Milwaukee Bucks, business leaders join letter opposing GOP voting bills moving through Wisconsin Legislature

Hope Karnopp
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A group of business leaders joined a letter to state officials in opposition to bills moving through the state Legislature that would limit drop boxes and require more paperwork to vote absentee.

MADISON - Business leaders from across the state, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Weyco Group, are joining a letter to state lawmakers opposing bills moving through the state Legislature that would limit drop boxes, create more paperwork for absentee voters and require disabled voters to provide copies of their IDs in more cases.

More than 60 business owners and leaders signed a statement they plan to release Monday calling on elected officials to oppose the bills, which they said would "create steep barriers to voting, particularly targeting voters with disabilities, elderly voters, and Black and Brown communities." 

"We believe that every Wisconsin voter should have an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy and make their voice heard, regardless of their race, background, or zip code," their letter reads. 

The letter was coordinated by the Wisconsin Voting Rights Coalition, which consists of more than 20 organizations that describe themselves as pro-voter. 

Arvind Gopalratnam, vice president of corporate social responsibility for the Milwaukee Bucks, said the organization hopes to amplify the voices of local community leaders who have advocated for voting rights. 

"Our role is to continue to amplify that ... to bring visibility to those voices. That's the role we feel we play with our microphone, with our platform, is to bring valuable education to the table for people in our community to become aware of the processes and systems that exist," Gopalratnam said. 

Business leaders told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that voting policies should not be regressive and should instead promote access to voting.

Cory Nettles, the president of an investment fund based in Milwaukee that helps small- and medium-sized businesses, said the restrictions would send the wrong message about the state. 

"If you create a culture and an environment that is hostile to civil rights and civil liberties, that makes it harder for you to attract and to retain talent. We have a whole generation of people coming up now who expect to live freely in a free and open society," said Nettles, who served as commerce secretary under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

John Florsheim, chief operating officer of Weyco Group, said that voting "has become a weirdly partisan issue" and that the business community is made up of both Democrats and Republicans. 

"I'm actually optimistic that the business community sees this as just our common sense. Yeah, everybody should have access to voting. There's nothing tough about that, doesn't seem controversial." said Florsheim, whose Glendale-based company sells brand-name shoes.

Republican lawmakers have argued that the bills would build trust in the state's voting system by setting clearer rules for ballot drop boxes and requiring photo IDs to vote in more cases.

Democrats have said the bills sow doubt about an election that was conducted properly with small fractions of potential voter fraud and would make it harder for people to vote. 

Some of the bills are headed to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' desk, where he is almost certain to veto them. 

"My basic theory is democracy works best when we get as many people to the polls as possible," Evers said. "I don’t care if they vote for Republicans or Democrats, as long as they vote. Any time that we take a step back from that, I will look with great disdain on those bills."

Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.