Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org
April 30, 2006
Contacts:
Bob Poeschl, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 920-312-0529, carpepax@riseup.net
Ruth Weill, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 414-562-6097, cell - 414-350-2107,
moondog@execpc.com
Wisconsin Guard forces needed at home to respond to state emergencies
WEST BEND, WI -- At its annual spring gathering this weekend, the Wisconsin Green Party membership adopted a resolution calling on Governor Doyle to veto the April 22 deployment of 430 members of the Wisconsin National Guard, and to veto all future deployments of the Wisconsin Guard. Greens say the deployments threaten the guard's ability to respond to state emergencies.
The April 22 Wisconsin Guard deployment came just three weeks after 24 of 32 Wisconsin communities voted yes on April 4th to bringing all the troops home from Iraq. That vote was the product of a yearlong campaign initiated by the Wisconsin Green Party to let the voice of the people be heard.
"Including this most recent deployment, Wisconsin has sent three-fourths of our entire Guard to Iraq to serve on active duty since 2001," said Claude Vander Veen, Green candidate for Wisconsin Senate in District 7. "Should we have a real emergency here in Wisconsin, our Wisconsin Guard will be hard put to respond adequately. We urge Governor Doyle to veto the latest deployment, as well as future deployments, and to bring the Wisconsin Guard home, in order to ensure that we will have the protection we need here."
Greens point to the example of Hurricane Katrina, in which hundreds of people died due to the inability of the Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas Guards to respond. Wisconsin experienced its worst tornado season on record last year, and this year is expected to be little different.
"Governor Doyle has the legal authority to veto these Wisconsin Guard deployments," said Tony Palmeri, Professor of Communications at UW Oshkosh, and former Green Party candidate for Wisconsin Assembly. "Both the security of our people and the votes cast by citizens on April 4th make a strong case for using that veto power."
In 1986, after some governors withheld their states' Guard members from Reagan Administration military interventions in Central America, Congress responded by passing the Montgomery Amendment. The Amendment states that "The consent of a governor . . . may not be withheld (in whole or in part) with regard to active duty outside of the United States, its territories, and its possessions, because of any objection to the location, purpose, type, or schedule of such active duty."
When challenged by the state of Minnesota in 1990, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Montgomery Amendment was Constitutional. However, the decision included a caveat: "Indeed, if the federal training mission were to interfere with the State Guard's capacity to respond to local emergencies, the Montgomery Amendment would permit the Governor to veto the proposed mission."
In addition to citing the Montgomery Amendment as solid grounds for a veto of future guard deployments, Greens contend that Wisconsin's state sovereignty over the Wisconsin Guard is not subject to the supremacy of the U.S. court. Therefore, the Wisconsin Green Party also called on Governor Doyle to exercise his state constitutional authority to bring home all members of the Wisconsin Guard stationed in Iraq.
"The Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant recently had to have an emergency shut down," said Jill Bussiere, candidate for Wisconsin State Senate District 1. "The workers at the plant did a good job ensuring our safety on this occasion. But in the future, we might need our Wisconsin Guard here at home in case of a nuclear event that requires evacuation, or to respond to a weather-related disaster. As a result of global warming, storms are increasing in frequency and intensity. It behooves Governor Doyle to veto the deployment of the Guard, and to bring them home in order to safeguard Wisconsin citizens."
WISCONSIN GREEN PARTY RESOLUTION calling on Governor Doyle to exercise state control over the Wisconsin Guard, to veto the April 22, 2006 deployment of 430 Wisconsin soldiers to Iraq and surrounding areas, and to take additional action to keep the guard home.
WHEREAS the Wisconsin Constitution in article V, section 4 empowers the governor to act as commander in chief of the military and naval forces of the state; and
WHEREAS the 1986 US Congress' Montgomery Amendment permits governors to veto federal military missions which interfere with the State Guard's capacity to respond to local emergencies; and
WHEREAS rescue and recovery efforts in Louisiana and other gulf states were severely impaired due to excessive amounts of State Guard and equipment stationed in Iraq; and
WHEREAS roughly three-fourths of Wisconsin Guard's 9,700-members have served on active duty since 2001, including 430 deployed on Saturday, April 22 for a one year tour in Iraq and surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS the excessive deployment of the Wisconsin Guard places an unfair burden on their families, negatively affects the state's economy, and makes the state less able to handle local emergencies; and
WHEREAS on April 4th citizens in 24 communities across Wisconsin voted yes to bringing our troops home from Iraq;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that that Wisconsin Green Party demands that Governor Jim Doyle veto the deployment of the 430 soldiers sent overseas on April 22; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Governor Doyle use his veto power on future deployments of the Wisconsin Guard that threaten our state security; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Governor Doyle exercise his State Constitutional authority to bring the Wisconsin Guard home now; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to Wisconsin's Congressional delegation, Senators Kohl and Feingold, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and President George W. Bush.
Adopted by the Green Party of Wisconsin on April 29, 2006 at their annual Spring Gathering and Membership meeting in West Bend, WI.
