Well folks,
It's quite possible that "the times, they are a' changing" in Wisconsin.
Although every election in Wisconsin is close, the polls are showing that progressive judge Janet Protasiewicz is currently leading Dan Kelly, a right-wing judge who was paid by state and national Republicans for advise on election issues in 2020--advise that included the illegal GOP plan to submit fraudulent electors.
But that doesn't meant we can become complacent. The polls were also favorable for the progressive Supreme Court candidate in 2019, but a flood of dark money turned the tide and the conservatives won by a mere 5K votes out of ~5 million Wisconsinites.
I voted early last Friday by taking advantage of Wisconsin's in-person absentee ballet program--a convenience that could very well end if conservatives regain the balance of power on Wisconsin's Supreme Court and continue ruling in favor of Republican voter-suppression schemes.
The Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC's work in this election is largely done. With your help, we've put billboards up for Janet all over rural Wisconsin and held parties to recruit volunteers to get out the vote in the crucial progressive cities of Madison and Milwaukee. What's left now is for volunteers to keep calling, canvassing, and reminding their neighbors to vote.
And what that also means is that I'm going to take a needed vacation.
While the times look like they might be "a'changin'" statewide, the atmosphere in deep red Northern Wisconsin is still quite regressive, and the struggle is ongoing for the Minocqua Brewing Company.
We are currently slogging through two local quagmires: being sued by our local right-wing newspaper for defamation and in our second year of fighting our town and county to allow us to serve beer in our taproom.
Imagine a federal and state-licensed brewery having to fight their local government to simply serve beer! It's mind-boggling, especially in a state whose major league baseball team's name is the "Brewers."
For those interested in more details, I analyzed this meritless defamation lawsuit in last week's Up North Podcast, and wrote at length about our continued fight with the Town and County on our blog last Wednesday.
These unnecessary partisan and petty fights are now part and parcel of political life in Wisconsin. Not only do they hinder progress, creativity, and the general jolliness of us "cheeseheads," but they have been particularly draining for me as of late.
So I'm going to take a little break and recharge. And for me, recharging weirdly means flopping awkwardly in the ocean trying to remember how to surf--an activity I do to decompress but have never gotten very good at:)
This means you'll be getting a welcome break from these weekly updates, and we'll also pause the weekly Up North Podcast for awhile.
To follow our non-political events, please go to our social media channels, and of course please keep buying our #progressivebeer, Woke coffee, and Choice Wine.
Lastly, if you live in Wisconsin, please go and vote early this week and check it off your to-do list. Those reading this email from afar thank you.
Together, by marching to the polls, we can finally turn Wisconsin, and our nation, around.
Kirk Bangstad
Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company
Founder, Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC