Seven Midwest States Enter Hydrogen Coalition

Seven Midwest states entered a coalition to pursue clean hydrogen development as an alternative to gas and diesel fuel.

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin signed onto the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition. The coalition will accelerate clean hydrogen development, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries.

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City Invests in Wisconsin’s First Men’s Homeless Shelter

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway have announced a $9 million investment for the state’s first men’s homeless shelter.  

“City-County announces additional $9 million investment in men’s homeless shelter,” Rhodes-Conway posted on Twitter highlighting the sides continued partnership. “A new commitment from @DaneCoJoe represents the single largest investment in the Dane County Capital Budget.”

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Longtime Madison Pub Closes Its Doors Due to Pandemic

One-time Madison-area stronghold Brasserie V is the latest neighborhood eatery to fall victim to the pandemic, with the owners recently taking to social media to announce its closing this month after 15 years.

“We are so very proud of our 15 years bringing a little bit of Belgium to Monroe Street,” the owners said in an Aug. 20 Facebook post. “We wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the talent, dedication and hard work of all of our amazing staff over the years.”

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Commentary: The Real Job Crisis in Wisconsin

The real crisis in the U.S. labor market is not, as we keep hearing, that there are not enough people who can work. The real crisis is all the working-age people on the sidelines, not even looking for a job. Yes, the unemployment rate is low, but that statistic covers only people who have looked for a job in the last four weeks. The labor force participation rate, which measures the share of working age people working or at least looking for work, shows a long-term decline, particularly for men without a college degree, and especially in states like Wisconsin. When able-bodied men are not even looking for work, a host of social problems ensue — from crime, to drug addiction, to family breakdown. 

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Evers Administration Blames Worker Shortage, Lack of Money for Occupational License Backlog

Wisconsin’s professional licensing department is blaming a lack of employees as well as a lack of money for the months-long delay in getting people their paperwork to go back to work.

The legislature’s Study Committee on Occupational Licensing held a daylong meeting Tuesday where lawmakers pressed Department of Safety and Professional Services leaders, the latter who essentially blamed lawmakers.

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New Questions Surround Possible Wisconsin Nursing Home Voting Violations

There are new questions about the opportunity for voter fraud in Wisconsin.

The Thomas More Society this week released its findings into people who are under “no vote” guardianship orders in the state. Those orders come from a judge after someone has been found “incapable of understanding the objective of the elective process,” according to state law.

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Wisconsin Gov. Evers Warns That If Republican Wins in November, GOP Could Overturn State Elections

Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) warned supporters this week if he is not re-elected this November, oversight of elections in his state could be at risk of being turned over to state lawmakers.

“We will see elections change to the point where the Legislature makes the final decision and that should scare the living crap out of everybody in this room,” said Evers at a campaign stop in the capital city of Madison.

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Wisconsin Democrats Condemn, Republicans Celebrate End of Roe

The reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the end of abortion in Wisconsin is clear and split by political party.

Wisconsin is one of nearly two dozen states where abortion is now illegal because Roe is no more as a result of its decision in the case, Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.  

Republican leaders at the Wisconsin Capitol celebrated the 6-3 SCOTUS decision.

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New Audit Finds Millions in Accounting Mistakes at Injured Patients Compensation Fund

State auditors are once again criticizing Wisconsin’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance for millions of dollars in accounting mistakes in the state’s fund for medical malpractice claims.

The Legislative Audit Bureau on Tuesday released a report into the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund for the past three years. The audit found several, repeated accounting mistakes that overstated or understated the fund’s finances, including a $60.9 million mistake for the last two years.

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Wisconsin Republicans Refuse to Endorse a Candidate for Governor During Convention Amid Growing Criticism of GOP Establishment

During their annual convention on Saturday, Wisconsin Republicans for the first time rejected a long-standing tradition to endorse a candidate in the primary race for governor. A candidate in Wisconsin needs 60 percent of the vote to win the party’s endorsement. The exercise is meant to signal to voters which candidates are most competitive, and determine which candidate will receive party funds for the rest of the primary and general election.

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Wisconsin State Superintendent Again Defends Teaching of Race, Class, and Gender

The top teacher in Wisconsin says it is important for all kids in Wisconsin to learn from the author who wants to “upend mainstream ideas about race, class, and gender.”

State Superintendent JIll Underly on Monday responded to Sen. Chris Kapenga’s letter full of questions about a Critical Race Theory author and activist who spoke to teachers in the state back in February.

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Commentary: Wisconsin’s Zuckerbucks Report Is a Call to Action on Election Integrity

In 2020, under the guise of providing funds to help election officials overcome the challenges of COVID-19, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funneled more than $10 million into Wisconsin, with $8.5 million strategically targeting just five cities. While this money was originally marketed as funds to be used for purchasing personal protective equipment, these funds — coined “Zuckerbucks” — were primarily used to drive procedural changes and get-out-the-vote efforts that benefited the Left.

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Wisconsin’s Minimum Mark-Up Law Not Helping with Gas Prices

The average price of gas in Wisconsin is over $4.00 per gallon and rising, but it’s not just the war in Ukraine that’s keeping prices in the state high.

Will Flanders with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty wrote an open letter Thursday asking Gov. Tony Evers to roll back the state’s minimum markup law as a way to help drivers better afford gas.

“[Minimum markup] requires that retailers increase the price of their gas by 9.18% over what they pay at wholesale. This means that gas stations are required to pass on price increases to consumers,” Flanders wrote.

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Fiscal Report: Wisconsin’s Tax Burden Down $22 Billion Since 2011

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are pointing to another report as proof their policies are working.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu on Wednesday released a memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that shows Wisconsin’s tax burden has fallen by $22 billion since 2011.

“In 2010, Wisconsin had the 5th highest tax burden in the nation. Residents were sending far too much of their earnings to Madison. On top of high taxes, the state had a $3.6 billion structural deficit, no Rainy Day Fund, and businesses were leaving in droves,” LeMahieu said.

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