ACT 12: A law of anti-Blackness and economic exploitation
By Yolanda Odufuwa
The United States’ dependence on capital accumulation has always managed to be at the expense of Black people, especially our most marginalized. The growing funding for the police department and other security apparatuses drives the inability to maintain our infrastructure and critical services across the City of Milwaukee. Alas, the willingness of our political leaders to sacrifice so much, for so little, is a draining game we can no longer take part in. The anti-democratic, economically exploitative, and anti-Black nature of ACT 12 reveals the legacy of grave inequality in the United States.
The Wisconsin State Legislature passed ACT 12 in June of 2023. To summarize, the city and county of Milwaukee received the authority to implement a 2% and .4% sales tax, an ability typically held by the state government alone. In exchange for that privilege, Milwaukee is required to adhere to provisions under threat of reduced future state aid. Central to provisions in ACT 12 are the maintenance of police force levels, police force funding, limiting diversity partnerships, and returning a minimum of 25 School Resource Officers (SROs) to Milwaukee Public Schools. The troubles of these provisions are glaringly clear to Black people and families in Milwaukee, however, there is little discussion on how the production of ACT 12 poses additional dangers.
Local issues are intended to be addressed by local government, with the input of local residents. A myriad of critiques can be (rightfully) placed on this process, but it is understood as the foundation of democracy. ACT 12 deprives the people of Milwaukee a voice in the process of how our tax dollars are used. This anti-democratic practice mirrors white supremacist attitudes that grew in the reconstruction period. In response to Black people gaining positions in State and local governance across the South, their power was usurped through direct and indirect intimidation. The notion that the primarily Black leadership and residents of Milwaukee are incapable of building and sustaining our community is rooted in white supremacist fears of Black autonomy. Instead of considering local opinion, the law requires that the revenue generated by the sales tax be directed to pension-related costs, not the needs of everyday people. The allocation of local revenue is typically controlled by local governance, and it is the right of everyday people to say where they want their money directed. Despite the importance of Milwaukee’s economic production, it is not adequately reflected in the annual aid offered by the state. The city’s lingering debt issue is often the justification for state GOP leader's disregard for local opposition; it is nothing short of “authoritarian governance in the name of austerity” (Kelley, 2017). However, the exploitation and harm in ACT 12 moves beyond the dollar and manifests through anti-Blackness and policing.
Our current racial order maintains that Black people must be controlled for the economic interests of the state to be secured. It is then less surprising that ACT 12 requires 25 SROs in MPS throughout the school year. It is well known that policing does not solve issues; it simply provides punishment and replaces the need for connection with rigid social order. We are witnessing the political sacrifice of Black families, especially the Black youth of Milwaukee, for so little. In the name of capitalist production and possible debt alleviation, they have violently forced another generation of BIPOC and disabled children to experience the direct threat of police surveillance and control in school. They have violently forced Black residents to endure additional policing when we’ve asked for more care instead. Care is rooted in the affirmation of life and empowerment, care looks like investing in young people and increasing affordable housing. Instead, they have entrenched practices rooted in control, violence, and anti-blackness. They have authorized violations of democratic norms, the stripping of economic dignity, and more policing, for a measly 2% sales tax. It is critical to remember that capital accumulation or debt alleviation efforts should never be at the expense of Black youth, families, and people. It is fully possible to meet the economic needs of Milwaukee without expanding policing or obstructing local governance. The LiberateMKE campaign has continuously shown that when we invest in life-affirming services, the economic and social well-being of our city improves.
Yolanda Odufuwa (They/She), a second-year Master of Sustainable Peacebuilding student at UW-Milwaukee, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Critical Identity Studies from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. Yolanda has served as a Project Assistant for the MKE Black Grassroots Network for Health Equity and a Policy Intern for Leaders Igniting Transformation, drawing from their experiences in student and community organizing to fuel research pursuits focused on social justice movements, healing justice, gender, race, and political behavior.
