Opportunity Wisconsin Announces “Summer Is On, No Thanks To Ron” Statewide RV Tour

Opportunity Wisconsin’s Statewide RV Tour Will Highlight Success of the American Rescue Plan, Senator Ron Johnson’s “NO” Vote Against Pandemic Aid

June 23, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— After taking to the airwaves earlier this year urging Senator Ron Johnson to support $1,400 checks, funding for vaccines, and relief for small businesses—and then holding him accountable when he voted against these measures—today Opportunity Wisconsin was joined by Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong to kick off the “Summer Is On, No Thanks To Ron” statewide RV tour. Opportunity Wisconsin will be traveling the state in an RV wrapped with a photo of Senator Johnson, urging Wisconsinites to call his office and tell him to stop blocking our recovery. 

WATCH THE “SUMMER IS ON, NO THANKS TO RON” TRAILER

“Whether it’s shots in arms, money in pockets, or relief for small businesses, thanks to the American Rescue Plan—summer is on in Wisconsin. However, Senator Johnson fought tooth-and-nail against this relief and we must all hold him accountable for his obstruction,” said Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director. “Last year, the pandemic put a stop to so many of our quintessential Wisconsin summertime traditions. This year, Opportunity Wisconsin will be traveling the state celebrating all there is to love about summer in Wisconsin and making sure folks know who fought for us and who failed us.”

“The obstructionist tactics that [Senator Johnson] used not only hurt small businesses and Main Streets all across Wisconsin, but he said ‘no’ to money in pockets, he said ‘no’ to coronavirus relief, he said ‘no’ to getting more shots in arms,” said Representative Hong. “But thanks to the American Rescue Plan, shots are up, Covid is down, personal incomes are up, and we’ve got small business relief.” 

The “Summer Is On, No Thanks To Ron” statewide RV tour launched today with an announcement video, new website (SummerIsOnWI.org), and tour poster. The packed tour schedule will run from June to September and will include stops across the state, including: Big Top Chautauqua, Hmong Wausau Festival, Ashley for the Arts, Summerfest, and the Taste of Madison. More events will be added as the tour progresses.

Additional tour highlights:

• Digital Ads: We want to make sure we’re reaching folks in every corner of the Badger State, so we’re launching a digital campaign ensuring they’ll see our message as they’re making their summer plans (i.e. searching online for the Summerfest lineup or for their local state park).

• “No Thanks To You” Card: We’ll be touring the state with a giant greeting card, giving Wisconsinites the opportunity to sign their name and deliver a direct message to Senator Johnson.

• Packers Sweepstakes: Despite the “will he or won’t he?” Aaron Rodgers drama, folks are still fired up for a new season with the Green & Gold. We’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to see the Green Bay Packers play the Detroit Lions on Monday, September 20 at Lambeau Field.

• Summer Fun: Folks who stop by the RV will be treated to classic Wisconsin summer games, free tour merch, and a “Summer Is On” selfie station.

Media interested in covering RV tour stops should email press@opportunitywisconsin.org.

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100 Days: The American Rescue Plan is Working for Wisconsin

Critical law is bringing lifesaving relief to Wisconsin workers, families, and businesses

June 19, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement today marking the 100 days since the American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Biden. 

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director:

“We’re incredibly grateful to our elected officials who delivered on their promise to help Wisconsin workers and families recover from a pandemic that has devastated communities across the Badger State. Whether it’s shots in arms, money in pockets, or relief for small business, we’re 100 days in and the American Rescue Plan is already a game-changer for so many in Wisconsin. 

“Unfortunately, Senator Ron Johnson did everything he could to prevent this from happening, and we all must hold him accountable for standing in the way of Wisconsin’s recovery.”

The American Rescue Plan is working for Wisconsin:

$1,400 Rescue Checks

2,722,268 households in Wisconsin received a check, for a total of $6,981,675,000 in rescue checks. 

Child Tax Credit

1,159,000 Wisconsin children under 18 – 92% of all Wisconsin children – will benefit from the expansion of the Child Tax Credit. The law will lift 56 percent (94,000) of the Wisconsin children under 18 who are living in poverty closer to or above the poverty line and 27 percent (46,000) of Wisconsin children under 18 will be lifted out of poverty.

Percentages are calculated by dividing the percent of children lifted above or closer to the poverty line by 167,882, the total children under 18 living in poverty in Wisconsin as reported by Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE).

National Vaccination Program

Instead of leaving states to fend for themselves, the American Rescue Plan establishes a national program to rapidly distribute vaccines while also providing funding for testing and public health initiatives. In total, the bill spends $160 billion to continue our fight against the virus. A majority of Wisconsinites are now vaccinated with at least one dose.

Lower Marketplace Premiums

The average premium on a Benchmark Silver plan on the ACA exchange in Wisconsin will drop by $580. 51,900 uninsured Wisconsinites are now eligible for tax credits on the ACA exchange, 31,600 of whom are now eligible for $0 dollar benchmark Marketplace coverage. ARP lowers marketplace premiums in Wisconsin for those 400 percent above the poverty line.

Restaurant Revitalization Fund

The $28 billion in this fund is specifically designed for any establishment where food or drinks are sold, and the grants do not need to be repaid. Restaurants can receive grants up to $10 million, and will be calculated based on their lost revenue during the pandemic. Before passage of the ARP, 13% of restaurants said they would most likely close without federal aid.

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SCOTUS Has Spoken, Again. Will Senator Johnson Finally Stop His Assault on the Affordable Care Act?

Opportunity Wisconsin weighs in after ruling upholds health law

June 17, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement today after the conservative U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 to uphold the Affordable Care Act and dismiss the latest attacks on the law, led by Senator Ron Johnson. 

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director:
“The decade-long war on our healthcare has been stopped once again. Not only has the Affordable Care Act once again been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, but it continues to be a lifesaving law that enjoys significant, bipartisan support among Wisconsinites. However, Senator Ron Johnson has spent the entirety of his political career hellbent on rolling back the law and its critical provisions, like coverage for over 2.4 million folks in the Badger State with pre-existing conditions. We’re calling on Senator Johnson to drop his assault on the Affordable Care Act and instead focus his energy on supporting policies that continue to expand access to the kind of high quality, affordable care the law provides.”

In 2017, Senator Johnson helped lead an effort in the Senate to strip healthcare coverage away from Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions which could now include people who survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Senator Johnon voted against the American Rescue Plan which reduces healthcare costs by approximately $600 for folks in Wisconsin. For example, a 60-year-old couple with a household income of $75,000 could save $1,389 in monthly premiums.

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Senator Johnson Promises to Once Again Block Aid for Wisconsinites, Even If It’s Bipartisan

Johnson vows to obstruct critical investments in Wisconsin roads and bridges

June 10, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement after U.S. Senator Ron Johnson vowed to block any bipartisan bill that invested in Wisconsin’s aging infrastructure, cut taxes for the middle class, boosted new job training programs, and expanded broadband access. Senator Johnson was directly quoted saying, “I’d do what I could to frustrate its passage.”     

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director:
“While senators of both parties are working to find common ground on infrastructure, it’s unacceptable that Senator Johnson is already planning to block this legislation. To be clear, he’s promising to stand in the way of middle class tax cuts, increasing funding for highways and bridges, new job training programs for those left behind by closed power plants, and expanding broadband access for families and businesses across the Badger State. 

“Senator Johnson was proud to try and block lifesaving investments made by the American Rescue Plan, including $1,400 relief checks. We need Senator Johnson to start doing his job instead of blocking Wisconsin’s recovery at every turn.”

A recent analysis of Census Bureau data showed sharp declines in food shortages and financial instability and anxiety thanks to the $1,400 direct payments included in the American Rescue Plan. 

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No Excuse for Sen. Johnson Voting Against Bipartisan Jan. 6th Commission

Friday, May 28, 2021

Wisconsin — Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement today after Senator Ron Johnson voted “no” on establishing a bipartisan commission to investigate the events leading up to the January 6th violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Several law enforcement officers died as a result of the injuries they sustained at the riot.

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director:

“There is no excuse to vote against a bipartisan investigation into what took place on January 6th. Senator Johnson has consistently downplayed the violence and death that far-right insurrectionists inflicted on law enforcement that day. This goes far beyond partisan politics: It was an assault on our democracy.

“We are profoundly disappointed and deeply ashamed that a senator from Wisconsin would not support an investigation into the truth. Wisconsinites deserve better from their elected leaders. ”

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[ICYMI] La Crosse Tribune: Johnson Endangers Lives with Misinformation

MADISON, Wis.— In case you missed it, the La Crosse Tribune recently published a letter to the editor from Dr. Rebecca Beach of Richland, Wisconsin.

KEY POINT: “As a doctor, it is my job to provide factual up-to-date information for my patients to make medical decisions. By politicizing the decision to get vaccinated and giving people misinformation, Johnson is making my job difficult.”

During a radio interview earlier this month, Senator Johnson questioned why efforts were being made to vaccinate Americans, including young people and those previously infected with COVID-19. A detailed fact check from CNN outlined the multiple, and dangerous, inaccuracies in Senator Johnson’s claims.

La Crosse Tribune
Rebecca Beach: Johnson endangers lives with misinformation
May 22, 2021

This past month, Sen. Ron Johnson reached new levels in failing our citizens. He questioned the effectiveness of masks at a town hall. He went on a radio show with a known vaccine skeptic and criticized the vaccination effort that is helping Wisconsinites return to their way of life.

As a doctor, it is my job to provide factual up-to-date information for my patients to make medical decisions. By politicizing the decision to get vaccinated and giving people misinformation, Johnson is making my job difficult.

I only have one agenda, keeping my patients safe and healthy, what's Johnson's?

Rebecca Beach, MD
Richland

Read more here: https://lacrossetribune.com/opinion/letters/rebecca-beach-johnson-endangers-lives-with-misinformation/article_d1ef67db-7ac9-551e-88b8-f91e4f31623c.html

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No Thanks to Sen. Johnson, U.S. Reaches Major Vaccination Milestone

50% of U.S. adults expected to be fully vaccinated as of Tuesday

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— As the United States prepares to reach another major milestone in the fight against COVID-19, Opportunity Wisconsin today released the following statement. The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Biden, includes $20 billion for vaccine distribution, including $7.5 billion to set up vaccination sites across the country.  
   
Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director:
“Today is a day of celebration for so many across America and in the Badger State as 50 percent of adults are now fully vaccinated. We’re incredibly grateful to frontline healthcare workers, modern medicine, and our elected leaders who have prioritized significant investments in the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over the past year, Wisconsin has seen an unbelievable amount of loss, but today there is hope. 

“We’ve also seen Senator Ron Johnson constantly amplifying dangerous and debunked pandemic conspiracy theories, in addition to voting against the critical vaccine investments included in the American Rescue Plan. Unfortunately he’s not alone. Wisconsin’s entire Republican congressional delegation also voted against the urgent relief provided by this law. Wisconsin workers and families are finally on the road to recovery, no thanks to Senator Ron Johnson.”

In a March profile, the New York Times detailed Senator Johnson’s long history of promoting conspiracy theories stating, “In recent months, Mr. Johnson has sown doubts about President Biden’s victory, argued that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was not an armed insurrection, promoted discredited Covid-19 treatments, said he saw no need to get the coronavirus vaccine himself and claimed that the United States could have ended the pandemic a year ago with the development of a generic drug if the government had wanted that to happen.”

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[ICYMI] WPR: Pandemic Continues To Exacerbate Hardships For Wisconsin Renters

New report from Opportunity Wisconsin outlines how American Rescue Plan is keeping Wisconsin housed

Friday, May 21, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— In case you missed it, yesterday Wisconsin Public Radio offered a summary of a recent virtual roundtable co-hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin, BLOC, and Citizen Action of Wisconsin, where participants discussed Wisconsin’s housing crisis and how the American Rescue Plan has helped keep the Badger State housed.  

KEY POINT: “Wisconsin received $306 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program to help low-income renters pay the mounting backlog of rent and $90 million in grant funding for homelessness reduction programs.”

Read how the American Rescue Plan keeps Wisconsin housed in a new report from Opportunity Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Public Radio
Pandemic Continues To Exacerbate Hardships For Wisconsin Renters
May 20, 2021
By Corrinne Hess

In the city of Ashland at the northern tip of Wisconsin, the coronavirus pandemic has forced renters struggling to pay their monthly bills into a delicate dance with landlords also worried about paying their tax and utility bills.

Renters are paying as much as 70 percent of their monthly income on housing, and the scarce number of affordable rental properties in the area are being converted into Airbnb vacation homes, leaving many families homeless.

Kathy Beeksma, executive director of the City of Ashland Housing Authority, said there's an inadequate number of affordable rentals in the city, and many wouldn't pass health or safety inspections.

"The homeless rate has gone up, and there is no shelter here," Beeksma said, adding that the closest homeless shelter is more than 60 miles away and is always full. "Because of some funding opportunities, we’re hoping a building will be dedicated as a shelter, but that will be a year. And winter is harsh up here, it’s awfully brutal."

Beeksma spoke during a virtual roundtable Wednesday hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and Citizen Action of Wisconsin about how the pandemic has exacerbated Wisconsin’s housing crisis.

As of April, 155,000 Wisconsin renters, or about 13 percent, weren't current on their rent, according to a new report by Opportunity Wisconsin.

The federal eviction moratorium issued in September 2020 expires June 30.

Milwaukee resident Debra Gary has had times in her life when she struggled to pay her bills. She has ended up in court and has relied on help from friends and family. While she’s in a good situation now, she said one bad thing can happen — job loss or an extra bill — and it can devastate someone’s life.

"There are resources available, but it’s difficult to let people know, and sometimes people are on a waiting list and run out of time when it’s their turn," Gary said during the roundtable.

Gary said without the eviction moratorium, people wouldn’t have had time to come up with a plan B or C, which is what they needed during the pandemic.

"Not to mention the devastation on children and their schooling," she said. "If you don’t have a home, how can children attend (virtual) school?"

Joanne Lipo Zovic, with Mediate Wisconsin, a nonprofit that provides mediation services for foreclosures and evictions in Milwaukee, said she doesn’t believe the moratorium will be extended because many of the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Lipo Zovic said without it, there would have been about 10,000 evictions since September across the state.

Wisconsin received $306 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program to help low-income renters pay the mounting backlog of rent and $90 million in grant funding for homelessness reduction programs.

Lipo Zovic said she hopes if the moratorium is lifted, landlords and renters will work together rather than flooding the courts.

"I know the apartment association has said to their membership, 'Just hold off on everything, there is funding let the funding get to people,'" Lipo Zovic said. "We want as much stability as possible. Hopefully the things that are in place are going to keep moving and the things that are happening are going to hope to improve it. But it is definitely a slow process."

Read more here: https://www.wpr.org/pandemic-continues-exacerbate-hardships-wisconsin-renters

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