Voting is a staple of our democratic society, especially when it comes to local and state elections because of the impact it can have on your community. With the upcoming elections taking place this November, it is always important to remember the importance of participating in all elections on the ballot. In a lot of ways, the state legislature has a more direct impact than the national election, despite the attention the National elections receive. The impacts of the state government directly impact local programs like schools, city and county budgets, and environmental protections.
- State Budget: The party in control will have the most say in the next State Budget. The state budget will decide about funding for public schools, how the Legislature will solve the problems within the Transportation Fund, staffing at the Department of Natural Resources, state park funding, and other critical programs that allow our government to run.
- Wisconsin’s water: The problems with our water across Wisconsin are severe—the inability to drink water in Kewaunee, lead pipe concerns in Milwaukee and other places across the state, rivers drying up in Central Wisconsin, etc. The problem is vast and urgent. There will be solutions offered in January when the next Legislative Session convenes; we need strong leaders there that focus on holistic solutions, not Band-Aids on the problem. This issue is inherently nonpartisan, but instead more humanitarian. We owe it to ourselves and our local communities to try vote for officials who will work to keep our drinking water clean this coming November.
- Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Economy: The rest of our Country is embracing the clean energy economy. Even places like Oklahoma are moving ahead quickly, on track to become a leader in clean energy. Across Wisconsin, local governments, businesses, and individuals are investing in solar. In recent years, however, our legislature has been adding barriers to clean energy instead of removing the red tape. Wisconsin’s heavy dependence on coal will need to be addressed to comply with the Clean Power Plan. We need and want clean energy. We need to update our electricity ‘grid’ in order to ensure it can handle future needs. These are all issues the Legislature could be a leader in, and we need to leaders with a willingness to address these issues, not leaders that dig their heels into the ground.
At the end of the day the message is clear, vote and vote in all elections down the ballot. The purpose of this article isn’t to sway you in one direction or another politically, but instead to inspire you to voice your opinion. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and it is so important to vote this coming November for the officials who best represent your beliefs. By voting in the elections we can make sure that the best, most qualified, people represent us when making difficult decisions. It is our responsibility as American and Wisconsin citizens to vote in the coming election in order to dictate the direction we want our country to go in. So this November, Vote and don’t stop with the races on top!
Jake Levicki is a student at UW-Whitewater and a political intern with the Sierra Club - John Muir Chapter.