Category: Wisconsin

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson: Trump ‘Endured Eternal Coup’ During Presidency

Peter D'Abrosca
Ron Johnson

On the heels of massive news proving that former President Donald Trump was intentionally and falsely maligned as a Russian asset and that he was spied upon by intelligence agencies during his 2016 election campaign and his subsequent presidency, one senator took to Fox News in an attempt to set the record straight. 

“For many years now, as I’ve investigated this, I’ve always thought the Russian Hoax was just one intelligence community diversionary operation to basically cover up what they had done during the 2016 campaign,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) told host Jesse Watters on Fox News.

Read the full story

Survey: More Than One-Third of Wisconsin Businesses Plan to Pay More

The Center Square
woman working in a warehouse

It is a good time to be a worker with in-demand skills in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business group, on Monday said its latest Employer Survey shows many businesses across the state plan to raise wages by more than 4% at some point this year.

“Wages are rising much faster than they have in recent memory,” WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer said. “Wisconsin does not have enough people to fill the jobs we have available, and that creates an aggressive competition for talent. We are seeing wages rise at a faster rate, sign-on bonuses, work flexibility and many other strategies from companies to attract and retain talent.”

Read the full story

Wisconsin Supreme Court Leaves in Place Ban on Ballot Box Use for April Election

Admin

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is allowing to stand a lower court decision that bans the use of ballot drop boxes for the April elections in the state.

However, the boxes will still be permissible in primaries next week, with the possibility that the high court will allow them to be used in future elections.

Last month, a judge in Waukesha County ruled that boxes could not be used, a decision that was met with an appeals court ruling allowing them to be used during the February primary.

The state Supreme Court then intervened, ruling 4-3 Friday that they could be used during the primary but declined a request from the state Elections Commission to extend that policy through April.

Read the full story

State Superintendent, State Representative Dismiss Parents’ Concerns in Wisconsin Schools

The Center Square

Wisconsin’s state superintendent of schools and at least one Democratic state representative are dismissing the parents who turned out at the Capitol on Thursday to ask to be more of a part of their children’s education.

State Superintendent Jill Underly issued a statement before the parents appeared in front of the Assembly’s Committee on Education saying the parents are taking sides against teachers in the state.

Read the full story

Biden Is Weakening America, Says Senator Ron Johnson

Cooper Moran

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) slammed President Biden for failing on his foreign policy decisions and his pledge to “unite” the country, during separate interviews with Fox News.

According to the Wisconsin senator, Biden has allowed other countries to advance their priorities, while undermining those of the U.S. For example, when Biden took office, he ended construction of the Keystone XL pipeline; however, he later reduced sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline.

Read the full story

State Budget Makers Approve $194 Million for Childcare in Wisconsin

The Center Square
three kids holding hands

Republican lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers are, perhaps surprisingly, on the same page when it comes to spending more money on childcare in Wisconsin.

The state’s budget-writing panel, the Joint Finance Committee, on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to spend $194 million in federal funds to support childcare across the state.

“$194 million is a lot of money,” Rep Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, told lawmakers. “This is our job as a committee and members of the legislature to have a voice in how these programs are supported or created or expanded. Or in some cases not created and not expanded.”

Read the full story

Wisconsin Democratic Lawmaker Deletes Tweet Claiming Parents Should Not ‘Have a Say’ in Public Education

Cooper Moran

Wisconsin State Representative Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton) on Thursday echoed claims expressed by many Democrats that parents should not “have a say” in their child’s public education.

“If parents want to ‘have a say’ in their child’s education, they should home school or pay for private school tuition out of their pocket,” she wrote in a tweet that she later deleted.

Read the full story

University of Wisconsin Health System to Mandate COVID Booster Shot for Staff, Volunteers

Cooper Moran

The University of Wisconsin Health System will mandate the coronavirus vaccine booster shot for all staff and volunteers, according to a Wednesday release.

The new requirement will build on a previous mandate initiated last year by the group that made 96 percent of the staff fully vaccinated. The healthcare system detailed that there were “only a handful choosing not to comply with the policy.”

Read the full story

Republican Lawmakers Propose Plan to Stiffen Penalties for Violence Against Wisconsin Healthcare Workers

Cooper Moran
Healthcare worker in hair net and mask on

Republican lawmakers in the state legislature proposed a plan to stiffen penalties for violence or threats of violence against healthcare workers.

According to the release, the legislation would elevate criminal penalties for battery and threats of violence against healthcare workers to that of the penalties associated with the same acts against law enforcement officers.

Read the full story

Senator Ron Johnson: President Biden, Congressional Democrats Directly Responsible for Border Crisis

Cooper Moran

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blasted President Biden and congressional Democrats for the ongoing border crisis that had produced a spike in migrants coming across the border.

In a recent press conference, Johnson contended that Biden’s policies, supported by Democratic lawmakers, have made it easier to illegally enter the country.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Governor Evers Updates Process to Spend $4.5 Billion from Federal Government

Cooper Moran
Tony Evers

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers updated residents of the state on his latest efforts to spend more than $4 billion given to the state from coronavirus relief funds.

According to the governor, $1.3 billion has been directed to economic initiatives, roughly $1 billion for “community building,” and more than $500 million for education and child care.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Elections Commission Gives Election Managers Leeway to Add Information to Absentee Ballots

The Center Square

 Local election managers across Wisconsin are being told to fill in missing information – a practice commonly referred to as “curing” – on absentee ballots if they can find it.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Monday night voted down a proposal that would instruct clerks to contact voters before making any changes to absentee ballots.

Commissioners then immediately voted to approve guidance that allows clerks to cure ballots on their own.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Rebecca Kleeflisch Backs Plan to Break Up Milwaukee Public Schools

Cooper Moran
Rebecca Kleefisch

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleeflisch on Monday backed a proposal to divide Wisconsin’s largest school district into multiple, smaller systems.

The plan, initiated by State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), would require the large district to dissolve into four to eight smaller ones within two years, if fully enacted.

Read the full story

Commentary: Wisconsin Consumers Will Be Shocked by Their Electric Bills If Lawmakers Insist on Pushing New Energy Legislation

Admin

With Wisconsinites increasingly worried about inflation and rising energy costs, you’d think state officials would be acting to alleviate the situation, not make it worse. But if legislation recently filed in Wisconsin goes into effect, residents may be in for another shock when they get their electric bills. The legislation would change the way electric transmission lines are built and operated in the state, eliminating competition and driving up costs for consumers to benefit a few established monopolies.

Read the full story

Sen. Darling: Break Up Milwaukee Schools, Allow for Choice

The Center Square
Senator Alberta Darling

The latest school choice plan in Wisconsin would break up Milwaukee’s public schools.

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, introduced the plan.

“Wisconsin was the first state to give parents more say in their children’s education and future. We have an opportunity to build on our reputation and reclaim our status as a national model for reforming K-12 education,” Darling said in a statement.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Officials Seek Dismissal of Lawsuit over Alleged Illegal Grant from Zuckerberg-Funded Group

Cooper Moran

Officials with the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit from residents of Green Bay who claim the city and the WEC violated laws when accepting a grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life.

The suit will appeal a decision handed down from the WEC, after the original complaint contended that the laws were broken when the city agreed to terms that were required to receive the funds.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Proposes Payments to Wisconsin Residents Via Surplus Funds

Cooper Moran
Tony Evers

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Thursday released his plan to spend the 2.9 billion surplus the state has due to increased tax revenue and federal coronavirus relief funds.

The Democrat takes $1.7 billion to distribute directly to residents of the state through $150 payments. Furthermore, $131.8 million will grant tax breaks to certain caregivers and families.

Read the full story

Gov. Evers Announces Distribution of over 5 Million PPE to ‘Fight COVID’

Hayley Feland
Governor Tony Evers

The governor of Wisconsin has announced that he has distributed over 5 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to fight COVID so far in 2022. In a press release obtained by The Wisconsin Daily Star, Governor Tony Evers said, “Keeping Wisconsinites healthy and safe continues to be my top priority as the landscape of this pandemic continues to shift and evolve.”

Read the full story

Wisconsin Senate Approves Constitutional Amendment to Grant Legislature Power over Dispersement of Federal Funds

Cooper Moran

Lawmakers in the Wisconsin State Senate on Tuesday approved a measure that would alter the state’s constitution to award the legislature more power when distributing federal funds awarded to the state.

Under current provisions, the governor of the state has the authority to disperse the funds without legislative approval.

Read the full story

Appeals Court Rules Ballot Drop Boxes Allowed in Wisconsin February Primary

The Center Square
Man putting in mail-in vote in drop box with mask on

Voters in Wisconsin will be able to use ballot drop boxes in the next election after all.

An appeals court in Madison on Monday unanimously ruled against a Waukesha County judge who said the drop boxes are not permitted under the state’s election laws.

The appeals court says there’s not enough time to let voters know that ballot drop boxes aren’t allowed. Some ballots for the February 15th primary election have already been mailed, and some of them say voters can return their ballots to drop boxes.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Republican Party Blasted Biden Administration as Vice President Kamala Harris Visited Milwaukee

Cooper Moran

The Republican Party of Wisconsin slammed the Biden Administration as Vice President Kamala Harris visits Milwaukee.

Harris will promote the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed Congress last year and was signed by President Joe Biden.

The visit from the vice president comes as Biden’s approval numbers have continued to plummet, potentially endangering Democratic incumbent lawmakers in Wisconsin and across the country.

Read the full story

Northwoods Congressman Wants to Ban Race-Based Coronavirus Treatments

The Center Square
Tom Tiffany

One of Wisconsin’s Republican congressmen wants to ban racial-scoring in deciding who gets the new coronavirus antiviral pills.

Northwoods U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany on Thursday introduced legislation that would prohibit the federal government and the states from discriminating against or giving preference to any person based on race when it comes to the distribution of, or access to, medical treatment.

“Denying life-saving medical care to Americans based on skin color is wrong, it is illegal, and it is un-American,” Tiffany said.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Politicians, Abortion Organizations Call on State Legislators to Pass Abortion Rights Preservation Act on 49th Anniversary of Roe

Hayley Feland

Wisconsin politicians and abortion organizations took to Twitter to ask state legislators to pass the Abortion Rights Preservation Act on Saturday, the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade court decision. A Better Wisconsin, a self-proclaimed research and communications organization for progressives, tweeted out, “Together, we must ensure that abortions are legal and safe for ALL who seek one.”

Read the full story

Rift Forming in Republican Race for Wisconsin Governor

The Center Square
Kevin Nicholson and Rebecca Kleefisch

It looks like bad blood is forming in the Republican race for governor, and the race hasn’t officially begun yet.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Wednesday suggested that Kevin Nicholson not run for governor against Rebecca Kleefisch.

“If Kevin Nicholson is listening, you need to not run for governor,” Vos said at a political lunch meeting in Madison. “You need to be able to focus on something like 2024.”

Read the full story

Gov. Evers Joins Push to Repeal Wisconsin Abortion Ban Law

Hayley Feland

Governor Tony Evers (D) joined the push to pass Senate Bill 75, to repeal Wisconsin’s 172 year old abortion ban, which will eliminate certain abortion prohibitions and felony charges associated with obtaining an abortion under the old law. The abortion ban law has been unable to be enforced due to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, but if that court decision were to be overturned, the law would have taken effect.

The bill reads, “This bill repeals a statute relating to abortion that has been held unenforceable by a federal court. Under that statute, any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class H felony.”

Read the full story

Wisconsin Representative Steil Co-Sponsors ‘Open Schools Act’

Hayley Feland

Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-01) is co-sponsoring the Open Schools Act with Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13), “to support students and allow parents to make the best decision for their family.” According to a press release from Davis, the Open Schools Act would provide families with up to $10,000 per student “to seek alternative forms of in-person education” if the public school that the students attend has switched to distance or online learning due to COVID.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Based National Retailer Calls MLK Holiday ‘Republicans Are Racists Weekend’ in Letter to Customers

Admin

A national spice retail company sent out an email to its customers calling Republicans “racist” before the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.

The Wisconsin-based Penzeys Spices company sent out an email to all its customers the morning of Jan. 14 with the subject line “Republicans Are Racists Weekend,” Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.

“If you are a Republican voter you are now cheesed off. You were promised that there would never be any accountability for your support of the party of open ‘textbook’ racism,” Penzey CEO Bill Penzey reportedly said in the email.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Republican Legislators Introduce ‘Stronger Workforce’ Initiative to Fight Growing Labor Shortage

Hayley Feland

Wisconsin Republican legislators introduced the Stronger Workforce Initiative to fight the growing labor shortage. According to a joint press release from the Wisconsin Senate Republicans and Wisconsin Assembly Republicans, the initiative would be a “multipronged approach to address the employment crisis facing small businesses throughout Wisconsin.”

Read the full story