Sarah Godlewski
Press Release

Sarah Godlewski Releases Plan for Rural Wisconsin

Five-Pillar Policy Proposal Follows Endorsements from Rural Coalition as Godlewski Shows Strength in Communities Other Democrats Often Ignore

By - Jan 25th, 2022 06:32 am

MADISON – Today, candidate for U.S. Senate and Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski released a plan for rural Wisconsin. Sarah’s plan–the most comprehensive rural agenda of any candidate in the field–calls for investment in rural Wisconsin to ensure that no matter where Wisconsinites live, everyone has access to jobs, education, health care, and overall quality of life they want and deserve.

“Everywhere I go, Wisconsinites tell me that Washington politicians talk and talk but don’t listen, let alone deliver,” said Sarah Godlewski. “From access to broadband internet to improving health care to creating jobs and opportunities, my five-point plan will deliver on kitchen table issues for rural Wisconsin. As Senator, I will listen, I will engage, and I will ensure that Washington politicians finally start hearing Wisconsin’s rural voices.”

Over the coming days, Sarah will embark on a statewide rural tour, where she will listen to community leaders and discuss her plan. Sarah’s expansive policy proposal follows the release of a broad coalition of rural leaders supporting Sarah’s campaign, who touted her commitment to stand up for rural communities that Washington ignores and her focus on the kitchen table issues that matter most to rural Wisconsin.

“Rural communities in Wisconsin have lost trust in the Democratic Party for not taking them seriously. Sarah Godlewski has taken the time to show up and listen to the challenges that rural Wisconsin communities face and her rural plan shows it. She’s going to places that Democrats often ignore and she’s working hard to earn support,” said Bill Hogseth, former Chair of Dunn County Democrats and rural community advocate. “We need someone who can go to Washington and be a strong voice for rural issues. Sarah is definitely that person, and this plan shows her dedication to fighting for rural Wisconsinites.”

“I am a rural voter and I have served my neighbors in rural counties for years. So many folks here feel like they’ve been overlooked and left behind. Sarah listens to us and she gets it. Sarah has a plan to revitalize small and rural towns and give hardworking families a boost across the state,” said Jeff Smith, Wisconsin State Senator. “Sarah’s plan will address our unique challenges and increase access to vital services with bold new strategies to bring opportunities to rural Wisconsin. This out-of-the-box thinking is what rural families need and I know I can trust Sarah to turn it into action.”

Engaging with small towns and rural communities early in her campaign makes Sarah unique among her Democratic primary opponents and showcases her unmatched strength with voters Democrats need to win over to beat Ron Johnson. In her 2018 campaign, Sarah outperformed the Governor and Lieutenant Governor in rural communities and small towns. Sarah’s endorsements, policy proposals, and early statewide tour demonstrate her steadfast commitment to delivering for rural communities, a major problem for the party during the Trump Presidency that got even worse during last year’s elections in Virginia.

SARAH GODLEWSKI’S PLAN FOR WISCONSIN WILL:

  1. Make the internet a public utility – In the 21st century, broadband internet access can no longer be treated as a luxury. Sarah wants to make the internet a public utility in order to provide everyone in Wisconsin with guaranteed access to reliable and affordable internet service.
  2. Broaden access to quality medical care – Sarah wants to stem the tide of rural hospital closures and medical provider shortages by bringing in new federal investments and expanding Medicaid coverage to reduce lost hospital revenue. She wants to expand Wisconsin’s university pathway programs to bring talented medical students back to rural communities and increase student loan forgiveness for those communities. Sarah will work to increase telehealth access for rural patients by reducing licensing barriers and providing federal reimbursements for telehealth care.
  3. Expand education and job opportunities – Sarah wants to increase Title I funding for teachers’ salaries and school resources, and extend student loan forgiveness program eligibility for rural teachers. Additionally, Sarah believes our schools must support those who want to continue their education in college as well as students who want to enter the trades, which is why Sarah will work to fund apprenticeship programs and technical colleges across the country. She wants to get women back to work by fixing the current child care deserts that plague rural Wisconsin. Sarah wants to generate more jobs by better supporting entrepreneurs and business incubators, by streamlining federal loan and grant funding obstacles for rural businesses to make it easier to get funding, and by securing federal funding to help farmers and small business owners in the most economically distressed corners of the state.
  4. Combat climate change and protect natural resources – Sarah will work to fight climate change in rural communities by financing clean agriculture practices such as biofuels, carbon capture, and crop rotation while making funding for resiliency projects more accessible. She will work to bring communities and municipalities together to establish proven runoff prevention practices and will fight to reduce PFAS use to ensure clean drinking water. Sarah will make sure public lands stay in public hands and work to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources, including wildlife.
  5. Invest in Wisconsin family farms – Sarah wants a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee so that she can prioritize American farmers in the 2023 farm bill and future trade deals, as well as work to bring the milk pricing system up to date. She plans to support the next generation of farmers by working for special carve-outs for family farmers in capital gains tax increases and by providing financial support to first-generation farmers. Sarah recognizes that the consolidation of agribusinesses threatens many family farms, and she will stand firm against anti-competitive agriculture practices. Sarah understands that farming communities face unique challenges which can take a toll on mental health. She will work to expand access to affordable mental health care, crisis hotlines, and mental health support programs.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Government:

Recent Press Releases by Sarah Godlewski

Sarah Godlewski Releases Statement After Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade is Leaked

POLITICO: “The draft opinion is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights”

2 thoughts on “Sarah Godlewski Releases Plan for Rural Wisconsin”

  1. Mingus says:

    This is the best idea that I have seen coming out of Democratic candidate for office or any elected Democratic official. 21st Century broad band access is critical to economic development of rural areas. The Republican elected representatives from rural areas have done little to expand broadband preferring to take part in all of the political theater of the Republican Party.

  2. Duane says:

    Broadband access will become even more important in the coming years as satellite providers neglect investing in their infrastructure. AT&T announced in 2018 that it’s DirecTV satellite launch would be it’s last. Three years from now Dish Network will have just one satellite within its expected useful lifespan. One telecom analyst recently stated “No one thinks there is any economic sense in launching new satellites,”. Need to start building the fiber network out to rural America. But given the stranglehold corporate interests have on this country, I doubt that public ownership of that asset will be part of the plan. And if Sarah does become a US Senator I am sure she will start to feel the influence of corporate interests on every pillar of her supposed 5 pillar plan. Democrats can’t even pass voting rights legislation. (On January 20th Joe Madison ended his hunger strike, which started on November 8th, as he came to realize that certain corrupt “Democrats” could care less.Smart move on his part).

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