By Rep. Sara Rodriguez
Rep. Sara Rodriguez
My name is Sara Rodriguez, and I am the Lieutenant Governor nominee, running alongside Governor Tony Evers in the upcoming general election. For those of you who may not know me, I am also a nurse, public health professional, small business owner, member of our State Assembly, and a working mom.
I have represented Waukesha County in the Assembly since 2018, and I can tell you, there is more that unites us than divides us. Wisconsinites share a common set of values — we all want good paying jobs, quality schools for our kids, affordable healthcare, and safe communities to raise our families in.
When I became a legislator, I came into office to advocate for our shared values and needs. That means focusing on the things that matter to Wisconsinites, and addressing public safety with common-sense solutions.
My running mate, Governor Tony Evers has worked diligently to make our communities safer and that’s why I’m running alongside him this November.
Gov. Tony Evers
Governor Evers has invested more than $100 million into violence prevention programs and local law enforcement agencies to give communities the tools they need to keep people safe. And just this week, he proposed another $105 million for public safety by increasing shared revenue for localities, which is the money used to fund things like firefighters, EMTs, schools, law enforcement, and more.
Local elected officials on both sides of the aisle have been pleading for years to increase shared revenue, but Republicans in the legislature have chosen to starve municipalities of these critical resources. Even in my district in Waukesha — where many of our local officials are Republicans — they tell me that revenue is an issue for them. In Milwaukee especially, the City is far short of the money needed to improve public safety.
As a mom, one of my top priorities has always been community safety. And as a public health professional, I know that one of the greatest public health crises plaguing our country is gun violence. That’s why as a legislator, I have prioritized common sense gun reform, supported by the majority of Wisconsinites.
After taking office, Governor Evers introduced two pieces of legislation that would create universal background checks and create a red-flag law in Wisconsin.
These bills would have increased public safety as well as have lessened the burden on public safety officials, however they were struck down by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature.
While Governor Evers has fought to enact gun safety measures, he’s also served as a brick wall against outrageous Republican-backed gun bills. Some of these bills include allowing guns on school grounds and nullifying federal firearm laws in Wisconsin and exempting Wisconsin gun owners from enforcement of federal laws.
Governor Evers and I will always do the right thing to ensure people feel safe in their communities.