For the City-Times

The State Assembly on Friday adjourned for the 2013-2014 regular legislative session, after ending the session with a series of bills to limit voting rights and increase money in politics. In response, Rep. Katrina Shankland of Stevens Point released the following statement:

“I’m disappointed that Assembly Republicans want to pack up and start their re-election campaigns when there is so much work left to be done. There’s still time for the legislature to strengthen BadgerCare, fairly fund our public schools, invest in Wisconsin-based renewable energy, restore environmental protections, help cancer patients by passing a clean oral chemotherapy bill, and most importantly, create jobs. But Republicans are more concerned with keeping their own jobs than growing jobs for their constituents.

“Republicans are so afraid of losing their jobs this November, that they spent the final session day limiting the right to vote and gifting themselves the ability to collect more campaign donations from lobbyists. Do they really think their constituents want more money in politics and less access to the polls? While Democrats want to fix Wisconsin’s problems, Republicans just want to fix elections.

“As public servants, it’s our job to serve our constituents. Republicans should not be abandoning them after only three months into the year. If Republicans focused half as hard on creating jobs as they did on protecting their own jobs this session, Wisconsin would not rank 9 out of 10 in the Midwest and 35th in the nation in job growth. I call on the legislature to work together to strengthen Wisconsin, not break early to go campaign. The people of Wisconsin expect and deserve nothing less.”