Rep. Sortwell Releases DEI Report

Rep. Sortwell Releases DEI Report

2nd District Assemblyman Shae Sortwell has released a DEI Report. In this report includes DEI analysis of Wisconsin counties, municipalities, and school districts. Here is what is included about Manitowoc County:

Manitowoc Mayor: Participated in 24 DEI trainings between 2021 and 2023 that amount to $4,000 along with time spent.

Contracts/Grants

Advancing health equity in the Maternal Child Health Program Grant - DHS (2024) ▪ Money given - $28,750 (2024)

Training

ADRC - Fundamentals of DEI (2024)

Health Department ▪ Appreciating Diversity (2021) - $99 ▪ Diversity and AODA Counseling Tools (2021) - $250 ▪ Understanding DEI to Leverage Cultural Humility (2022) - $308 ▪ Conscious Inclusion and Anti-Bias in Service (2024) - $15 ▪ Supervision of Minoritized Supervisees (2023) - $109 ▪ Implicit Bias (2024) ▪ Mitigating Harm of Minority Stress for LGBTQ Youth and Young Adults (2021-22) - $105 ▪ Belonging and Inclusion (2022) - $100 ▪ Equity and Diversity (2019) - $375 ▪ Understanding DEI (2019)

Human Services ▪ Annual Cultural Competence (2022-present) ▪ Appreciating Diversity (2021) - $99 ▪ Belonging and Inclusion (2022) - $100 ▪ Cultural Humility – Addressing Privilege, Stereotypes, Biases, and Microaggressions (2025) ▪ Diversity and AODA Counseling Tools (2021) - $250 ▪ Diversity and Mental Health: Exploring the Role of Culture, Gender and More (2021) - $35 ▪ Understanding DEI to Leverage Cultural Humility (2021-22) - $450 ▪ Empowering People to Break the Bias Habit (2023) ▪ Building Alliances through Cultural Humility (2021) - $15 ▪ Conscious Inclusion and Anti-Bias in Service (2024) - $30 ▪ From Implicit Bias to Inclusive Care (2021-24) - $475 ▪ Supervision of Minoritized Supervisees (2024) - $109 ▪ The Ethical Use of Power (2020) - $25 ▪ Understanding DEI (2019) ▪ Equity and Inclusion (2019) - $375 ▪ The Tale of Two Systems (2024)

Staff Positions

Community Health Strategist ▪ Promote health equity

Training

Implicit Bias (2022), DEI 101 (2022)

Library ▪ DEI Training (2021) - $1000 ▪ DEI Readers Advisory (2022) ▪ Social Justice and Public Libraries (2019) - $250 ▪ DEI Expert Led Training (2020) - $237 ▪ Equity in Action: Fostering an Antiracist Library Culture (2020) - $563

Mayor ▪ 12 DEI trainings in 2021 - $1,449 ▪ 12 DEI trainings in 2023 - $2,424

Staff Positions

Art Instructor at Art Museum ▪ Has passion for DEI

Assistant to the Mayor ▪ Act as the mayor’s liaison to the DEI Committee

Manitowoc Public School District

In 2024, school districts were encouraged to attend a Racial Disproportionality Institute conference hosted by the Department of Public Instruction. $82,000 of taxpayer funding was used to host the event and another $34,000 for school districts to attend. The Manitowoc Public School District is reported to have sent a representative to this conference.

Full Report

This is just a summary of what is included about Manitowoc County. To view the full report for all counties, click here.

WEC Denies DOJ Request

On December 11, 2025, the Wisconsin Elections Commission held a special meeting regarding the U.S. Department of Justice's request for Wisconsin's full voter rolls in order to remove any non-citizens from them.

Don Millis (appointed by Robin Vos) argued that this is about protecting personally identifiable information. Mark Thompson argued this is about the 4th Amendment. Chair Ann Jacobs said the DOJ can purchase the voter rolls from Badger Voters. Bob Spindell argued that state statute allows allows the sharing of voter data with law enforcement for law enforcement purposes and therefor can be shared with the U.S. DOJ.

In a 5-1 vote, the Commission voted to send the U.S. DOJ a letter stating they will not be giving them the voter rolls. This is how the following members voted:

(D) Ann Jacobs - Aye
(D) Mark Thomsen - Aye
(D) Carrie Riepl - Aye
(R) Don Millis - Aye
(R) Marge Bostelmann - Aye
(R) Bob Spindell - No

A week after this meeting, the Department of Justice initiated a lawsuit against WEC to obtain the voter rolls.

You can watch the short meeting here.

Christine Hansen Denied Ballot Access

On January 13th, the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 to deny Christine Hansen ballot access as a District II Court of Appeals candidate. This was done in response to a challenge regarding her Declaration of Candidacy paper. On her paper, her husband notarized the document, which is against state law, and she listed "Wisconsin" as the county in which her oath was administered. This means the only candidate who will appear on the ballot this spring for that office will be the strong constitutionalist Anthony LoCoco.

RPMC Holds First Meeting Since July

On December 15, 2025, the Republican Party of Manitowoc County held its first meeting since July 9th. Before getting to that, we need to take a look at the announcements leading up to this meeting.

In a September email, the Chair provided an update on the party. One of topics mentioned in this update is that members will soon have a Membership Manual, something that members currently do not have and previously have not had. Another thing mentioned in an email closer to the meeting is that:

"If you have an item that you would like added to the agenda, please reply to this email. There are now 5 standing committees that are doing most of the day-to-day work of the party. So, it is possible that your agenda concern might be first routed to the proper committee so that it can be handled in a logical and organized manner."

Previously, you could ask for an item to be added to the agenda and former leadership would add it. Now these mechanisms, along with others further into this article, are in place to not address concerns of members. Another two positions that were open were the new at-large positions on the RPMC EC. When two patriots offered to take on those rolls, the Chair did not respond to multiple emails and would not say if those two positions have been filled after weeks of waiting for a response. Since the leadership change last January, these members still have not received a signed response back from the Chair for any questions they asked or ways they have said they could volunteer.

Now that you are caught up with the in-between events, the reason the Chair told someone he was not having meetings is because he saw them as "b*tch sessions." Along with the last few meetings, Vice Chair Brett Norell was still not present, with no explanation given as to why.

A new meeting format for the RPMC was announced. The meetings will not be business focused in order to get to a main topic and presentation right away. From the new structuring of the party with committees and agenda items, many ideas were taken from other county parties and groups. It is also planned to do the opposite of everything the former Executive Committee of the RPMC did.

When the agenda item of committee reports came up, the Chair just stated that the reports were handed out then moved on to the speaker. No time was given to discuss the reports or ask questions. The committee reports were short and not detailed.

When one member was going to ask a question, the Chair said he will take questions after the speaker. After the speaker finished, the meeting adjourned.

For the speaker, the party's new speaker coordinator, who has not been seen at a party meeting before, stated he will be the moderator for the discussion. He stated "political questions will not be allowed" and did not explain what he meant by that, or why you can't talk politics at a meeting of a political party. After the meeting adjourned, numerous members went to speak 1-1 with the speaker. No one had a problem with that, until a couple of patriots came to talk with him. After just a few minutes, the speaker coordinator bolted across the room to grab the speaker's shoulder and try to get him to leave.

Looking at the recently passed RPW by-laws, with the point of county parties being good fiscal stewards, that should be looked at for this meeting. The room that was rented cost $200 for a meeting that lasted a little over an hour. In the past, the party has used the library and other cheaper areas. The reasoning for not doing so this month was because the library did not have that time available. The solution to that problem is simple: reserve a room when it is available.

The Call to Caucus was announced to be happening on January 31st at 9:30 AM at the Manitowoc Public Library for their annual meeting. You can read up on the by-laws changes that will be voted on through these two stories:

Manitowoc GOP Constitution Changes Could Expel Patriots

RPMC Constitution Changes Pass, But Are Void; Vice Chair MIA + More

Milwaukee Judge Found Guilty Of Obstructing ICE

In April, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan assisted an illegal alien in escaping ICE by directing ICE agents in her courthouse away from him. She then led him out a door not open to the public. In court, a jury has found her guilty of obstructing ICE. After the verdict, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote a one sentence reaction: "No one is above the law." Since then, she has resigned her position as a judge.

You can read all of the facts here:

Brandon Tatum

@TheOfficerTatum

🚨: #BREAKING  Liberal Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was CONVICTED by a federal jury for obstructing an official proceeding, a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. She was acquitted on a misdemeanor count.
The facts:
In April, FBI and ICE arrived at Dugan’s courthouse