Briefs
Bill allowing later work hours for younger teens passes divided Assembly
A bill that would extend work hours for some younger teens — but only with a limited number of employers — is going to Gov. Tony Evers after passing the state Assembly Thursday without any Democratic votes. A representative of the governor did not indicate whether Evers would sign the measure. But with his background […]
Wisconsin jobless rate hits record low in December as employment reaches new high
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dipped to a record low of less than 3% in December, the state’s labor department announced Thursday, with more people employed than in February 2020, the last full month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Wisconsin. The number of Wisconsin residents without jobs and who were actively seeking work fell to 86,200 in […]
Biden says ‘big chunks’ of his spending bill could still succeed, including climate plan
President Joe Biden said Wednesday the climate and child care provisions in his domestic spending agenda could still become law this year, even as the larger plan has stalled in the Senate over other items that Biden conceded may not pass — such as an expanded child tax credit. In a nearly two-hour news conference, […]
Democrats push resolution to end Vos/Gableman ‘sham’ election review
Assembly Democrats are fed up with Michael Gableman. They are fed up with Speaker Robin Vos dragging out an investigation into the 2020 presidential election that courts and audits found to be secure and accurate. They are fed up with taxpayers being on the hook for $676,000, if not more, to fund what they see […]
Super PAC backing Kleefisch for governor got $200K from Liz Uihlein
Billionaire GOP megadonor Elizabeth Uihlein contributed $200,000 last October to a Republican super PAC that’s backing former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch for governor. Uihlein and her husband, Richard, of Lake Forest, Ill., founded Uline, a shipping supply company, and are among the leading contributors to GOP and conservative state and federal candidates and causes in the country. Freedom Wisconsin […]
MLK Day events set for across Wisconsin
Across Wisconsin, communities, religious groups and other organizations are holding events on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In Madison, there’s a week of events planned that include religious services of all faiths and a community service week put on by the UW-Madison Athletics Department. The holiday itself will feature a youth call […]
Online orders for free at-home COVID tests to begin Jan. 19
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday launched a new website for Americans to request up to four free COVID-19 tests per household. The administration is buying 1 billion at-home rapid COVID-19 tests, and Americans will be able to begin ordering the tests online on Jan. 19 at COVIDtests.gov. This is part of the administration’s […]
AG Kaul on false electors: Feds should prosecute any actions that further ‘seditious conspiracy’
A complaint against 10 Republicans in Wisconsin who posed as official electors, signing and submitting falsified certification papers to Congress is in front of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, filed by Law Forward attorneys Jeff Mandell and Mel Barnes. They filed the complaint nearly a year ago and so […]
UW System names two finalists in search for permanent president
The chairman and CEO of a prominent law firm based in Milwaukee and the Chancellor of UW-Eau Claire were named as finalists in the search for a permanent UW System president on Friday. The university system has been without a permanent president for nearly two years after the initial, widely criticized search failed because enough […]
Hearing on fentanyl testing strips upends stereotypes
A proposal to legalize fentanyl testing strips stirred strong emotions during the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety hearing Thursday. Currently in the state of Wisconsin, possessing or distributing fentanyl testing strips can lead to a felony charge. Since fentanyl is the driving factor behind a surge in overdose deaths across the state, the […]
Supreme Court blocks Biden workplace vaccine rule, allows health care workers mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a blow to the Biden administration’s fight against the pandemic, blocking a federal mandate that workers be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 — though the court allowed a separate rule requiring vaccinations for some health care workers. The two rulings represented a split victory for Republican attorneys general from Ohio, Missouri, […]
Michigan woman arrested with guns in her truck near U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON — The United States Capitol Police said in a press release that they arrested a Michigan woman Wednesday on charges of unlawful possession of multiple firearms. The woman, identified by officers as Kery Lynn McAttee, told police she was traveling from Michigan and went to the U.S. Capitol Police headquarters to talk about information […]