Gov. Evers Orders Flags to be Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Milwaukee Ald. and Former State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #242 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Fri., Nov. 8, 2024, in honor of Milwaukee Ald. and former Wisconsin State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, who passed away on Mon., Nov. 4, 2024.

“Jonathan’s passing is a tragedy to all who knew him and for the many whose lives have been bettered because of his service and advocacy. As a legislator, Jonathan was always eager to seek the good in others, always working in earnest to bridge divides and bring people together of different backgrounds and perspectives,” said Gov. Evers in a statement released shortly after former Rep. Brostoff’s passing.

“There are few who advocate as zealously and tenaciously as Jonathan did for the people and causes he cared about. Whether it was supporting the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard-of-Hearing community, increasing shared revenue, expanding access to mental health services, or any of the many other issues he focused on, Jonathan fully devoted himself to the work and was relentless in pursuing the change he believed in.

“Like so many, Kathy and I are shocked and saddened by Jonathan’s passing, and we are keeping his wife, Diana, their four young kids, their families and friends, and all those who knew and loved Jonathan close to our hearts. We lost him far, far too soon.”

Former Rep. Brostoff was born in Milwaukee and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in political science. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2014, where he represented the 19th Assembly District until 2022. During his four terms in office representing Assembly District 19, former Rep. Brostoff served on notable committees such as the Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, the Committee on Mental Health, and the Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform. Former Rep. Brostoff was also a staunch advocate for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard-of-Hearing community and authored legislation that aimed to address the shortage of sign language interpreters in Wisconsin. Following his time in the Assembly, in November 2022, former Rep. Brostoff was elected to serve the 3rd District of the Milwaukee Common Council, championing issues like pedestrian safety and bike lane accessibility as well as sustainability. In addition to his years of public service as an elected official, former Rep. Brostoff was also known to spend his time volunteering at a local youth shelter and at the Maryland Avenue Montessori School, as well as remaining active with the Milwaukee Public Allies program, for which he was an alumnus, and Dryhootch, a non-profit focused on peer support and services for veterans.

Services for former Rep. Brostoff will be held on Fri., Nov. 8, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Executive Order #242 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Fri., Nov. 8, 2024, and is available here.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.