Keeping Government & Its Actors Accountable VICTORY | WILL Secures Major Win for Parents Who Want to Utilize School Choice WILL won a major victory last week in its lawsuit challenging several Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) policies governing applications to participate in a parental choice program. The judge agreed with WILL that DPI’s actions do not comply with statutory rulemaking requirements and are therefore invalid. 🗯 WILL Education Counsel Cory Brewer stated, “This ruling is a win for parents, kids, and school choice in Wisconsin. As we noted in our lawsuit, DPI has been exceeding its authority under state law in how it administers the parental choice programs and making up the rules as it goes along. These programs were created to be a simple, easy to use option for eligible families, and today’s ruling helps restore that goal.” 🗯 Carol Shires, SCW Vice President of Operations, stated, "This ruling removes roadblocks for families and recognizes the real purpose of school choice: to open doors for parents to find the best educational opportunity for their children. Thankfully, common sense and sanity prevailed in this case." 🗯 Catholic Memorial High School of Waukesha, Inc. President, Donna Bembenek, stated, “Catholic Memorial is proud to stand alongside WILL, SCWA, and Roncalli Catholic Schools to protect the rights of parents to send their kids to a school of their choosing. These programs were designed to create educational access for parents, and this ruling affirms that goal." More on WILL's Recent Win... WIN | WILL’s Legal Work Protects Pewaukee Taxpayers The Village of Pewaukee’s recently passed “transportation utility fee” has been ruled illegal by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, citing WPT v. Town of Buchanan – a major unanimous Supreme Court of Wisconsin (SCOWIS) decision won by WILL in June of 2023. We believed, as it is evident today, that the Buchanan ruling would serve as precedent to protect property taxpayers across the state of Wisconsin. 🗯 WILL Deputy Counsel, Lucas Vebber, stated, “This is yet another great win for taxpayers in Wisconsin. WILL stands ready to fight back against any and all government overreach and illegal taxation. We are pleased to see the unanimous decision from last summer be utilized to protect taxpayers throughout Wisconsin.” Check Out Our Victory NEW | Highlighting Inconsistencies with Court’s Political Consultants, Laying Out Potential Due Process Violation in New Redistricting Filing WILL filed its official response to the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s (SCOWIS) hired political consultants’ analysis of all submitted legislative maps. In our filing, we point out that the Court’s so called “experts” offer arguments inconsistent with both legal precedent and their own previous writings. We also explain how the Court’s addressing the question of partisan gerrymandering without discovery or a trial is a clear due process violation. 🗯 WILL President and General Counsel, Rick Esenberg, stated, “The consultants want to manipulate the maps to elect more Democrats who they feel are disadvantaged by the single member geographic districts called for by our Constitution. Whether you agree or not, the Court is obligated to follow the Constitution and not the personal and political preferences of consultants.” 🗯 Luke Berg, WILL Deputy Counsel, added, “WILL’s map was drawn without considering politics, to adhere as closely as possible to Wisconsin’s geography, and the Court’s consultants admit that it performs the best on neutral redistricting criteria. Yet they urge the Court to reject it as a ‘stealth’ gerrymander, in favor of maps that actually and unashamedly gerrymander in favor of Democrats. Adopting that rationale would be the ultimate bait-and-switch and an egregious due process violation.” 📰 Read more about this legal development in the AP. Learn More TESTIMONY | Speaking Out Against Zuckerbucks at Congressional Hearing WILL went to D.C. last week to secure election integrity! Research Director, Will Flanders, spoke about our work defending elections in Wisconsin and our research on the outcome of the 2020 election to the Committee of House Administration. The committee hearing focused on the influence of Zuckerbucks on our nation’s elections, and is chaired by Representative Bryan Steil. 🗯 “WILL’s work to protect elections in Wisconsin and ensure they are conducted in accordance with our laws is vitally important,” said Chairman Bryan Steil. “As Chairman, I’m committed to securing our elections. We appreciated hearing WILL’s testimony today and believe their expertise will benefit our election integrity efforts in 2024 and beyond.” 📺 Watch Flanders' testimony and Q&A! 📰 Read the highlights here. Learn About It Here OP-ED | Affirmative Action Has No Place in Military-Service Academies WILL Attorneys, Dan Lennington and Skylar Croy, recently wrote in the National Review about a lawsuit that is seeking to end affirmative action at West Point, the Army’s service academy. This case is significant, since the Court ruled against affirmative action in higher ed just last year. ✍️ "All soldiers swear to 'support and defend' the Constitution, not to participate in some grand social experiment. As famously articulated long ago, 'our Constitution is color-blind....' The Supreme Court should strike down affirmative action at West Point." Read Op-Ed Here TESTIMONY | Defending Taxpayers at State Capitol WILL was in Madison last week supporting Assembly Joint Resolution 112—a relatively simple, but vitally important, amendment to our state constitution which will strengthen our separation of powers and protect taxpayers. Passing this piece of legislation would ensure no individual Governor from either party has the authority to single-handedly raise taxes or fees. 🗯 WILL Policy Director, Kyle Koenen, stated in his testimony, “Preserving the separation of powers is crucial for maintaining a system of checks and balances that safeguards against the ‘tyrannical’ concentration of power.” Read Testimony   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. 🇺🇸 Stand With Us Read more at www.will-law.org. Check out our various social media platforms!   Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty | 330 E. Kilbourn, Suite 725, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!