Wisconsin Republicans want to limit security for state’s first black Lt. Governor — despite rising white supremacy
Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, photo by SEIU Local 1

In the October midterm elections, the voters of Wisconsin elected the state's first black lieutenant governor. Not everyone, however, was happy to see Mandela Barnes make history.


Legislative Republicans are trying to limit the cost of protecting Barnes, the Journal Sentinel reported Thursday.

"Republicans planned to include a provision in their budget that would prevent the state's security team from spending more to protect Barnes over the next two years than it did in the last two years of GOP Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch's term," the newspaper explained. "The proposal was a reaction to a report that Barnes' security costs were far above Kleefisch's at the end of her time in office."

Brendon Weathersby, who was an aide to Barnes when he was in the state assembly, was shocked to see such a move in this era of white supremacist violence.