10/19/04: Madison Legislators Support Referendum Against Iraq War

Madison Legislators Support Referendum Against Iraq War

The Capital Times :: METRO :: 1C

by Steven Elbow The Capital Times

All five state legislators from Madison today lent their signatures today to boost an effort to get an anti-war referendum on the April ballot.

"It's just one way for people to express themselves on this important issue," said state Rep. Spencer Black just before signing an oversize version of a petition circulating in at least 15 communities around the state, including Madison.

The Bring Our Troops Home coalition, a collection of more than 30 groups, including labor unions, churches, peace groups and political organizations, started the signature drive on Sept. 14 to authorize the ballot measure. The coalition wants to get the question "Should the United States bring all military personnel home from Iraq now?" on the ballot.

The co-chairman of the effort, Steve Burns, said the petition will need 12,800 valid signatures to get on the ballot. The coalition is shooting for 16,000 signatures to ensure the ballot initiative if some of the signatures are contested.

"Over 100 volunteers are working right now to collect signatures," said Burns, a member of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice and the Four Lakes Green Party.

The effort has 60 days from the outset to collect all the signatures, putting the deadline in early November. So far, the petition has 11,000 names.

Black, along with Reps. Joe Parisi and Mark Pocan, signed the petition at a media event this morning at the City-County Building. Rep. Terese Berceau and Sen. Fred Risser, who were called unexpectedly to committee meetings, were expected to sign later in the day.

"I feel we're doing more harm than good by being there," Parisi said before signing.

He said the war, which now has claimed nearly 2,000 lives of American military personnel and has wounded 12,000, has touched virtually everyone in the community. Parisi has a niece and two nephews serving in Iraq.

Pocan said that by signing the petition he's helping to send "a message to Washington that we want to bring our troops home."

Similar efforts, spearheaded by the Wisconsin Green Party, are under way in La Crosse, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Wauwatosa, Evansville, Ladysmith, Superior, Manitowoc, Portage, Spring Green, Eau Claire and Whitefish Bay, and Sawyer, Door and Polk counties, Burns said. Of those, Evansville is the only community that has the required number of signatures.

Burns said more communities are in the process of starting a petition drive.

Organizers hope the efforts will help bring the war to the forefront of issues as the 2006 Congressional elections approach.

"We can't guarantee all those efforts will be successful," Burns said. But he said the petition drives will nevertheless send a powerful message to Washington.

Information about signing the petition or getting a petition form to gather signatures can be found at wisconsintroopshome.org.

\ E-mail: selbow@madison.com