By Senator Dora Drake One of my first clients I worked with at JusticePoint was a young man who dropped out of high school and faced a misdemeanor case. While he was on pretrial supervision, he took steps to make better choices such as completing his GED and seeking employment. But Job Corps made it […]
Why Child Care Counts
By Senator Dora Drake Childcare needs to be affordable and accessible, but within our state, childcare has become increasingly expensive and inaccessible. Through the Child Care Counts program, families can access quality care to help families participate in our workforce and contribute to the state’s economy. This essential program was recently one of the Republican-controlled […]
Wisconsin Deserves Better Than Budgetary Chaos
By Senator Dora Drake Week after week, lawsuit after lawsuit, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have thrown our state into chaos, cutting meaningful programs that provide services, relief, and assistance from the federal government. Each time they make cuts to federal funding or assistance, they say to us, “It is the responsibility of the states […]
Protect & Embrace Medicaid, Lives Depend On It!
By Senator Dora Drake For weeks, time and time again, the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have announced cuts to federal spending under the guise of saving taxpayer dollars. However, under this surface lies a plot to cut healthcare via Medicaid, endangering millions of lives under the careless and irresponsible […]
Wisconsin Legislators Advocate for Governor Evers Proposed State Budget
By Karen Stokes Wisconsin Legislators Senator Dora Drake (D-04), and Representatives Darrin Madison (D-10), and Sequanna Taylor (D-11) held a State Budget Listening Session at the Villard Square Library to advocate for Governor Evers’ budget proposal. Gov. Tony Evers proposed a $55.5 billion state budget for 2025-27, which is an 18% increase. The budget prioritizes […]
Why Wisconsin Needs the WIN Bill
By Senator Dora Drake Senate Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Chair of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus This year’s theme of Black History Month is African Americans and Labor. Whether it was captive Africans who did agricultural labor, those who organized labor movements, or focused on self-help opportunities through entrepreneurship, African Americans have always used labor […]
Investments Matter: Capitol One Pledges $265 Billion Towards a Community Benefits Plan
By State Senator-Elect Dora Drake It goes without saying that I and many others are witnessing our city’s low and middle-income communities struggle with rising rents, entrepreneurs unable to access capital, and entire neighborhoods caught in cycles of disinvestment or facing gentrification efforts. That’s why I’m optimistic about Capital One’s recently announced $265 billion Community […]
Looks are Deceiving: Why you Should Vote “NO” for Both Constitutional Amendments on August 13th
By State Senator-Elect Dora Drake Time and time again, we ask for more resources to fund resources to address racial and economic disparities, public safety, housing, and education. Even though the GOP-controlled state legislature has yet to allocate the resources we need to have safe and healthy communities, one way our state legislature’s power is […]
Affordable Broadband: White House Leads, But Federal Agency Unity is Key to Success
By State Representative Dora Drake Reliable internet access is no longer a “luxury,” it is a necessity for participating in the modern economy, accessing educational resources, obtaining healthcare, and connecting with loved ones. Wisconsin has been at the forefront of this effort, as our state government under Governor Tony Evers has delivered $214 million to […]
Addressing Unemployment
By Dora Drake Wisconsin State Representative As Milwaukee continues to grapple with issues on education, mental health, literacy rates and transportation, there is one that continues to demand immediate attention: Black Unemployment. As a state representative and a member of this community, we need to address this crisis head on. Tackling unemployment on the northside […]