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Schools, courts, local officials on ballot in Wisconsin spring election
On April 6, voters across Wisconsin will cast their ballots for local councils and school boards, judges at multiple levels and state schools superintendent. This week, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin (LWVWI) released a voter guide to help people learn what will be on their ballot. Voters enter their address and can find […]
Two rural counties lead Wisconsin’s best in the country vaccine effort
As much of the administration of vaccine doses falls to public health departments across the state, two rural counties — Menominee and Bayfield — lead Wisconsin in percentage of the population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine. The success of public health officials working to efficiently vaccinate their relatively small populations […]
All politics is national
In 2019, Kyle Woodman ran for an at-large seat on the Eau Claire City Council. In his campaign, he commented on the local issues that were likely to be decided by the 11-member body. He told VolumeOne, a Chippewa Valley culture magazine, his priority was building infrastructure that would facilitate economic growth. He finished in […]
Group studying history of racism at UW releases report on troubled history of UWPD
The complicated relationship between students at UW-Madison and the campus police department goes back decades, according to a report released this week by the UW-Madison Public History Project. The report details how the campus police — through heavy-handed and often unconstitutional practices — acted aggressively as it “tormented” the student body and community members. “By […]
California study shows guaranteed income works while Madison and Wausau build pilots
As two Wisconsin cities work to get guaranteed income pilot programs off the ground, the city that built the nation’s first experiment in the policy has found that no-strings-attached payments can improve people’s health, increase employment and reduce economic instability. Stockton, California and its former Mayor Michael Tubbs began an experiment in a new kind […]
Tiffany’s tweets cited in report naming GOP reps who supported effort to overturn election
Social media posts from Wisconsin Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany are included in a report of more than 120 congressional Republicans who joined former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. The report, released by Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, lists the public statements between Election Day and Jan. 31 of every Republican who voted […]
Sex crimes and holding public officials accountable
In recent months, two Wisconsin law enforcement officials have been charged with sex crimes stemming from the inherent power imbalance between government officials and civilians or supervisors and subordinates. Yet in neither case will the official face consequences specifically for a violation of the public trust through Wisconsin’s misconduct in public office statute. Marshfield Police […]
Mississippi River mayors push for national program, infrastructure support
The mayors of Mississippi River towns from Minnesota and Wisconsin down to Louisiana are lobbying the federal government to provide relief funding to help fill the gaps caused by the COVID-19 tourism downturn. They are hoping to build infrastructure to make the region more resilient to increased flooding caused by climate change and establish a […]
Wisconsin state senator introduces bill requiring national anthem be played before sporting events
Wisconsin state Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) proposed a bill on Wednesday that would require the national anthem be played before sporting events taking place in facilities that have received taxpayer funding. This would include the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Fiserv Forum and the Milwaukee Brewers’ American Family Field. Testin’s “Star […]
Evers announces $322 million rent assistance program
Gov. Tony Evers announced Wisconsin had received $322 million in funding to create an emergency rental assistance program. The program will help Wisconsinites pay rent and utility bills as well as provide services to help people stay in their homes. Eligible households can receive up to 12 months of help paying current or overdue bills. […]
Republican donors spending big to influence Wisconsin’s courts of appeal
Last fall, Wisconsin’s 3rd District Court of Appeals overturned an order of Gov. Tony Evers that limited indoor capacity in restaurants. This April, a seat on that Wausau-based court is up for grabs and the conservative-aligned candidate has drawn more than $120,000 in donations as well as the institutional support of the state Republican apparatus. […]
State Superintendent candidate deletes Twitter account after tweets about N-word
Shortly before polls closed in the primary election for state superintendent, candidate Deborah Kerr was responding to a prompt on Twitter about experiences with the N-word. The series of tweets prompted controversy and led her to deactivate her account. Kerr is one of two candidates who advanced to the general election in April. She is […]