Wisconsin continues to be in the spotlight for so many things, most importantly though, the upcoming election. Many have even said that the Senate race in Wisconsin is the most important in the country. But there are also 12 state legislative races that could result in a Republican supermajority, as well as the gubernatorial race. Now I am not going to sit here and say go vote for this person and do not vote for that person. I truly want to encourage everyone to research the candidates they are voting for. And then make a plan to vote.

Now what is a supermajority? If a party has a supermajority, they have enough votes to overturn a veto by the governor. So, for instance, if Governor Evers were to be re-elected and there is a Republican supermajority, anything Governor Evers would veto, the state assembly could overturn. To put that in perspective, since Governor Evers has been in office, he has vetoed 126 bills that the legislature has passed.

How would a supermajority be achieved? On the Senate side, the Republicans would need to hold all current seats and flip one district. On the Assembly side, the Republicans would need to hold all current seats, while flipping five districts.

As identified by September’s Marquette Law School Poll, the top two issues Wisconsin voters are concerned with are inflation and crime. Tied for third is election integrity and public schools. Unfortunately, one very pressing issue in Wisconsin that is not being highlighted is abortion access even though it may very well hinge on the election results in Wisconsin.

Of the 126 bills Governor Evers has vetoed, several of them were related to abortion. Vetoes have occurred when the legislature tried to ban abortion for fetal anomalies, when they tried to block Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, and when the legislature went against ACOG and science and tried to require doctors to tell patients they could reverse a medication abortion.

We also are facing a potential change in state attorney general, which could impact the status of the current lawsuit Attorney General Kaul has filed against the archaic abortion law on the Wisconsin books. There is so much hinging on this election outside of the economy and inflation. Individual choice, healthcare, and access are as well.  

So please, do your research, make your plan, and vote!