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Protasiewicz denies GOP call for recusal as liberal Court majority takes up gerrymandering lawsuit
In a 4-3 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority voted to accept a case challenging the state’s legislative maps as unconstitutional because of the partisan advantage they give to Republicans. In addition to the order accepting the case on Friday, liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz ruled against Republican requests that she recuse herself from the […]
No. 2 Senate Republican calls for impeachment of WEC Administrator
Wisconsin Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) on Wednesday called for the Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against the administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. In a letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Kapenga claimed that the administrator, Meagan Wolfe, is unlawfully remaining in her office, which “could rise to the level of corrupt conduct […]
Senate election committee denies appointment of Dem election commissioner over administrator vote
Republicans on the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection voted Tuesday to deny the appointment of Joseph Czarnezki, a Democrat, to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) because of his participation in an effort to keep WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe in her job. The committee’s 3-2 vote against Czarnezki’s appointment took place […]
State Supreme Court declines to hear lawsuit aimed at blocking Protasiewicz impeachment
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected a request to hear a lawsuit that sought to block the state Assembly from initiating impeachment proceedings against Justice Janet Protasiewicz. The suit, brought by liberal former Supreme Court candidate Tim Burns, sought to have the Court order that the Assembly can’t proceed with an impeachment against a justice […]
Republican lawmakers vote to deny confirmation for four Evers appointees to DNR board
This story has been updated with comments from Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Mark Spreitzer. The Wisconsin Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage voted on Thursday to recommend denying the confirmation of four nominees of Gov. Tony Evers to the state Natural Resources Board (NRB). The three Republicans on the committee voted against […]
Senate elections committee pointedly excludes state elections commission from hearing
The Wisconsin Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection held a hearing Tuesday on voting access for people with disabilities as well as a number of bipartisan election bills. While the meeting was notably free from the election conspiracy theories that have been prevalent in the committee and the Senate as a whole […]
Assembly elections committee gets clerks’ views on election law changes
At an informational hearing of the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections on Thursday, county and municipal clerks — and their expert opinions — were invited to weigh in on ways in which the state’s election systems can be improved. The hearing continued the committee’s focus on bipartisanship under the body’s chair, Rep. Scott […]
Vos says he’ll attempt to stop pay raises for 34,000 UW employees until universities cut DEI programs
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) says he’ll attempt to withhold pay raises from tens of thousands of employees at UW System schools unless the universities cut positions aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion on campuses. Vos said last week in an interview with WisPolitics, “I don’t think that they [UW System] deserve to have […]
Conservation groups seek to halt Trump-approved logging project in Wisconsin Northwoods
A coalition of more than two dozen conservation groups sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Tuesday seeking to stop a logging project in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest over concerns that the Trump administration’s approval of the project didn’t adequately account for its environmental impacts. The plan, known as the Fourmile Vegetation Project, […]
Legal fight over Protasiewicz recusal from gerrymandering lawsuits continues
Republican lawmakers seeking to intervene in the two lawsuits that threaten to upend their hold on power in the Legislature argued in a court filing Monday that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz should still recuse herself from the lawsuits despite the state Judicial Commission’s dismissal of complaints against her over the same issues. Since before the […]
Embracing election denial, Wisconsin Senate Republicans vote to fire chief election official
Moments after every Republican in the Wisconsin Senate voted to reject the confirmation of Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe to a second term, the observers in the gallery — a crowd made up of some of the state’s most prominent 2020 election conspiracy theorists and their supporters in a variety of red Trump hats […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court hears arguments in case on allowing prior sexual assault as evidence
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments in the first criminal case of its new term Wednesday, weighing if prior sexual assaults should be allowed to be used as evidence in sexual assault cases. The case, Wisconsin v. Seaton, involves a man accused of sexually assaulting his 17-year-old friend after she had been drinking. The man […]