Rep. Ryan Clancy Opposes Bills Criminalizing Protest Activities and Harming Gig Workers

MADISON, Wis. – Today, the Wisconsin Assembly met to consider a broad swath of bills ranging from criminalizing certain actions taken towards utility infrastructure (AB 242) to designating gig workers as independent contractors (AB 269).

Rep. Clancy spoke against and opposed AB 242 and AB 269.

Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) issued the following statement:

“My votes today were guided by a common thread: we must hold corporations accountable, provide real support to workers, and reform the criminal legal system that is so often leveraged against the working class as it fights for its own liberation.

AB 242 is presented as a protection for utility infrastructure, but actually creates a felony for punishing common, harmless protest conduct like wheat pasting and putting up posters. Far too often the Wisconsin Assembly brings badly written legislation like this to the floor of the Assembly which will lead to more incarcerated people in a system that’s already overwhelmed and overcrowded, leading to more misery and death. We simply cannot keep creating new crimes and enhancing penalties for existing crimes and have any hope of solving that problem.

AB 269 is an idea clearly being pushed by massive, antitrust flaunting tech companies like Uber, Lyft, Instagram and DoorDash to entrench gig workers as independent contractors, denying those workers the legal protections and benefits afforded most employees. If we really wanted to help delivery and rideshare drivers today, we’d pass legislation which solidifies their status as employees, protects their rights to organize and collectively bargain, and ensures that these workers can make family sustaining wages. Not this, which at best undercuts all of that.”

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.