The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 3, 2025

In the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, an estimated $76 million dollars was spent – shattering a  U.S. record for judicial races.  But will it result in fairer Congressional voting districts in Wisconsin?

The Associated Press called the race for liberal Judge Susan Crawford, who has a 55 to 45% lead.  With all that money, the margin is almost identical to 2023’s race, electing liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz. 

Wisconsin Politics estimates Crawford raised over $24 million dollars, largely from the Wisconsin Democratic Party via liberal donor George Soros, wealthy Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.  

Her opponent, former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, raised $12 million, but SuperPACs supporting him spent tens of millions more.   Elon Musk personally and through his two Super PACs spent an estimated $20 Million, and ULINE founder Richard Uihlein spent another $4 million through the Fair Courts America PAC.

Why was all this money spent?  Wisconsin’s voting districts have been some of the most gerrymandered in the country, and the election of Janet Protasiewicz resulted in the first fair state legislative maps in two decades.  Last year, the state supreme court passed on revisiting the state’s gerrymandered  Congressional maps.  The court’s 4-3 liberal majority may change that, and THAT could change control of Congress. 

We’ve linked the Open Secrets data at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Open Secrets – Wisconsin Supreme Court race breaks records and draws controversy as billionaires weigh in
Brennan Center for Justice – Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Breaks Spending Record, Fueled by Out-of-State Money
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Wisconsin 2025 spring election results: Supreme Court, DPI, voter ID referendum and Milwaukee races
USA Today – Liberal wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race; GOP holds Florida congressional seats: Recap
Axios – Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election is the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
American Democracy Minute – After Cleaning Up Gerrymandered State Senate & Assembly Districts, the Wisconsin Supreme Court Passes on Congressional Districts

Groups Taking Action:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Common Cause,  Public Citizen

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Wisconsin #WISupremeCourt #ElonMusk #FairMaps #SusanCrawford

The post $76 Million was Spent in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race.   Will All That Money Translate Into Fairer Congressional Voting Districts? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 31, 2025

Shortly after our report on Elon Musk’s $100 dollar bounty for signing and referring others to a Wisconsin “activist judges” petition, he sweetened the deal Thursday, dangling a promise of a $1 million dollar lottery check, just days before the April 1st Wisconsin Supreme Court election.  

In Musk’s original social media announcement of his America PAC’s lottery, he said, “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.”  That’s illegal under Wisconsin law.  

So Friday, he re-posted that winners of the lottery would instead be “spokesmen” against “activist judges.”   Musk said the March 30th rally where he intended to distribute the checks was limited only to registered voters who had signed his petition. 

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul filed for an emergency injunction, which was rejected by a circuit court judge Friday, then by a Wisconsin appeals court Saturday, which said it couldn’t grant an injunction without hearing the merits of the case. Sunday morning, March 30th, the AG appealed to the state supreme court to stop the check distribution. 

The Democratic candidate in the race, Susan Crawford, said it was “immoral” for Musk to try to buy votes with his million-dollar giveaways, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

We have Musk’s post, links to the appeals and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign – Millions Spent, But Only Wisconsinites Can Decide: A Deep Dive into 2025 Campaign Spending
Associated Press – Musk announces $1 million for Wisconsin voter in Supreme Court race. Opposition calls it ‘corrupt’
Wisconsin Legislature – Statute on Election Bribery
Wisconsin Politics – Appeals Court denies Kaul’s request to bar Musk, America PAC from giving $1M payments to voters
Wisconsin Court of Appeals via WI Politics  – Decision on AG’s Appeal
WI Attorney General via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Appeal to Wisconsin Supreme Court
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Crawford calls Musk’s $1 million giveaway ‘immoral,’ Schimel says he doesn’t control the billionaire

Groups Taking Action:

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Common Cause,  Public Citizen

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Votebuying #ElonMusk #AmericaPAC #BuyingElections #Corruption

The post Wisconsin AG Appeals to State Supreme Court to Block Elon Musk’s Million Dollar Lottery for WI GOP Voters – Oops – Make that ‘Spokesmen’ appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 26, 2025

An Elon Musk Super PAC is offering a $100 bounty for Wisconsin petition signers in a data collection scheme just days before a state supreme court election.  While it’s illegal under federal and state law to pay someone to register, vote, or not to vote, it’s sadly not illegal to offer a bounty for voters’ personal information.  

Axios reports that Musk has already spent $20 million dollars in the state race to support judge and former state attorney general Brad Schimel, endorsed Friday by President Donald Trump.

Similar to a $47 bounty Musk offered in the 2024 presidential campaign, his America PAC promises $100 for each referral of a qualified Wisconsin voter who then signs a petition opposing activist judges.  The referred voter must include a valid email and phone, likely to be used for get-out-the-vote efforts.

In a March 1st stump speech to supporters, candidate Schimel said, “Donald Trump doesn’t do this by himself.  There has to be a support network around him,” he said.  He noted there were 70 lawsuits filed against Trump’s actions, and QUOTE “The only way we’re going to stop that, is if the courts stop it.” 

Judge Schimel apparently has not signed the petition, which reads, “Judges should interpret laws as written, not rewrite them to fit their personal or political agendas.” 

Find a link to the petition and the Schimel’s stump speech at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Axios – Musk’s PAC offers $100 to Wisconsin voters in pitch against “activist judges”
Wisconsin Examiner – Musk PAC offers Wisconsin voters $100 for signing petition against ‘activist judges’
WISN – Trump, Musk back Brad Schimel ahead of State Supreme Court Election
America PAC – TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR AMERICA PAC’S ACTIVIST JUDGES PETITION PROGRAM FOR WISCONSIN VOTERS

America PAC – Petition in Opposition to Activist Judges

Wisconsin Examiner – Schimel tells canvassers he’ll be ‘support network’ for Trump and rehashes election conspiracies
Schimel Campaign – 2025 03 01 Brad Schimel Speaks at Turning Point USA Waukesha
Influence Watch – America PAC

Groups Taking Action:

Public Citizen, Common Cause

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElonMusk #AmericaPAC #Bounty #Personal Data #Wisconsin

The post Elon Musk Data Collection Scheme in Support of WI Supreme Court Candidate Offers $100 Bounty to Refer Petition Signers appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 11, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

If you follow the American Democracy Minute you know that until last year Wisconsin held the infamous title as one of the most gerrymandered states in the U.S.  That changed November 5th.

Former Governor Scott Walker accelerated gerrymandering of the Wisconsin Assembly, Senate and Congressional maps during his 2011 to 2019 tenure, engineering a 64 to 35 majority in the Wisconsin Assembly, and a 22 to 11 majority in the Senate, despite an evenly divided liberal and conservative electorate. 

In 2023, the GOP was short of a supermajority by only two Assembly seats. Vetoes by current governor Tony Evers tried to keep even worse maps at bay, but a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately allowed them.   But a Supreme Court election in 2023 shifted the ideology of the court, and the court’s reconsideration of the Assembly and Senate maps led to new, fairer maps for the 2024 general election.  

While Republicans maintain control of both houses, fair maps reduced the artificial Republican advantage in the Assembly to 54 to 45, and the Senate 18 to 15.  Veto overrides of the Governor are far less likely, forcing the legislature to compromise on more legislation.  The Congressional district map, which did NOT change but is also widely recognized as gerrymandered, gave a 6-2 advantage to Republicans.

We have links to local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – (2022) Wisconsin Republicans do not secure a supermajority

Wisconsin Examiner – (2023) Special election moves Republicans closer to Assembly supermajority
American Democracy Minute – (2023) With Court Cases and Elections Looming, the Wisconsin Assembly Scrambles to Protect its Gerrymandered Voting Districts
American Democracy Minute – Wisconsin Supreme Court Puts State Legislature’s Maps on Naughty List, Orders Legislature to Draw Constitutional Voting Districts
Wisconsin Public Radio – Republicans retain majority in Wisconsin Assembly
Wisconsin Watch – Democrats flip 14 legislative seats, affirming GOP gerrymander is dead

WBAY – Republicans retain Wisconsin Senate control but lose supermajority

Groups Taking Action:

Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Law Forward, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Wisconsin #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering

The post Restoration of Fair Voting Districts in Wisconsin Ends GOP Near Supermajority in Assembly and Senate appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 24, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We have three quick state updates, including a court decision favoring the over 97,000 Arizona voters who didn’t have citizenship documents on file, a promising poll showing Colorado voters may embrace open primaries and ranked choice voting, and a court case by Robert F. Kennedy to sticker out his name in Wisconsin.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Sept. 20th that over 97,000 Arizonans who, because of a state error were never asked for proof-of-citizenship documents, WILL vote using Arizona’s “full ballot.” The state will work to correct the files after the 2024 election.

Colorado Proposition 131 would implement single ballot open primaries and use ranked choice voting should it pass in November.    A poll of 800 voters by Colorado Voters First found 56% would vote for the initiative, 8% leaning yes, 21% no, and 4% leaning no.  Another 11% were undecided.  Nevada also votes on a similar proposal for the second time, as required by its constitution.  

With hundreds of thousands of ballots printed and some early ballots already sent, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appealed to have his name stickered over on the ballot after the Wisconsin Elections Commission denied his request.  The commission has since asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case. 

Votebeat Wisconsin reported that local election officials expressed concern at the time it would take, and the unknown impact it could have on operation of optical ballot readers.  

We’ve linked to great local reporting,at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Arizona Mirror – AZ Supreme Court won’t limit 97,000 improperly registered voters

Arizona Supreme Court – Decision – MARICOPA COUNTY RECORDER STEPHEN v. ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE ADRIAN FONTES
Colorado Sun – Colorado’s all-candidate primary and ranked choice general election ballot measure is poised to pass, poll shows
Votebeat Wisconsin – Wisconsin clerks in sticker shock over Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request to have name covered on ballot
Wisconsin Examiner – Appeals court will hear RFK Jr. lawsuit to get off presidential ballot
WISN – Wisconsin Supreme Court to take Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ballot challenge

Groups Taking Action:
Colorado Voters First

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ColoradoNews #WisconsinNews #ArizonaNews

The post Updates on 97,000 Registered AZ Voters Without Citizenship Proof, CO Open Primaries & RCV Poll, and Stickering Out RFK Jr. in WI appeared first on American Democracy Minute.