Senator Dora Drake Joins The Truth with Sherwin Hughes (Jan. 2026)

You are listening to The Truth with Sherwin Hughes on 1017 The Truth, The Truth App, and 1017TheTruth.com.

Welcome back to the program. In studio, we're the first time in 2026.

It's the first time.

State Center Door Drake.

Good morning, beautiful people. How are you doing on this cold Thursday morning?

I don't know. It depends on the person. Some people are doing very well.

That's good.

I wouldn't want to be Mandela Barnes right now.

No, I would not want to be him because he's got to be thinking to himself.

All I had to do was just nothing.

And there wouldn't even be a stage of people I'd have to share.

But whatever we're not talking about then.

We should be concerned Senator Drake because the Wisconsin State Center recently rejected

an Equal Rights Amendment which moves anti-discrimination ban Senate Joint Resolution 94

to the November general election ballot.

Here's why I get worried about referendums because when people on initial inspection here

an Equal Rights Amendment, oh well that sounds like something that I should vote for.

But this particular amendment is not what meets the eye.

No.

How would you explain to a lay person what is going to appear on the ballot

and what the implications of this referendum are?

If you look at the language that's going to be on the ballot,

it would say something to the language of that you would want

or state constitution to prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex,

national origin, ethnicity.

And you would think, oh absolutely, I want to support that.

The reality is preferential treatment could be implicated

meaning with our state programs that are actually in push

to actually address anti-discrimination efforts that have happened over the years.

So if you vote for this constitutional amendment on November,

you are gutting all the services and programs

and public dollars that will go to address that would combat discrimination.

And as legislators, we would not be able to write any legislation

to hold people accountable when there is discrimination that's happening.

So for example, and it's mind-boggling because you said something before you go off the air

and I want to ask the question, where are we folks being oppressed at?

The majority of the state is by white Wisconsinites.

And there was the DEI report that Representative Shaysort will put out

that essentially showed that the majority of programming and resources

that were handed out under those measures went to poor white folks in our state.

And Adams County, they got $1 million to go towards public health initiatives

where they're elderly and disabled folks.

I ain't mad at that.

You know, if the goal is for us to help people, then that's our job

because we're literally looking at data saying, hey, we're seeing discrepancies here.

What are some things that we can do to alleviate that?

But instead of legislative Republicans actually just largeening the pot of resources

they are now making it where we can't even do our jobs as legislators

and they would rather harm their own constituents versus

and serving it as meat for their base for the November election

and pit black, you know, white folks again, black and brown folks and women

in order to accomplish that.

And I do fear that past, if this was past, we would go back to pre-sort rights

era if not more.

And in order for this referendum to be voted down,

a majority of white people would have to vote against a policy

that would allow them to sue if they get discriminated against.

So I want to, let me read the statement that I have.

I want to bring this back to you.

Like, how on earth do you spin this?

A quote was constant.

Republicans want to end remedies and justice for women,

along with black and brown communities not end discrimination.

They rejected our amendment that guarantees equal rights for everyone

only for Republicans to claim, quote, reverse racism as their justification.

Their actions are no different from Donald Trump's hate-filled rhetoric

from the White House urging us to blame our neighbors for our struggles

instead of uplifting each other.

Their sole plan for Wisconsin is to divide us while the wealthy profit from this division,

improving the lives and affordability of Wisconsinites is not their concern.

This amendment will legalize discrimination by making accountability unconstitutional.

This November, it is up to the people of our state to stand up for compassion,

morality, and justice for all.

And so here's what I did, Senator Drake, because I'm a person who loves the democracy.

I know you do.

I put a poll up on our YouTube channel because I just want to see the sentiments

of the people that listen to this program, which sometimes I'm afraid of.

And so here's the question.

I made a very simple Senator Drake.

Do White people face discrimination?

And there's only two answers, yes or no.

So the question is on our YouTube poll.

Do White people face discrimination?

76 votes have been cast, and 32% of people say yes,

and 68% of the people say no.

So there is a sentiment, at least amongst these people, that view this program

and God help all of them, that there are some White people that face discrimination.

But then if you look at other parts of the state and rural parts of the state

that don't like Milwaukee, they don't like diversity,

it is going to be tough for them to see that this referendum essentially hurts everybody,

does not necessarily give them an advantage.

But let me ask you this one question.

So because we've had many, many years, if not centuries of people of color,

African Americans, in particular, are not getting and receiving,

let's say public contracts or government contracts or state contracts.

There was, and I think this goes back to Tommy Thompson's time as governor,

a small percentage of state of Wisconsin contracts for services have to go to

either minority businesses or African American businesses.

What happens to those contracts where you have to have 3% or 5% women participation

or minority participation or Native American or Black participation on those contracts?

Does this referendum make those illegal?

It does.

And it's clear because in committee, you know, when it was presented to us first off,

the authors blatantly said that they didn't know research on how this would impact

any of our state programs.

And it's not just state mind you.

This is anything that you would add public dollars.

So if you think of our state, if you think of our public schools or school boards in general,

if you think about our counties and cities, if there is any specific allocation of dollars

that you say we want to help a specific group of people in this area,

it can be litigated against.

Well, which is the conservative essentially lawsuit group in the state,

literally stated and mentioned this program.

And they misquoted what they actually, what the program actually does.

And they said that they believed it was wrong, that you have to continue to address discrimination

for past mistakes and that's discriminatory.

It makes no sense because now you're literally saying that as lawmakers,

we're just going to make it impossible for us to actually change that.

And what they will do is, and we've seen it.

So California and I think Michigan has passed this type of language already.

We have already seen that, you know, there's been decreased resources

and access to opportunity and ways of contracting in terms of opportunity and education.

And we know that when it comes to, you know, my own business owners,

and it's not just minority owned, it's woman owned, it's disabled, it's veterans.

Those are all included in that 5% goal.

And we've only met that goal eight times of the 40 years it's been implemented.

So the first time we met it was under Governor Jim Doyle.

Governor Walker achieved that goal twice.

And then ever since Governor Evers was elected in 2020, he's been consistent.

If that program goes away and this constitution goes, you know, as in our constitution,

then I can assure you will is going to file a lawsuit

because they already filed a lawsuit with our Department of Transportation

on their own contracting program that they have.

And unfortunately, our department has had to make some changes because of that.

So this is just a start of what they're trying to do statewide,

rather than be looking at anything from state down to local and file a lawsuit

so they could get those programs off the books.

You got time for one more segment?

Of course.

I want to take a break, come back.

I want to ask you this question, but I want to get your answer on the other side of the break.

Let's say there was, oh, I don't know, a public university like University of Wisconsin,

Madison, Stevens Point, O'Claire, Oshkosh.

And maybe for many, many years and many, many decades, they simply did not allow African-American

or minority students' admissions to those schools.

And let's say now they value diversity because, you know, university campuses

should be universal, including the students that attend,

because it creates a very diverse and rich learning environment.

If the university of Wisconsin-Madison says, you know what?

We want to increase the number of African-American students here on this campus.

If this referendum passes, will they be able to have the latitude to increase diversity on campuses

where we know more diversity is needed with no answer yet?

We're going to take a break, come back.

Continue our conversation with State Senator Dora Drake.

The truth with Sherwin Hughes on 1017 of them will be right back.

More of the truth with Sherwin Hughes is next on 1017 The Truth,

The Truth App, and 1017TheTruth.com.

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I swear.

State Senator Dora Drake is in the studio.

So if a university campus or any other campus for that matter says,

you know what, we want to have a much more diverse student body.

And in our next admitting class or freshman,

we want to have 10%, 25% or 30%, African American, Latino,

and Asian students to help diversify our campus.

If they do that,

if that college or university does that and sets that policy,

the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty will sue that college

and will probably win if this constitutional amendment passes.

Meaning entities will no longer have the ability to choose their level of diversity.

And if they do, and maybe if a white person doesn't get admitted into that college

in which the white person has got 30 other choices,

they will be able to sue for discrimination because clearly,

why people in the state are being discriminated against,

is that kind of summing up?

And the other, yes it does.

And the other thing too, if folks remember a couple of years ago,

there was that horrendous deal that happened between UW system

and Speaker of Austin that if you want to get payouts for your employees,

then you have to remove any type of language with diversity, equity, and inclusion.

And so unfortunately, the Board of Regents and Totelli did vote for that measure.

And so you are, they're already changing to the language where it's focused on,

I couldn't even tell you what the language is,

but should this constitutional amendment pass and say that is the goal

that, you know, our colleges and universities who want to achieve,

they couldn't mention the actual demographics

that they are striving to uplift or support.

It would be focused solely on income or maybe geography, maybe disabled.

And that obviously will shorten the pool of resources.

And this is what's beyond frustrating because again,

let's say Republicans, they've been a powerful over a decade.

So they've had ample time to use the state resources available

to expand the pot if they really thought that some of their constituents

were not getting the resources that they need.

Instead, they would rather minimize that.

And on top of that, make, you know,

minority say, one of the scapegoat on all of this.

And one thing that I really need to press on this,

and I mentioned on the floor,

we are seeing what's happening nationwide, right?

We are seeing what's happening in Minneapolis, you know,

and what's happening with our Latino brothers and sisters.

And we have also seen what this administration

is actually doing in terms of attacking voting rights,

you know, at the national level.

If people remember what happened during the reconstruction era,

the reason why that failed was because Southern lawmakers refused

to protect black folks at that time.

And they eradicated everything, which is why we have the gym.

There was the Jim Crow period.

And we didn't have any type of justice

until the Civil Rights Act, which was around 80 years.

This will happen in Wisconsin,

if we do not put it into this.

And I have to reiterate this.

Helping people that have been discriminating against

is not discriminating against another group of people.

It is uplifting everybody.

And again, if people really want to look at the data

and not be gas-lighted by their own represents,

which is just tasteful,

you will see that the very programs that we have,

that are focused on diversity, equity inclusion,

are actually serving the majority of white Wisconsinites

in our state.

And I want you to get to the help.

But your colleagues would rather do the opposite

and cause harm in light to your face to get votes.

And that's what we're at today.

Rights are not like pie.

If I get a bigger slice,

that doesn't mean your slice gets smaller.

If we all get some of the pie,

we all get fat together,

and we all can eat the pie.

Well, there's good news,

because I was a candidate for them last night,

and you were too behind me, I just did it.

So I was driving back from Madison,

y'all, it was a long night, yes, last night.

But it was important to be there.

I was listening to it on the way back home.

And you know, I will say like all the candidates did a good job

sharing their...

You have to say that.

Well, this is what...

I don't want to push it.

No, no, no, no.

This is my caveat.

Look, we know all the issues that Democrats stand for.

You know, in the Senate,

we know that we will get the majority

because we have amazing candidates,

and we are doing the well part to get there.

And assembly can do that too.

But the reality is,

we are living in a completely different political time.

You know, there's questions.

I think I heard one on how to uplift minority-owned business

and what their plans will be to address ICE,

you know, if and when they come.

And though it's good that, you know,

I think the candidates should speak on

what they accomplished are so people can know their track of work.

Like for example,

and they mentioned how does the poor minority-owned

and women-owned businesses.

Even though we've had the mainstream balance background

and that was successful,

the reality is, if this is pushed,

the only way that the governor or the legislature

can do anything is if someone suits this

and that is changing our constitution,

or we get the trifecta,

and we're able to pass it twice consecutively

to change to reverse it.

That's the only way.

And so some of the things that folks

are advocating for, which are necessary,

all tie into what happens

with this constitution amendment.

For example, if we talk health equity,

because I mentioned that with Adams County,

we know that if you look at health equity,

the data literally does it based on, you know,

the type of your access to income,

where you stay, where you live,

the barriers that you dealt with,

all of those things play into

how you would be able to be holistically healthy,

not just having access to health care,

but all the other things beyond that too.

What happens when you can only focus on one

of those measures of health equity

that is literally based on science?

You can't make the policy that you want.

You can't address issues focused on women,

you know, and we have a bill that's focused on postpartum

that is still stuck in the assembly.

That could be faced with litigation

if we put dollars towards that.

It impacts so many lives and so many things in this way.

And I hope that all the candidates for governor,

as well as all the candidates,

across the state,

realize that this is the time

where we have to state what we mean.

Because Republicans are doing it,

they've made tons of press releases

saying how Democrats are against civil rights,

voting rights in the whole night.

And if they're bold enough to lie on earth

and people's faces, we need bold enough to tell the truth.

The Democrats are on stage last night.

None of them can do any of the things

that they say they would like to do

if they are governor without a democratic control legislator.

So we hope that who of these candidates

gets elected governor

and it seems that the Democrats do have a tailwind,

you would think, in this midterm election

where Donald Trump is, let's say, underperforming.

So we hope that we can get that trifect

in which you speak of.

Because unfortunately,

the only way that we are able to get anything done

of one party controls, everything.

So stay center to drink. Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

When you're going to run for governor.

I think there's enough work to do in the Senate.

You know, the first Senate district

has a lot of work to do,

whether it's reckless driving,

obviously, fighting against,

you know, people trying to undercut civil rights

and new Jim Crow laws in our state.

I have more than enough to do what I have right now.

In the future, we'll see,

but, you know, the people of the first Senate district

meet me here.

All right.

I'm waiting for you to go through some type of period

before you actually have the ability to stay.

Stay with Crowley. I'm just saying this room

for an eighth on that state.

You deserve it.

Thank you.

Stay center to dodge, right?

We appreciate having you here.

You're always welcome back.

In time.

The truth with Sherwin Hughes

on 1017FM will be right back.

The truth with Sherwin Hughes returns after this.

On 1017TheTruth, the truth app,

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