Protestors wearing masking tape over their mouth to symbolize the loss of free speech plan to deliver petitions to Gov. Scott Walker’s office Wednesday, timed to coincide with the Earth Day holiday.
Groups like Forecast the Facts have taken issue with a recent rule change that prohibits any employees of the state’s Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, including the agency’s executive secretary Tia Nelson, from working on climate change-related issues. The protestors argue the change amounts to a gag rule and said they’ll deliver petitions electronically signed by more than 100,000 people asking the governor to condemn the order.
University of Wisconsin-Madison environmental sciences doctoral student Vera Pfeiffer called the order censorship.
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“It prohibits the state employees from doing their job and working in the public interest. It just limits the conversation that can take place,” Pfeiffer said.
Neither the governor’s office nor his campaign organization responded to requests for comment about on the Earth Day event. Walker’s office has previously said “Generally, Gov. Walker does not think it is unreasonable to enact policies requiring lands board staff to focus on board-related activities.”
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