Letter to the Editor: Jacque and State Republicans Are Subverting Democracy

It may already be too late. What we believed to be the present may actually be the past: The battle to retain our democracy may already be over. 

Wisconsin Republicans have been waging war on our democracy. They’ve launched a campaign making numerous baseless claims about our electoral system. They hope to win their war – not because their claims of fraud have merit, but because they’re wearing everyone down and sowing doubt, confusion and distrust. They’ve questioned who won, even after they themselves have conducted three election audits and found nothing. 

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission’s mission is to “promote and strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of Wisconsin in their government … and protect the rights of individuals through the administration of Wisconsin’s campaign-finance, lobbying and ethics laws.” Republicans have charged the commission with fraud and called for it to be abolished. This is the commission they established after leveling similar charges against its predecessor, the Government Accountability Board. 

Robin Vos maintains that the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau’s Election Administration report has compelled Republicans to introduce more than a dozen voting-related laws. But read the report yourself at legis.wisconsin.gov/lab/. Their proposed reforms don’t even address the report’s recommendations.

Then look at two bills that state Sen. André Jacque has introduced. One severely restricts the use of drop boxes and absentee ballots (AB437). Another would fundamentally change how Wisconsinites vote for president (AB35). 

Jacque and 14 other Republicans wrote then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 5, 2021, urging the postponement of Wisconsin’s election-results certification. Four of the six new members Republicans have appointed to the Legislative Committee on Elections signed a letter opposing certification of Wisconsin’s election results. They’ve appointed Michael Gableman to “investigate” the elections. He’s assumed authority he doesn’t have, demanding the resignation of two mayors. His work was to be completed by December, but Vos extended that deadline indefinitely while Wisconsinites foot the bill, thus far $676,000.

Let’s hope it’s not too late to be rid of Jacque and his anti-democratic antics!

Jack Fiedler

Sister Bay, Wisconsin