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Letter to the Editor: What Did André Jacque Hear during His Listening Session?

Twelve members of Indivisible Door County were among the more than 30 Door County residents who participated in Sen. André Jacque’s listening session at the Town of Brussels Community Center on April 12. 

The well-informed participants, many of whom were obviously distressed with recent anti-democracy actions being taken by the Republican Party, raised concerns about voter suppression, gerrymandering, clean-energy policy, affordable housing, mask and vaccine mandates, highway safety, infrastructure investments and the importance of bipartisan approaches to the issues facing the state. Participants also asked Sen. Jacque why he felt that commending Rush Limbaugh and asking Vice President Pence to delay the certification of President Biden’s election were in the interest of his constituents. 

I thought his responses were meandering and inadequate. Although he did announce his support for school vouchers, he repeatedly failed to adequately explain most of his totally partisan actions. There were strong expressions of concern about current Republican-sponsored voter-suppression legislation being considered in Madison and the need to end partisan gerrymandering and create nonpartisan voting districts. Again, the senator’s responses were vague. 

Similarly, the League of Women Voters representative brought up a very concerning issue questioning the rationale behind a legislative attempt to change the manner in which Wisconsin delegates to the Electoral College would be selected in the future. Sen. Jacque spent much of the almost two hours attempting to respond to his constituents with lengthy comments regarding the bills he had introduced, without specifically dealing with the issues brought forward by those in attendance.

Additionally, when informed that the more than 90% of the constituents in the room who were wearing masks did so out of concern for others, the unmasked Jacque smiled and changed the subject. He milled among the participants at the end of the session, still without a mask. 

Jacque is not interested in finding out about his constituents’ concerns or issues or well-being. How then can he represent us? We need to vote André Jacque out.

Jack Fiedler

Sister Bay, Wisconsin