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Wisconsin wolf hunt called “unenforceable”
Yesterday marked the start of the wolf hunting season, which will run Feb. 22-28. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the start of the hunt, which came after circuit court orders compelling the state to formulate a hunting season. But conservation organizations are condemning the decision, saying the decision to hunt the animals during […]
Budget carves out place for addressing PFAS contamination
Gov. Tony Evers put items into his biennial budget addresses to further address contamination by PFAS and other “forever chemicals” in Wisconsin’s water supplies. Remediating the various pockets of contamination across the state and providing clean drinking water to affected locales has been a challenge for Wisconsin’s state government, which has been the subject of […]
Members of faith coalition question Waukesha Sheriff on Mensah hire
Members of the Waukesha-based faith coalition SOPHIA are concerned about the Waukesha County sheriff’s decision to hire controversial former Wauwatosa officer Joseph Mensah as a deputy. As a Wauwatosa officer, Mensah shot and killed three people, sparking massive protests and calls for his firing. “The community has a fear and a lack of trust with […]
Milwaukee has the president’s ear
As President Joe Biden arrives in Milwaukee for his first town hall visit, community organizers and elected officials don’t want a merely symbolic event. They plan to take the opportunity to bring their concerns to the new president’s attention. They want their voices to be heard, and to know what meaningful changes the administration is […]
Shifting the narrative around legalizing Badger cannabis
Ending Wisconsin’s cannabis prohibition is an effort being pushed across multiple fronts. While proposals are hashed out in the halls of government, and not likely to succeed while the GOP controls both Legislative branches, advocates also see the need to shift the narrative around cannabis. From Michigan to Minnesota, Illinois to even Iowa, cannabis is […]
Wolf hunting season moving forward
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board discussed an upcoming hunting season for Wisconsin’s gray wolves at a special meeting on Feb. 15. The body debated several aspects of the season, which will run Feb. 22-28, setting a quota of 200 wolves. Beginning in March, potential hunters will be able to begin applying for the next wolf […]
To close, or not to close Waupun’s prison
The state’s Assembly Committee on Corrections had an opportunity to review the progress of the Department of Corrections (DOC) under the leadership of Secretary Kevin Carr, who was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in Jan. 2019. At a committee meeting on Feb. 10, members applauded the department for having endured the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding […]
Evers declares energy state of emergency
Gov. Tony Evers has declared an energy state of emergency for Wisconsin, due to the state’s dwindling supplies of petroleum. In a document describing the executive order, Evers cited “extreme winter weather in February 2021” as being at the root of the shortage. “Approximately 250,000 Wisconsinites depend on propane for home heating,” the executive order […]
Policing Wauwatosa after Chief Barry Weber
Some people were surprised when Barry Weber announced on Feb. 1 that he is retiring as chief of the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD) in June. After holding the post for more than 30 years, Weber’s departure confronts residents with the prospect of envisioning life in the post-Weber era, particularly as the police department and community […]
Evers pushes for $165 million recreational cannabis market
Cannabis is in Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed 2021-23 biennial budget, with the governor pushing legalization and regulation of the plant. If approved, Wisconsin would begin taxing cannabis similar to alcohol, joining 15 other states, including all of its neighbors, in legalizing a recreational market. “Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin,” said Evers, “just like we […]
Milwaukee rent activists call for rent cancellation
On the evening of Feb. 1, as Marlene Peace, a Milwaukee resident and grandmother, stood outside the doors of S2 Realty in Milwaukee, her frustration rose as the temperature continued to drop. Peace had traveled to the building hoping to help her daughter pay her rent. “I’m here because my daughter has a special needs […]
No-knock search warrants began in Wisconsin, Rep. Myers wants to end them here
Rep. LaKeshia Myers (D-Milwaukee) has introduced a new bill to prevent the use of no-knock search warrants by Wisconsin law enforcement. The bill was named “Breonna’s Law” after Louisville, Kentucky EMT Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old who was killed during such a raid in March 2020. “It is most appropriate for us to begin Black History […]