It was a heartless move, one for which the Wisconsin GOP of 2011 and 2012 will always have to answer. Had it been introduced two years ago there would have been an angry mob in West Bend. In this legislature, inhuman acts and bills seem to be commonplace. When Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-ALEC) introduced a bill ending equal pay for women, it was done as below the radar as possible. With all of the attacks that were going on, it barely made the news. With all the tricks and tactics used to fight transparency, it seemed to have slipped past committee with little awareness. When it hit the Assembly, however, that is a session I will not forget.
It was February 21, 2012, I was sitting in the Assembly Gallery. One bill was just passed, I don’t quite remember what it was. The next bill took me by surprise. The Chief Clerk read “Senate Bill 202: An Act to repeal 111.39 (5) (d), 111.397 and 893.995; and to amend 111.39 (4) (d) and 814.04 (intro.) of the statutes; relating to: elimination of compensatory and punitive damages for acts of employment discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing.” On the screen it read “SB 202: elimination of compensatory and punitive damages for acts of employment discrimination.” Unfortunately, this bill was exactly how it sounded. It was to eliminate equal pay. As the debate went on it got even more sickening.
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As I had reported on February 21, the bill was introduced by Glenn Grothman. According to Representative Christine Sinicki, Grothman testified in committee that the reason he introduced the bill was because he believed strongly that a woman’s place is in the home to cook, clean, and make babies. She said that she didn’t recall the exact quote, yet the remark went unchallenged by a single Republican. In fact, as has become normal in the past year in a half, the GOP could not find a single reason to end equal pay. They remained mostly silent, a common tactic when pushing fascist, and in this case sexist legislation. Grothman even later stated that women didn’t want to be paid more than men.
Glenn Grothman has introduced a number of crazy bills this year. Among them include a bill to stop a lawsuit against paint companies (starting a boycott on Sherwin Williams) and a bill to make unmarried households a risk for domestic abuse. Fortunately these bills both failed to pass. The ending of equal pay, on the other hand, was something the Wisconsin GOP felt fit within their “values” and “priorities.” Every Democrat voted against it but that wasn’t enough. The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly. It was later signed by “Fascist Bastard” Scott Walker on April 5, 2012.
Today, however, three women decided to send a message to Glenn Grothman. They created a catchy tune highlighting some of the reasons Grothman may hate women. They even have a fitting ending.
Here’s the video:
Please send this wonderful video to Glenn Grothman at the e-mail they provided, Sen.Grothman@legis.wisconsin.gov, or even call him at 262-689-8421 or 608-266-7513. Thanks to SecondCityNetwork for providing this video. Together we can fight people like Glenn.
Segway Jeremy Ryan has become a full-time member of the protests at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Formerly a businessman, he gave up his business to join the fight for the middle class in the State of Wisconsin. He rides a Segway due to a heart condition. Through videos and writings he has informed hundreds of thousands of people about what was going on at the Wisconsin State Capitol once the mainstream media had mostly abandoned the protests. He has been arrested over 31 times for silently filming or holding up a sign in the Capitol.
It was a heartless move, one for which the Wisconsin GOP of 2011 and 2012 will always have to answer. Had it been introduced two years ago there would have been an angry mob in West Bend. In this legislature, inhuman acts and bills seem to be commonplace. When Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-ALEC) introduced a bill ending equal pay for women, it was done as below the radar as possible. With all of the attacks that were going on, it barely made the news. With all the tricks and tactics used to fight transparency, it seemed to have slipped past committee with little awareness. When it hit the Assembly, however, that is a session I will not forget.