.

Rep. Dave Craig of Big Bend states in the release, "…I hope my colleagues will join us in reversing the wrongs that we have imposed on many of our state's school districts by passing this legislation without delay."

ACT 250 has resulted in four formal complaints since its passage in 2010. On the contrary thousands of youth walk the halls of districts that continue to utilize race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames in Wisconsin. Legislators and school districts should be concerned about righting the wrongs of institutionalized racism  rather than pandering to those who feel an entitlement to a"treasured mascot to represent their school spirit in competitions," stated in the release by Sen. Mary Lazich of New Berlin.

Rep. Stephen Nass of Whitewater claims he believes "this new proposal offers a fair and balanced approach to changing state law on the use of Indian logos, mascots and nicknames."

The amendment to AB297 is not balanced - it takes away the ability for a person to file a discrimination complaint based on the harmful effects of a race-based mascot, logo, or nickname unless the individual has the support of 10% of the student body. That is not a fair approach to addressing civil rights and discrimination claims.

The use of race-based mascots, logos, and nicknames is not about offensiveness; it is about public schools allowing the stereotyping of a group of people, thereby teaching learners it is alright to stereotype people. The fact that these actions have been challenged and a growing body of evidence proves there is harm, yet some districts choose to continue the use, is that of discriminatory behavior and defines institutionalized racism. It is not OK for Wisconsin public schools to be vehicles of racism. It is not OK for Wisconsin taxpayers, to fund these actions. 



For more information contact:  barbara.e.munson@gmail.com © Barbara Munson 2016