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Expert says Wauwatosa police officer’s fitness for duty was improperly evaluated after shooting
The final day of the John Doe hearing into the 2016 shooting of Jay Anderson Jr., 25, by former Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah left lingering questions. Among the people who took the stand was Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber, who is set to retire by June. Weber was compelled to testify after a motion to […]
ACLU: Milwaukee PD stop and frisks have not stopped
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin is blasting the Milwaukee police, referencing a new report showing that stop and frisk practices did not cease in 2020. The report was prepared by an independent consultant as part of the 2018 stop and frisk settlement. According to an ACLU press release, the report found that […]
May Day in Milwaukee
Members of Voces de la Frontera Action, Souls to the Polls, Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and many Milwaukee residents marched on Saturday, May 1 showing support for essential and immigrant workers. This year’s annual celebration of May Day particularly focused on the plight of essential workers, […]
Bill opens door for more police drones in Wisconsin
An Assembly Committee on Corrections hearing into a bill that would allow law enforcement to fly drones over Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities offered a look into the future of drone usage in Wisconsin. The bill, AB-211, introduced by Rep. Calvin Callahan (R-Tomahawk) as well as several other state representatives and senators on both sides […]
Waupun mayor weighs in on closing prison
As Wisconsin continues to explore the path forward toward criminal justice reform, the state’s oldest prison maintains a unique place in the debate. Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), was built in 1854, when the first permanent structure of the prison was constructed. Some 954 people are currently incarcerated within its walls, which are designed to hold […]
Cannabis advocates switch focus to local policy
While ending cannabis prohibition remains a key ambition of many Badger State residents, their toolbox of strategies may need to change. Advocates like Eric Marsch, of Southeastern Wisconsin NORML, a pro-cannabis organization, are beginning to re-focus their efforts away from the state level. “For so long we’d been beating our head against the wall at […]
Executive order aims to plant 75 million new Wisconsin trees
Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order on April 22, coinciding with Earth Day, committing to work with public, private and non-governmental partners to conserve 125,000 acres of forest land, while also planting some 75 million new trees by the end of 2030. Through this effort over 28 metric tons of carbon dioxide could be […]
New populations of rare plants discovered during DNR survey
Volunteers working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have discovered new populations of some of the Badger State’s rarest plants, including orchids and milkweeds, through the department’s Rare Plant Monitoring Program. A new population of calypso orchid, which is a state threatened plant, was found in a white cedar swamp near Crandon. Fewer than […]
Wisconsin’s climate future weighs heavy on the minds of elected officials
Earth Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to care for the environment. And this year, policies that address climate change continue to be among the most pressing priorities for Gov. Tony Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. The effects of climate change in Wisconsin vary depending on the season. Currently, Wisconsin remains […]
Juvenile detention report shows improvements
A ninth and latest report on the Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake School (LHS/CLS) juvenile detention facilities, compiled by a court-ordered monitor, was released Tuesday. Although the Department of Corrections (DOC) is highlighting the report’s observation of a “significant improvement in many key areas and in the overall atmosphere,” at the facilities, concerns continue to linger. The […]
Elected officials call for additional JFC virtual hearing on budget
Four Wisconsin elected officials have issued a joint letter to the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), requesting that an additional virtual public hearing be held on the 2021-23 state budget. Sens. Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) and LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), along with Reps. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) and Greta Neubauer (D-Racine), issued the letter to […]
IRS urged not to allow opioid companies to file ‘abusive’ tax deductions
Sen. Tammy Baldwin has joined other Senate colleagues in calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to challenge tax deductions by opioid companies which the senators have called “abusive.” Such deductions could stem from settlements opioid companies have paid because of their role in the opioid epidemic. Signed by 12 elected officials, including Baldwin, the […]