Fidelity to the Constitution

UPDATE | Huge Win for Transparency and Equality Under the Law

WILL settled a landmark open records lawsuit with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), securing thousands of dollars in punitive damages and reforms to how the school district processes open records. This is a major victory for government transparency and the equal treatment of all students in Wisconsin.

WILL was represented by the Wisconsin Transparency Project.

🗯 Dan Lennington, WILL Deputy Counsel, stated, “A whistleblower notifed us in early 2022 that MMSD had a racially discriminatory policy of treating black students more favorably than students of other races. MMSD stonewalled for over a year. Now they’ve paid the price, disavowed the policy, and committed to significant reforms. This is a huge victory for transparency.”

🗯 Cory Brewer, WILL Associate Counsel, added, “Institutions funded by taxpayers cannot ignore members of the public who seek answers. WILL is prepared to hold school districts accountable for their actions—our lawsuits reflect that.”

📰 Learn more about this win in National Review, The Wisconsin State Journal, or check out Dan's interview on The Vicki McKenna Show.

NEW | WILL Challenges New Racially Discriminatory Business Program

In support of true “Equality Under the Law” for all Americans, WILL called upon the City of Madison to reform its BizReady Program, which is a new initiative aimed at supporting only BIPOC entrepreneurs. BIPOC is a racially exclusive term, referring to “Black, Indigenous, People of Color” populations. 

If Madison runs its program as expected, in addition to excluding all white entrepreneurs, many other populations—from the Middle East, North Africa, North Asia, and Latin America—will also be excluded based purely on race. Race discrimination is prohibited by federal law, and WILL plans legal action if the program is not opened to all racial groups.  

🗯 Dan Lennington, WILL Deputy Counsel, stated, “The City of Madison says it wants new entrepreneurs, but only if they are the right color. This type of bigoted policy has no place in America. It’s time for Madison to reject discrimination and open the program to all entrepreneurs, regardless of race.” 

🎙 Learn more about this new case, tune in to Dan's interview on The Vicki McKenna Show.

NEW | Coalition of Free Market Groups Urge Lawmakers to Oppose “Wedding Barn” Legislation

A coalition of free market groups including WILL, Institute for Justice, Badger Institute, MacIver Institute, National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association have issued a new memo to lawmakers highlighting problems with certain provisions in AB 304/SB 332, particularly as the bill relates to the regulation of Wisconsin’s “wedding barn” industry.  

🗯 Lucas Vebber, WILL Deputy Counsel, stated, “Unlike a bar or a restaurant, an apartment or a vacation home—or a public venue—is not open to the general public. Lawmakers should remove the public venue regulatory changes from this legislation and not use the heavy hand of government to destroy an entire industry in Wisconsin.” 

INTERNSHIP | Fall 2023 Policy Intern

WILL is seeking a Policy Intern for Fall of 2023 that will provide research and administrative support. The ideal candidate would be a self-starter pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree with a concentration in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Communications/ Journalism, or Statistics.

💼 This will be a 3-to-4-month position with ability to extend based on performance. This is a paid opportunity and requires a minimum 10-15 hour per week commitment, although greater availability would be ideal. This position will be located in our Downtown Milwaukee office.

Defend Freedom

The work we do would not be possible without the generosity of YOU, our donors; we are a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization that receives no public funds.

As a non-profit and non-partisan organization, we litigate in the areas of equality under the law, property rights, the freedom to earn a living, voting rights, regulation, taxation, school choice, and religious freedom. As an educational organization, we strive to advance the debate concerning law and public policy in these and other areas.

Please consider making a donation to secure the blessings of liberty and to defend freedom. 🇺🇸

Read more at www.will-law.org.

Check out our various social media platforms!