One Wisconsin Democrat is taking hardline against the state’s governor over the next round of state funding for local schools.
Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, took to social media to push back on Gov. Tony Evers’ latest comments on the state budget.
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Derek Chauvin’s new attorney indicated in court documents filed late last month that the former Minneapolis police officer plans to ask for his convictions to be overturned or, in the alternative, request a new trial.
Chauvin was found guilty in April 2021 of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder, and third-degree murder in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case in November 2023, ending his direct appeal.
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Two bills before the Michigan House Committee on Government Operations would grant public and district library directors sole authority over the selection, inclusion, and withdrawal of library materials, as well as prohibit out-of-district withdrawal requests.
House Bills 6034 and 6035 would respectively create the Public Library Freedom to Read Act and the District Library Freedom to Read Act, which do not apply to school libraries. Cosponsor of the bills state Rep. Carol Glanville, D-Walker, said the bills are nonpartisan and aim to both support librarians and the communities they serve.
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The University of Minnesota has been hit with a federal civil rights complaint regarding a race-based program—and it isn’t the first time the feds have been called in to investigate.
Bill Jacobson, president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and its Equal Protection Project, joined Liz Collin Reports to speak about the latest complaint his group has lodged against the U of M Twin Cities.
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Eli Lilly and Company announced plans for a $3 billion expansion of the Kenosha facility that it bought in April.
The expansion will be used to expand the medical supply company’s injectable manufacturing for diabetes, obesity and future medicines.
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The day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case that could decide the availability of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical removal of healthy breasts and genitals for gender-confused minors, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments on another transgender issue: eligibility rules in private athletic competition.
The hypotheticals from the justices got creative, with one speculating that bowling leagues could bar Catholics from competition if the high court upheld USA Powerlifting’s ban on athletes in women’s competition who have completed male puberty.
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With the construction of the Ultium Cells LLC battery cell plant in Lansing nearly finished, General Motors announced it will sell back its stake to its joint venture partner LG Energy Solution.
According to a news release, the transaction does not change GM’s ownership interest in the Ultium Cells LLC project, in which GM and LG have invested a total of $7 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars, sourced from a Department of Energy loan program.
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Minnesota House of Representatives candidate Aaron Paul, a Republican, filed an election contest lawsuit on Friday that seeks to bring a new election in House District 54A.
The election in District 54A proved to be one of the closest elections in Minnesota this year. After a recount was conducted last week, State Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, led Paul by just 14 votes in the race for the Scott County legislative seat.
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An investigation into missing ballots in a tight Minnesota state House race found they were most likely thrown away and will not be recovered.
Following a recount, incumbent Democratic- Minnesota state Rep. Brad Tabke leads Republican Aaron Paul by just 15 votes, with officials saying they had records of 21 more people voting than ballots received, according to a Scott County, Minnesota, investigative report. Of the 21 ballots unaccounted for, 20 came from a single precinct, sparking an investigation that found the votes were likely thrown away and have already been shredded.
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A Wisconsin group is calling for its state government to undergo a review of state government spending and staffing similar to what is being proposed for the new federal Department of Government Efficiency led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Wisconsin’s Institute for Reforming Government is reiterating a plan it proposed in 2023 to reduce the number of full-time state employees by contracting for professional services and finding redundancies.
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Michigan’s flag of 113 years could be redesigned if new legislation passes both chambers.
State Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, introduced a bill that would set up a 17-member flag commission to officiate a public design contest to change the current state flag.
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The City of Minneapolis has announced the first recipients of its Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts initiative, a pilot program providing over $224,000 to help local arts organizations turn empty storefronts into “vibrant cultural hubs.”
In a press release, Mayor Jacob Frey praised the initiative as a “game-changer,” adding, “This is just the beginning,” while pointing to plans to expand the program into Uptown with even more taxpayer dollars.
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A liquor lawsuit filed against the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by two small business owners will continue after a judge denied DOR’s attempts to dismiss it.
The case, brought by Farmview Event Barn LLC and Monarch Valley Weddings and Events LLC with legal aid from law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, has argued recent changes in Wisconsin liquor laws pertaining to event venues are unconstitutionally burdensome and essentially regulates the businesses out of existence.
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A Michigan election integrity group is warning about the lack of security for overseas ballots, recommending reforms both federally and statewide.
Republicans and election integrity proponents raised concerns regarding ballots cast by U.S. citizens living overseas ahead of the presidential election, with some even taking the issue to the courts. Following the election, Michigan Fair Elections Institute (MFEI) released a report regarding issues with overseas ballots, both on the federal and state levels, and is looking forward to legislators resolving these issues.
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A newly released report from the Center of the American Experiment (CAE) challenges the narrative that Minnesota’s criminal justice system is racially biased against black offenders.
According to the report, titled “Case Closed: Minnesota’s Offender Outcomes Devoid of Racial Bias,” black offenders reportedly face more favorable outcomes in the system compared to white offenders across various stages, including incarceration.
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The Canadian government’s ongoing plan to permanently store 50,000 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste in the Great Lakes basin near Ontario has sparked bipartisan opposition from lawmakers in Michigan and other Midwest states.
Led by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and U.S. Reps. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., and John James, R-Mich., 15 lawmakers in total signed a letter urging the authors of the fiscal year 2025 national defense bill to include an amendment opposing the project.
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U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has threatened to issue a subpoena when he becomes chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations if three federal health agencies continue to withhold data on the adverse health effects wrought by the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a letter addressed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Johnson demanded that the agencies preserve all records referring to the development, safety, and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, and to produce the records without redactions by Dec. 3.
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Illegal immigrants in Minnesota will be able to use a state-run healthcare program starting in Jan. of 2025, a bulletin from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) says.
Last year, Democrats in control of state government passed a law which expanded MinnesotaCare eligibility to illegal immigrants. A publicly-funded healthcare program that has existed since 1992, MinnesotaCare provides health insurance to low-income individuals.
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The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is in crisis, hemorrhaging attorneys at a rate that would make even a fast-food chain flinch.
That’s according to AFSCME Local 2938, a labor union that represents Hennepin County attorneys and legal support staff. In contract negotiation documents from August, the union warned that even with immediate pay adjustments, it could take years—if not decades—for some divisions within the office to regain “their pre-2023 levels of proficiency, professionalism, and recognized statewide leadership among fellow county attorneys’ offices.”
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Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde conceded his race to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Monday, saying he did not want to “add to political strife through a contentious recount.”
Hovde was down about about 29,000 votes from Baldwin, putting the margin at less than a percentage point, The Associated Press reported. The vote margin allowed him to request a recount that he would have had to pay for himself. Baldwin declared victory in the Senate race two days after Election Day.
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A Minneapolis man is one of two Somali pirates convicted of kidnapping this week and sentenced to federal prison for 30 years.
Abdi Yusuf Hassan, now 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen and prior resident of Minneapolis, along with Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed, now 43, of Mogadishu, Somalia, held American journalist Michael Scott Moore hostage for nearly three years in Somalia after kidnapping him in 2012.
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Wisconsin’s new 3-cent per kilowatt hour state tax on electricity sales for electric vehicles starts Jan. 1.
Any owner, operator, manager, or lessee of an EV charging station must now register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s Online Business Tax Registration if the charging station is subject to the tax.
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Six bills under consideration in the Michigan’s House Criminal Justice Committee would reform state law to limit judges from requiring bail as a condition of release for some accused criminals awaiting trial.
Among other changes, House Bills 4655-4656 and 4658-4661 would stiffen the criteria for imposing detention conditions on a person accused of a low-level crime awaiting trial, denying judges the ability to factor in a defendant’s criminal history, prior failures to appear in court, or potential danger to the community.
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State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, D-East Lansing, introduced four House bills that would expand the allowable uses for on-demand ballot printing and clarify statutory language that was missed when implementing Michigan’s Proposal 2 of 2022.
HB 6052 would allow clerks to use on-demand ballot printing for same-day registration voters in a clerk’s office or in election day voting centers. It would also allow on-demand ballot printing for ballots printed in a language other than English so that clerks could avoid having to pre-print large numbers of non-English ballots.
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A teacher at Minnesota Connections Academy, an online public school, sent an email to eighth grade Language Arts students saying he wondered how he “could possibly come to school” following last week’s election of President Donald Trump.
“It’s the fact that it’s pushing an agenda. The Democrats are saying that it’s not happening, but it very clearly is,” Antonio Pici, a law enforcement officer and veteran, shared with Alpha News.
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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly said she plans to ask for more than $4 billion in new state spending on the state’s schools, which was termed an “additional $3 billion” in the upcoming 2025-27 biennial budget.
The figures are just a request at this point before Gov. Tony Evers offers his proposal and then legislative budget writers in the Republican-led legislature begin their process.
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As local Republicans celebrate President Donald Trump’s historic reelection to the White House on Nov. 5, Minnesota workplaces, schools, and local leaders have responded by creating safe spaces and mourning.
“We have been through a Trump presidency before and we made it through,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a somber video posted to X. “We will make it through again.”
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Republicans have taken back control of the Michigan House, flipping the chamber they lost in 2022 and ending Democrats’ governing trifecta.
Republicans will likely work to change the series of Democrat pieces of legislation implemented over the past two years, such as repealing Michigan’s Right To Work law, passing gun safety restrictions, handing out corporate subsidies in efforts to boost electric vehicle manufacturing and adoption in the state, and allowing state regulators to override local zoning laws and public choice to expand green energy projects across the state.
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One of Wisconsin’s Republican state representatives says that so many schools went to taxpayers for more money Tuesday shows the state’s system to pay for schools is working.
Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukehsa, said there’s nothing wrong with giving local taxpayers more control over their local schools.
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With almost all the dust settled the day after the election in Minnesota, caucus leaders in the Minnesota House faced the media for the first time since they learned that Republicans and DFLers are likely to be deadlocked in a 67-67 tie when the 2025 legislative session starts on Monday, Jan. 13
Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth both acknowledged that their caucuses will have just a few weeks to structure the organization of their chamber in a challenging, but not unprecedented, “power-sharing agreement.”
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Wisconsin voters approved a state constitution change requiring someone to be a citizen to vote in elections.
The ballot measure had 75% approval with more than 95% of the statewide voted tallied.
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U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar won a fourth term Tuesday night after beating Republican challenger Royce White by double digits.
Klobuchar, a Democrat, has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since first being elected in 2006. She won her first three elections for the seat by more than 20 points.
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Democrats expanded their majority on the Michigan Supreme Court, picking up an additional seat, multiple outlets reported.
Both of the Democrat-backed candidates defeated their Republican-backed opponents, shifting the Democratic majority to 5-2, according to multiple reports. Nominees for the state supreme court are chosen during party conventions, although the race is listed as nonpartisan on the ballot.
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Minnesota state leaders are facing a new lawsuit from the Heritage Foundation, which alleges the state has not disclosed crucial details on an estimated 1,000 voters who were removed from the voter rolls.
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The Republican National Committee has filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Elections Commission over the city announcing that it will limit the number of poll watchers at certain polling locations on Election Day.
Milwaukee limited poll watchers at three early voting polling locations, according to the lawsuit.
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The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) issued a formal directive on Friday to City of Green Bay Clerk Celestine Jeffreys mandating she adhere to state statutes concerning Election Day Registration.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are locked in a dead heat in Wisconsin, the latest polling shows.
In a two-way race, both candidates garner 48% support, with 2% still undecided, according to the American Greatness-TIPP poll of 831 likely voters in the state, conducted Oct. 28-30.
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Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., said he has seen a political shift in the swing state of Michigan.
“It’s interesting to see how Michigan has just grown in importance, and as a crossroads,” Huizenga told The Daily Signal, “quite literally the road to the White House, the road to the Senate [Republican] majority, and the road to our own majority in the House of Representatives, I think runs right through Michigan.”
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A new report from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee claims that Gov. Tim Walz’s handling of Minnesota’s $140 billion public pension fund is driving up energy bills for consumers in Minnesota and other states.
Titled “How Governor Tim Walz’s State Public Pension Fund Colludes with the Climate Cartel to Raise Energy Costs for American Consumers,” the report accuses Walz of using the Minnesota State Board of Investment (MSBI) to push overly ambitious climate goals that are being felt in consumers’ wallets.
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U.S. citizens residing in Wisconsin who do not already have an approved photo ID or the necessary identification documents to obtain one can still apply for a temporary identification card for voting purposes, free of charge.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation requests all Wisconsinites applying for the temporary free ID used for voting – this is not a Wisconsin Voter ID, which does not exist – bring proof of name and date of birth, proof of identity, proof of state residency and proof of U.S. citizenship.
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A non-citizen allegedly cast a ballot in Michigan and is facing criminal charges, according to the Michigan secretary of state’s office.
The non-citizen allegedly registered to vote and cast a ballot at an Ann Arbor early voting site on Sunday, per a joint statement from the Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office and the Michigan secretary of state’s office. The alleged non-citizen voter faces charges of Unauthorized Elector Attempting To Vote and Perjury – Making a False Affidavit for Purpose of Securing Voter Registration.
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There is a new warning about texts to voters in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said some voters are getting texts telling them that their voter registration or voter information is wrong.
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Michigan voters would need to provide extensive documentation when showing up to the polls in order for their vote to be immediately counted if a newly introduced state senate bill becomes law.
Senate Bill 1034, sponsored by state Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Allen, would require Michiganders to present both proof of identity and proof of residency when signing an affidavit to receive a ballot at polling locations.
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Early voting in Wisconsin has been delayed due to label printing problems, causing voters to wait hours in line to vote in some cases.
The state began early voting on Tuesday, with voters waiting up to three hours to cast ballots in West Bend, a city 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee with a population of about 32,000, The Washington Post reported. After state election officials said late Tuesday that the computer issues causing the label printing problems were resolved, they acknowledged on Wednesday that they had occurred again. Voters waited about 90 minutes to vote on Wednesday.
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Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer launched a new multimillion-dollar program in her state Wednesday offering free birth control to all residents.
The “Take Control of your Birth Control” program will provide Michiganders with condoms, over-the-counter oral contraceptives and emergency contraception starting in November until supplies run out, according to a press release. The program is being administered by Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, which was awarded $5.6 million in taxpayer funds to expand family planning services, according to the state’s budget.
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A Detroit Muslim leader was removed from a Kamala Harris rally and says a campaign organizer told him to leave without providing a reason.
“She took me to the door, and she closed it, and I found two police officers waiting there, and she said, ‘You have to leave right now,’” Ghanim told the Metro Times on Tuesday. “I asked why she was kicking me out. She wouldn’t answer. I was very calmly asking why I was being kicked out.”
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With just 13 days left until the 2024 election, Democrats have lost significant ground to Republicans in voter registration in one crucial battleground state.
As reported by Fox News, the state of Pennsylvania currently has 9,088,583 registered voters as of the end of the registration period on Monday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Of that total, 3,971,607 are Democrats while 3,673,783 are Republicans. Another 1.4 million are registered as independent or with a third party.
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Hennepin County, Minnesota, fired an election worker who left several boxes of mail-in ballots unattended after a local GOP group exposed the alleged negligence, according to a statement from county officials released Friday.
Minnesota Senate District 50 Republicans — the Republican Party’s official political unit for portions of Minnesota cities Edina and Bloomington — snapped a photo outside of Edina City Hall Friday showing a courier vehicle’s “rear door ajar with ballot transfer cases inside.” A review of parking lot surveillance footage found the ballots were not tampered with, and a comparison of the votes with the statewide voter registration system for absentee ballots found a perfect match.
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Wisconsin has seen 305,000 absentee ballots returned heading into the final two weeks before the election.
In-person absentee voting begins Tuesday and runs through Nov. 3 at sites throughout the state. Voters can register in person at their local municipality and need to show valid identification to receive an absentee ballot.
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A federal judge in Michigan on Monday blocked a Republican-led effort to limit the votes of certain adult children and spouses of military servicemembers and other personnel who are stationed overseas.
The Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party sued Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson earlier this month, questioning the constitutionality of allowing voters who were born to military service members or diplomatic staff stationed overseas to vote in the state if they never actually resided there.
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