Wisconsin Right to Boycott Lobby Day
media release; In these unprecedented times, many of us are looking to use every method of resistance, peaceful protest, and collective action to defend our democracy. But did you know that, since 2018, a Wisconsin law has restricted your right to boycott? Wisconsin is one of 38 states with an “anti-boycott law,” requiring anyone seeking a state contract of $100,000 or more to sign a pledge that they will not boycott Israel. This is repression of free speech in order for Wisconsinites to do business in their own state! Moreover, it inhibits our ability to partake in a time-honored tradition of peaceful protest that works-- across history and in a wide range of contexts, boycotts have given citizens the collective power to create more just societies.
The groups behind Wisconsin's anti-boycott bill are notorious enemies of the interrelated pro-democracy, pro-planet, pro-justice causes we are all fighting for. In other states, laws prohibiting boycotts of Israel have been used as a blueprint to repress progressive causes by, for example, prohibiting state contractors from boycotting the fossil fuel industry, the firearm industry, or companies that refuse to provide reproductive health benefits. The same has already happened in Wisconsin. In 2023, a bill requiring contractors to pledge they will not boycott the fossil fuel industry was introduced and although it failed, there is no better time to tell our state legislators that we want them to protect our freedoms of speech and peaceful protest.
Representatives will be introducing a repeal this spring. To support the WI Right to Boycott Campaign:
Register for a remote info session on April 5 @ 4pm or April 17 @ 7pm.
Check out more information and fill out our interest form
Sign up to join us at the Capitol on April 23, where we will lobby our representatives to restore our right to boycott.
Follow us on Instagram (@wiright2boycott), Bluesky (@wiright2boycott.bsky.social) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/
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