Author

Mel Barnes
Mel Barnes is a staff attorney with Law Forward: a nonprofit, nonpartisan law firm focused on protecting democracy and good government in Wisconsin. She is a graduate of UW Law and previously worked for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, where she focused on litigation and state policy. Read more about Mel at lawforward.org and follow her on twitter @theMelBarnes and @lawfwd.
Wisconsin’s high court shouldn’t let Vos and LeMahieu cut in line
By: Mel Barnes and Matt Rothschild - July 9, 2021
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is once again on the receiving end of an extraordinary request from the leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature. This time, the plea is for the high court to circumvent the normal judicial process and dive headlong into a redistricting-related legal challenge. But the case isn’t about new maps: with the Census […]
Can Wisconsinites recall Ron Johnson?
By: Mel Barnes - March 10, 2021
The idea of recalling Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has been floated in recent months by constituents upset with his behavior since last November’s presidential election. However, can he be recalled is a different question than “should we?” Once fairly forgettable, Wisconsin’s senior U.S. senator has kept himself in the news lately: advancing conspiracy theories about […]
The voter fraud you didn’t hear about: Wisconsin’s Electoral College imposters
By: Mel Barnes - February 16, 2021
This year, Presidents’ Day feels weightier than usual. We weathered a long presidential campaign, and then an unprecedented post-election crusade by the losing candidate to overturn the will of the people. All of this culminated in a domestic terror attack on the U.S. Capitol at the instigation of a sitting president. No one is above […]
Why can’t Wisconsin keep a mask mandate? Gerrymandering
By: Mel Barnes - February 4, 2021
It didn’t have to be this way. Our state Legislature could be doing more to help Wisconsinites, but they aren’t. Why? Because too many legislative districts are drawn so that elected representatives don’t have to be responsive to their constituents. State government is fighting itself at every turn. The Legislature not only didn’t convene — […]