Monday, February 22, 2016

Wisconsin Latino Republicans And Conservatives Upset With Two Anti-immigrant Bills

Two anti-immigrant bills passed by the majority of Republicans in the Wisconsin State Assembly last week has stirred up Latino Republicans and conservatives statewide.

By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 22, 2016

Milwaukee, WI - On Monday, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has learned that Republican Latinos and conservatives statewide have become upset and are planning to come forward in a united effort to oppose two legislative bills considered as anti-immigrant by the Hispanic population in Wisconsin. Two prominent and well respected Latinos in Wisconsin, Manuel "Manny" Perez, former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development under Governor Scott Walker (R) and former Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party Caucus and Zeus Rodriguez, an independent conservative leader of the Hispanics for Leadership and President of Hispanics for School Choice in the state have come forward and opposed both AB 450/SB 369 and AB 723/SB 533. Perez and Rodriguez have contacted Governor Walker and requested for him not to sign the bills into law by exercising an executive veto. 
Other prominent Latino Republicans and conservatives are coming together and a press conference is being planned within days to announced their effort to stop the passage of both bills to avoid a projected economic crisis affecting manufacturing, dairy farms, jobs, a public safety issue forcing immigrants from reporting crimes to law enforcement for fear of being detained, etc. and continued backlash from the Hispanic taxpayer and voting community, according to sources close to Governor Walker's office.
Last Thursday, at least 60,000 Latino taxpayers, non-Latinos, children and students marched around the Madison State Capitol in protest of the anti-immigrant bills. The mega march outside the Capitol building in Madison was sponsored by Voces de la Frontera (VDLF).  
AB 450/SB 369 are pending in the State Senate for debate and approval, AB 723/SB 533 were approved by both the Assembly and Senate on February 18.
HNNUSA has also learned that Voces de la Frontera, a workers and immigrant rights organization is planning protests and a statewide boycott, if Governor Walker signs the anti-immigrant bills into law or does not veto them, according to sources close to VDLF.

Update: Another respected Latino Republican Party member Darryl Morin, former Vice-president of LULAC in the Midwest and Board member of the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, which operates Mexican Fiesta posted on his Facebook account on Wednesday, "I wish to thank everyone as well as the numerous organizations, for your advocacy efforts to block AB450 and SB533 from become Wisconsin State law. These efforts have resulted in an unprecedented demonstration of our resolve against legislation targeting our community. These bills seek to deprive the very human dignity with which each life is created, from so many who are simply seeking to provide for their families. I do wish to clarify the SB533's current status. While passed by both the Senate and the Assembly, it is now before the Governor for his consideration. It will not automatically become law on Thursday, February 25, 2016. By statute, the Governor has until late April to consider the bill. This being said, it is important that we continue our advocacy efforts and please be assured that efforts to block these bills are being made at every level. Thank you all once again and God bless."
According to the Wisconsin Constitution under Section 10 of Article V, once a legislative bill is passed by both the State Assembly and the Senate, the state governor has six days from the time he received the bill excluding Sundays to sign the bill into law or veto it. If the governor doesn't act on a bill, the bill becomes law automatically, which is rare for a Wisconsin governor not to act on a bill. 

Voces de la Frontera released the following statewide alert to supporters and immigrants, ¡ALERTA! ¡Si Walker no veta SB533 (la propuesta de ley para bloquear los IDs locales) antes de jueves, automáticamente se convierte en ley! ¡INVITAMOS A TODXS MIEMBRXS DE LA COMUNIDAD QUE LLAMEN A WALKER AL 608-266-1212 Y QUE ORGANICEN PROTESTAS AFUERA DE OFICINAS REPUBLICANAS EN SU ÁREA LO MÁS PRONTO POSIBLE! ¡SI SB533 O AB450 PASEN, LLAMAREMOS PARA UN BOICOT NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL DE LAS COMPAÑÍAS QUE HAN DONADO DINERO A WALKER PARA SUS CAMPAÑAS ELECTORALES! Llame al 414-828-2692 o 414-469-9206 para recibir apoyo en organizando su acción. #WisconsinIsNotArizona #daywithoutlatinos #AltoSB533

URGENT! If Walker doesn’t veto SB 533 (the bill blocking local IDs) before Thursday, it automatically becomes law. WE CALL ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS WISCONSIN TO CALL WALKER AT 608-266-1212 AND TO ORGANIZE PROTESTS BEFORE THURSDAY AT REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICES IN YOUR AREA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! IF SB533 OR AB450 PASSES, WE WILL CALL FOR A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE DONATED MONEY TO WALKER’S CAMPAIGNS! Please call 414-469-9206 or 414-828-2692 for support in organizing your action.

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