Hearing for the Guard Home-It's the Law! Campaign - Madison

3/9 Tues Hearing for the Guard Home-It's the Law! Campaign - statewide interest. In the State Capitol in Madison. Contact: Steve Burns at outreach@wnpj.org .

We will all have a chance today to stand up for the members of the Wisconsin Guard and the rule of law - can you stand with us? On March 9

, the Wisconsin State Assembly's Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs will hold hearings on Assembly Bill 203, the "Safeguard the Guard" bill, which requires the Governor to conduct a legal review of any Federal request for overseas deployment of Wisconsin’s Guard and to refuse any deployment determined to be unlawful.

This is a critical moment – and an incredible opportunity - for the "Safeguard the Guard" campaign. With only 13 days to go, we need to be ready on March 9 with the most effective and compelling testimony possible, and ensure that the hearing room is standing-room-only, with people like you who want us to protect Wisconsin’s Guard from unlawful overseas deployments. (Why are Guard deployments to Iraq illegal?

Read the answer here...

We've already lined up an impressive roster of speakers, including veterans, military families, and even Mike Fisher, the Vermont state legislator who drafted the nation's first state-level legislation challenging federal deployment orders. Mike has succeeded in persuading a majority of the legislators in Vermont's lower house of the need for states to enact legal safeguards on Guard deployments, and we're confident he will present a powerful case to the members of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

Here's how you can help:

1. Attend the hearing:

Hundreds of new bills get introduced in the legislature every year, and our ability to demonstrate public interest determines whether our bill survives or falls by the wayside. On March 9, we will have the opportunity to put a display of public interest right in front of the ten legislators who will be deciding the fate of the "Safeguard the Guard" bill.

Your presence on March 9 shows you care about the members of the Guard, respect the sacrifices they have made, and want us to honor their commitment to our state with a commitment of our own: that they will never again be used in an illegal war.

2. Reach out to the constituents of a committee member:

Do you have friends in Rice Lake? A brother in Wisconsin Rapids? An antiwar uncle in Dodgeville? The members of the

Veterans and Military Affairs Committee

are listed below, and we need "yes" votes from at least six members for the bill to make it out of committee and on to the floor of the Assembly. Can you help us get to six? A call or email to friends and family in these key districts can make a critical difference. You can direct your friends to the State Assembly's

"Who Are my Legislators?"

page if they need to check which legislative district they reside in.

3. Nominate a speaker:

One of the most effective ways to make the case for protecting Wisconsin’s Guard from illegal deployments is to bring home to the Veteran’s Affairs committee the high cost our Guard members and communities have paid for the current unlawful deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some voices we seek to include are:

Do you know someone who can speak effectively on this issue? Please forward your nominations for speakers to Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice at (608) 250-9240,

outreach@wnpj.org

.

4. Make a donation

:

We're optimistic about our chances with the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, but we also know that the effort to "democratize defense" and give citizens meaningful tools to restrain a federal government bent on endless war won't be won or lost with one vote in the Wisconsin state assembly. Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice has been hard at work for twenty years, and your donation helps make sure we'll be here for the long run, working on "Safeguard the Guard" and many other issues you care about. Please

join or donate here...

In peace and solidarity,

Steve Burns Program Director, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice (608) 250-9240,

outreach@wnpj.org

Members of Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee:
Chair:

Steve Hilgenberg,

Dodgeville

, (608) 266-7502, Room 5 North

Vice-Chair:

Marlin Schneider,

Wisconsin Rapids

, (608) 266-8955, Room 204 North

Robert Turner,

Racine

, (608) 266-0731, Room 223 North

Mary Hubler,

Rice Lake

, (608) 266-2519, Room 119 North

Christine Sinicki,

Milwaukee

, (608) 266-8588, Room 114 North

Nick Milroy,

Superior

, (608) 266-0640, Room 8 North

Kevin Petersen,

Waupaca

, (608) 266-3794, Room 109 West

Jerry Petrowski,

Marathon

, (608) 266-1182, Room 16 West

John Townsend,

Fond du Lac

, (608) 266-3794, Room 109 West

Dan Meyer,

Eagle River

, (608) 266-7141, Room 308 North

Thinking of sending a letter?

Did you know that

handwritten

letters are actually more effective than printed letters? Even a very brief handwritten note can be very effective in winning over a legislator.

Mail letters to: Room #, State Capitol, P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708-8952

Where is the Wisconsin Guard today?

In January, the last units of Wisconsin's 32nd "Red Arrow" brigade returned from a year-long deployment to Iraq, ending the largest overseas deployment of Wisconsin's National Guard since WWII. But

deployments to Iraq continue

. In March, nearly 400 members of the 724th Engineer Battalion will be ordered to active duty for a deployment to Iraq. The affected soldiers are part of Guard units based in Chippewa Falls, Hayward, Medford, Spooner and Superior. And in June, the Madison-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment will mobilize for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq.