New MMAC Leader Says, “We’re Going to Fight for the Whole Community”

What does Dale Kooyenga like about Milwaukee?

The question came from a member of the audience at a program at Marquette Law School’s Eckstein Hall on Tuesday (April 25, 2023). The questioner said she assumed that Kooyenga didn’t like Milwaukee because he was formerly a Republican member of the Wisconsin legislature who lives in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield. The way Republicans in the legislature have butted heads with Milwaukee leaders, generally Democrats, is a long-standing dynamic of Wisconsin politics.

But Kooyenga answered empathically that he shouldn’t be counted as part of that, not when looking at his past record and especially not when looking at his new role as senior vice president of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce. Kooyenga is expected to succeed the long-time president of the MMAC, Tim Sheehy.

For one thing, Kooyenga said, his state Senate district in recent years included some parts of the city of Milwaukee, and he was proud to represent the full district. For another thing, Kooyenga said, ask former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett if Kooyenga was someone who Milwaukee leaders could talk to.

But, more broadly, Kooyenga had to pause before answering what he  likes about Milwaukee because, as he put it, “it’s a long list.” Recreational opportunities, spectator sports, the ease of doing things, the life his family is able to live, the diverse people of the metropolitan area, and, simply, the friendly character of Milwaukee and Milwaukeeans. Kooyenga said he grew up in Chicago and came to the Milwaukee area initially to go to college. He assumed he’d move back to Chicago as soon as he could. But he quickly decided Milwaukee was a great place to live — and he hasn’t left.

Furthermore, he said, don’t peg him in his new role by his partisanship in the past. “We’re going to fight for the whole community. . . . That’s important to me,” he said. “The MMAC will do what’s in Milwaukee’s best interest.”

Kooyenga said that for years, the MMAC has based its programs on four goals for the Milwaukee area: livability, growth, talent, and equity. He said the organization will continue to pursue those goals.

He praised Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley for the effort they are putting into building relationships with state leaders in Madison, including Republican legislative leaders. Their work will pay “huge dividends,” he said. And allowing local sales taxes to support government in Milwaukee – an idea that Johnson, Crowley, the MMAC, and others are supporting — “has to happen.”   

Kooyenga’s spoke at the first session of a new program of the Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Called “Get to Know,” the programs will be hosted by Derek Mosley, the new director of the Lubar Center, and are intended to provide a somewhat informal chance to meet interesting people involved in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin.

The conversation with Kooyenga, Mosley, and members of the audience may be viewed by clicking below.

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Tesla Wins First Trial Involving “Autopilot,” but More Serious Cases Loom

On April 21, Tesla was handed a victory in the first-ever trial involving Autopilot. The case provides an early glimpse into how efforts to hold Tesla liable for Autopilot crashes might fare with juries, and the press has called the trial a “bellwether” for others that are currently pending. Nevertheless, a close look at the facts indicates that plaintiffs might have more success in the future.

The plaintiff, Justine Hsu, was driving her Tesla in stop and go traffic on a surface street with a concrete median in Arcadia, California. She activated Autopilot, a suite of features that includes “traffic aware cruise control,” a system that automatically adjusts speed based on traffic conditions and that is, according to her complaint, popular among Tesla owners in heavy traffic. The car was driving about 20-30 miles per hour when it suddenly swerved off the road and into the median. At this point the car’s airbag deployed, shattering Hsu’s jaw and knocking out several of her teeth. (The airbag manufacturer was also a defendant in the case, and was also found not liable by the jury).

In a few ways, Hsu’s case represents a classic fact pattern involving Autopilot. On one hand, the system clearly did not function as it was designed to do. Autonomous vehicles should not suddenly swerve off the road, and yet in several cases Autopilot has done just that. One such case was the crash that killed Walter Huang, who was using Autopilot on his commute to work when his car veered off the highway and into a concrete barrier at more than 70 miles per hour. On a basic level, Hsu’s case was an effort to hold Tesla liable for this malfunction, and also for the misleading way Autopilot is marketed.

On the other hand, Hsu was using Autopilot in a setting where it was not supposed to be used.

Continue ReadingTesla Wins First Trial Involving “Autopilot,” but More Serious Cases Loom

Why did Tony Evers outperform Mandela Barnes?

Tony Evers won reelection as governor by an unusually large margin for a top-of-the-ticket November election in Wisconsin. He received 51.1% of the vote, compared to 47.8% for his challenger, Republican Tim Michels.

Simultaneously, Republican Senator Ron Johnson was also reelected, albeit more narrowly. Johnson won 50.4% of the vote, while his Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes took 49.4%.

Expressed in margin terms, the outcome of the governor’s race was a 3.4-point Democratic victory, and the outcome of the senate race was a 1.0-point Republican win, meaning the two races saw a net spread of 4.4 points. That’s no small thing in a state as narrowly divided as Wisconsin, where the 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2020 presidential races were all decided by less than 1 point. (In fact, the last two presidential candidates to actually win a majority of the vote are Barack Obama and Michael Dukakis.)

Many observers were surprised by this gap between Evers and Barnes—the two most prominent statewide Democratic candidates. Some suggested that a wave of racist attack ads accounted for Barnes’ narrow loss. Certainly, publicly available polling showed a marked decline in support for Barnes between the primary and the general election, consistent with the timing of the anti-Barnes advertising blitz.

Still, after comparing the two marquee races to everything else on the ballot, it’s clear that Barnes’ performance isn’t unusual. Instead, Evers’ strong performance and the enduring significance of incumbency advantage are what stand out.

Continue ReadingWhy did Tony Evers outperform Mandela Barnes?