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Republicans introduce slate of elections bills, but Democrats are skeptical
On Monday, Republicans began circulating a package of draft election bills based on recommendations in a report released last year by the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB). Yet Democrats are skeptical of the measures, saying Republicans have made too many bad faith attacks on the state’s elections in the past to be taken seriously. Leading the […]
High profile Wisconsin Republicans speak at GOP meeting in front of anti-government flag
A number of Wisconsin Republicans running for office this year spoke in front of the flag of an anti-government ideology that advocates for the violent overthrow of American democracy at a meeting of the Winnebago County Republican Party this weekend. Gubernatorial candidates Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson, attorney general candidates Adam Jarchow and Eric Toney, […]
Elections Commission deadlocks on drop boxes as litigation moves forward
Update: On Friday evening, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that it would consider the drop boxes case, bypassing the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, kept the appeals court’s stay of the Waukesha County Circuit Court’s decision in place, allowing drop boxes to be used in next month’s spring primary election. “Vacating […]
Supreme Court rules Republican legislators can hire attorneys before lawsuits are filed
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Republican leadership in the Legislature followed the law when it hired attorneys to help with litigation relating to redistricting before lawsuits over the issue actually existed. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that state law gives the Legislature the authority to hire attorneys and to […]
Prehn’s term as NRB chair ends but Republican appointee maintains control
Frederick Prehn, who has refused to leave his seat on the Natural Resources Board despite his term expiring in May 2021, is no longer the chair of the body after he reached the limit of three consecutive terms with the gavel. Prehn’s refusal to step aside has allowed appointees of former Gov. Scott Walker to […]
Wisconsin Senate Republicans pass bill to ban critical race theory in K-12 schools
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would ban teaching about the harms of racism in the state’s K-12 schools. The bill, which was already passed by the Assembly, will be sent to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers who is likely to veto the measure. Republicans in Wisconsin and across the country […]
Wisconsin Senate Republicans vote against recreational cannabis
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate stopped an effort by Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) to force a vote on legalizing the recreational use of cannabis. The Senate took up a bill Tuesday that would increase penalties for a person who uses a butane torch to extract resin from a cannabis plant. Agard introduced an amendment to […]
Senate Republicans kill Democratic effort to protect abortion in Wisconsin
An attempt by Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) to force a vote on a bill that would protect abortion rights in Wisconsin failed on the floor of the Senate Tuesday. Last February, Roys and other Democrats introduced a bill that would eliminate certain provisions in state law that state “any person who intentionally destroys the life […]
Appeals court rules drop boxes can be used in February primary
An appeals court ruled on Monday that absentee ballot drop boxes will be allowed in Wisconsin’s Feb. 15 primary election. Last week, Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren ruled that drop boxes aren’t allowed under state law and ordered that their use be prohibited. A number of groups filed an emergency appeal, saying the order came […]
Democrats introduce criminal justice proposals that counter Republican bills
Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly introduced a series of bills on Monday that are meant to increase public safety through violence prevention and sending more money to local governments. The bills were announced one day before Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature are set to pass their own set of criminal justice measures. […]
Vos, Gableman fight to keep records hidden in court hearing Friday
Lawyers for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman appeared in Dane County Circuit Court on Friday afternoon to prevent the release of records relating to Gableman’s partisan review of the 2020 election. This is the second case stemming from open records requests made by government watchdog group American Oversight […]
Milwaukee lawyer chosen as next UW System president
Milwaukee lawyer Jay Rothman was selected as the next president of the UW System on Friday in a unanimous vote by the UW System Board of Regents. The decision ends the system’s second search for a new president in a multi-year process that has frequently sparked derision and criticism from members of campus communities about […]