John,

It seems impossible that the year 2021 is only 365 days long.

As trying as it’s been for our communities collectively and for ourselves, our neighbors and our families individually, there is hope for the future as we look back at the year that was.

The year began with a right-wing faction, spurred by some Republican politicians, trying to overturn the results of the presidential election they lost in the January 6 Washington D.C. insurrection. 2021 ends with Republicans still trying to sabotage election results with stunts like a sham election inquiry and passing legislation to undermine access to the ballot box. Yet, the efforts of some politicians to undermine our freedom to vote have not succeeded. We still have our votes to make our voices heard on issues important to us.

In a year where the COVID-19 global health pandemic keeps exacting a heavy toll worldwide, we are lucky enough to have easy access to vaccinations to help provide a defense against the worst of the disease.

And as we continue to struggle together to get back to normal, we have seen how leaders willing to invest in us helped keep small businesses afloat, families make ends meet, safely open our schools and keep delivering critical community services.

This year we saw gut-wrenching inequality and racism. Then we saw people come together to demand we do better to live up to the ideals of freedom we espouse.

We are at the end of a difficult year. It was also a year in which we showed our resilience and saw we can do so much better by our fellow Wisconsinites, no matter where they live or what they look like.

So let’s build on the good to take on the challenges of the new year.

• We need to come together to protect our freedom to vote and demand passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in Washington D.C. Here in Wisconsin we must stand with our dedicated election officials, who make it possible for us to vote and have a say in our communities.
• We need to help those who are struggling to make ends meet. It means help with the things that cost and matter the most – a roof over our heads, childcare for our kids, healthcare for our families – that are out of reach for too many as wealthy corporations and billionaires keep our wages down and rake in record profits.
• We need to be vigilant against the real and significant attacks on reproductive freedom as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case opening the door for politicians to impose new restrictions on people's freedom to control their own bodies. 
• We need to continue to demand our elected leaders make smart, bold investments in helping small business build back, helping workers get jobs that support families and invest in rebuilding our aging infrastructure from roads and bridges to broadband internet.

The good news is, we made it through 2021. And if we were able to do that, we can make 2022 a better year.

Make a small donation to A Better Wisconsin Together and help support our work in the new year!