While the campus shut down for winter break, the city of Madison did not miss a beat. The past month has seen variable activity, from community issues to governmental changes.
Gun issues
Madison Police Department Chief Mike Koval held a press conference Jan. 14 that highlighted the importance of community assistance in reporting crimes involving gun violence. He referenced a Jan. 12 incident in which two gun-related arrests were made possible through community cooperation.
“We cannot go it alone,” he said at the conference. “We must have people in real time, incorporating what they’ve seen, what they’ve heard, what they can produce and share it with us, so that together, collectively, we can create the sort of interventions that are meaningful and will prevent the kinds of violence we’re seeing taking place in our community.”
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin also spoke out about guns in a Jan. 5 statement, which outlined his support for President Barack Obama’s executive action on gun control.
“We have too many gun deaths in our country and I applaud his multifaceted efforts to make changes,” Soglin said in the statement.
Voter ID
In anticipation of upcoming elections, the Dane County Voter ID Coalition will be holding a voter education and registration event in Dane County libraries Saturday, Jan. 23.
The event will have Special Registration Deputies to answer questions about new voter ID laws and register voters. The event is being coordinated with the support of the Madison City Clerk and Dane County libraries.
“We want to make sure everyone understands the new laws and is prepared to vote. These events are intended to engage with the community in a fun way,” Coalition Co-chair Ingrid Rothe said in a statement. “We’re here to help people not just understand the new voter ID laws and register to vote, but to be a continuous resource for them.”
The next election is the spring primary Feb. 16.
Alder resignation
Ald. Chris Schmidt, District 11, announced his resignation from Common Council Jan. 7. The resignation will be effective Jan. 31.
Schmidt has served on multiple committees since first being elected in 2009 and served as Common Council president in 2013 and 2014.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as District 11 Alder for nearly seven years. Circumstances in my professional life have changed since I filed for re-election last fall, and my career in satellite meteorology requires my full attention,” Schmidt said in a statement. “Serving the City as Alder, itself a full-time job, has been very important to me, but being Alder is not my livelihood, and my livelihood must come first.”
The Common Council Organizational Committee will review applications for the open seat and make a recommendation to the Common Council, who will make the appointment.
The Common Council will also decide whether or not to hold a special election in November for the seat. If they do hold an election, the winner will serve until the next planned election in April 2017, according to a statement from the city.
