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Republicans suspend new DHS student vaccine rules
Republican lawmakers blocked for a second time updated vaccine requirements for students implemented by the state Department of Health Services on Thursday. The Joint Committee on the Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) voted 6-4 along party lines to suspend three recent updates. The decision removes the requirement that students receive the meningitis vaccine, the requirement […]
Lawmakers announce bill to ban shackling incarcerated pregnant women and create doula program
Cheri Branham, a doula, said her birthing experience while incarcerated was terrifying and confusing. In 2014, Branham said she was handcuffed with chains placed around her stomach and taken to a hospital at 5 a.m. to be induced. There was no birthing plan. During her 12-hour labor, she said she was unable to contact her […]
Republicans poised to block DHS vaccine updates for students
Republicans will likely block updated rules for student vaccination requirements implemented by the state Department of Health Services for a second time, following a public hearing Tuesday packed with vaccine skeptics wearing bright red clothes. The recent DHS changes announced last month included a shift in when children receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular […]
Democrats highlight Evers’ free school meals budget proposal
Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly and Democratic lawmakers renewed calls on Monday for Wisconsin to provide free school meals to all students, which they say would improve student wellbeing and academic outcomes, ease financial burdens for families and support Wisconsin’s local economies. Underly, state lawmakers and other stakeholders highlighted the proposal along with two […]
Budget committee co-chairs on potential compromise and Evers’ proposals
The Republican co-chairs of Wisconsin’s powerful Joint Finance Committee (JFC) discussed potential areas for compromise in the upcoming two-year budget, while casting doubt on several of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposals on Tuesday. Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) and Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) will spend the next several months leading Wisconsin’s budget writing process. […]
Legislative committee to consider suspending new DHS vaccine rules for students
A Republican-led rules committee will consider suspending recent updates to the state Department of Health Services (DHS) immunization requirements for students in early March. The changes implemented by DHS earlier this month include a requirement that past chickenpox infection needs to be documented by a qualified medical professional and a requirement that 12th grade students […]
Evers declared energy emergency to help power restoration after winter storm
Gov. Tony Evers declared an energy emergency on Wednesday in preparation for power outages caused by downed trees and accumulating ice on power lines from the winter storm that swept through Wisconsin. Many Wisconsin residents were without power Wednesday night and into Thursday as snow, sleet and freezing rain bombarded the state. The executive order […]
A look at Evers’ proposals for expanding mental health access across the state
A recent CDC survey found that 42% of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021. The findings were more alarming for teenage girls and LGBTQ students with nearly 60% of female students and nearly 70% of LGBTQ students reporting experiencing these feelings. Gov. Tony Evers referenced the statistics during […]
Knodl wins Republican primary for Senate special election
Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) will face Democratic candidate Jodi Habush Sinykin in the general election for Wisconsin’s 8th Senate district. Knodl beat Trump-backed Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls) and Thiensville village president Van Mobley in the Republican primary Tuesday. The seat, which represents parts of Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha counties — also known as the […]
Conservatives prepare to unite behind Kelly
Conservatives seemed prepared to unite behind former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly in the consequential race for a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, after he beat the other conservative candidate Judge Jennifer Dorow during Tuesday’s primary. Kelly will face liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz — who was the top vote getter of […]
Democrats spend money in competitive Republican Senate primary
Democrats are using a risky strategy — spending money in the Republican primary to boost an election denier’s candidacy — in the competitive race for Wisconsin’s 8th Senate District seat. Mailers paid for by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and a TV ad paid for by the campaign of Democratic candidate Jodi Habush Sinykin focus […]
Evers proposes $290 million investment in Brewers’ stadium
Gov. Tony Evers, as a part of the state budget proposal he will lay out Wednesday night, plans to invest $290 million in upkeep of American Family Field, where the Milwaukee Brewers play. The Major League Baseball team, in exchange, would have to agree to extend its lease through 2043. Evers said Tuesday the one-time […]