Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Peace City Resolution topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Milwaukee committee adopts 'peace city' resolution urging U.S. nuclear disarmament after public testimony
Summary
The Judiciary and Legislation Committee on March 17 adopted a resolution asking the city to register its opposition to expansive U.S. nuclear modernization and to declare Milwaukee a peace-oriented jurisdiction.
The Judiciary and Legislation Committee on March 17 adopted a substitute resolution asking the City of Milwaukee to declare itself a peace-oriented jurisdiction and urging restraint on U.S. nuclear modernization spending.
The resolutions sponsor said the item provides a forum for constituents and grassroots activists to register their views, and the committee heard a brief statement from local advocates. Steven Shea, a former Milwaukee County supervisor representing Veterans for Peace and allied neighborhood groups, spoke in support and framed the issue as locally relevant because federal defense spending is funded by taxpayers.
"If The United States is gonna spend nearly $2,000,000,000,000 to modernize its nuclear arsenal, where does that tax money come from? It comes from all the people sitting in this room," Shea told the committee. He urged adoption so Milwaukee could join other jurisdictions in calling for a change in federal priorities. (Transcript evidence: Shea: "If The United States is gonna spend nearly $2,000,000,000,000 ... it comes from all the people sitting in this room.")
Sponsor remarks emphasized representation and constituent organizing. The Legislative Reference Bureau advised on technical drafting; the bureaus drafter was present to answer technical questions.
The committee adopted the motion to adopt the resolution; no recorded objections were raised in committee and aldermen were added as co-sponsors by unanimous consent where requested. The file will be forwarded to the full Common Council for consideration.
Why it matters: While the resolution is nonbinding and directed at federal policy, its sponsors said it gives voice to constituents and signals municipal concern about federal spending priorities and nuclear risk.
What the committee record shows: testimony from Veterans for Peace, sponsor comments about constituent organizing, and a Legislative Reference Bureau representative available to answer drafting questions. The committee moved the item with an adoption motion and no recorded objections at the committee level. (Transcript evidence: multiple lines of sponsor and Steven Shea testimony and a motion to adopt.)
