Politics & Government
Who will get a booster shot? A Q&A about what the feds are saying
WASHINGTON — Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels in […]
State superintendent calls out Republicans’ war on schools in fiery speech
In her first annual State of Education address, Wisconsin’s new state schools superintendent Jill Underly did not hold back. “We’re now failing a generation of kids,” Underly declared. “And we’re failing our state by putting Wisconsin’s economic future at risk.” Standing in front of the bust of Fighting Bob La Follette in the Capitol rotunda, […]
Attorney General and lawmakers introduce gun control bills
Attorney General Josh Kaul joined state legislators to announce two new bills on gun control. One bill would expand background checks. The other aims to establish an extreme risk protection order system in the state. “You have heard about these bills before,” said Kaul during a press conference Thursday. “You know that the vast majority […]
Wisconsin could see major changes if Congress passes ‘Build Back Better’
In Washington, D.C., two intertwined pieces of legislation are ensnared in bickering among House and Senate Democrats while Republicans mostly look the other way. But this week, a pair of conversations 850 miles west of the nation’s capital brought the potential impact of those bills home to Wisconsin — a brief slice of real life […]
Republicans offer joint resolution on redistricting
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu drafted a joint resolution on establishing new voting maps and referred it to the Legislature’s rules committee Thursday, which put it on the calendar for the Assembly’s floor session next week. The resolution’s first two points are uncontroversial, stating that, in drawing new legislative districts […]
State and federal courts are both set to draw voting maps — now what?
On Wednesday the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to take a redistricting case brought by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) that could put it in the position of drawing Wisconsin’s next round of voting maps, should the Legislature and the governor fail to agree on a new map following the 2020 census. […]
Ald. Cavalier Johnson makes his case to become Milwaukee’s next mayor
Cavalier Johnson, president of the Milwaukee Common Council, laid out his case for becoming Milwaukee’s next mayor at Wednesday’s newsmaker luncheon hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club and WisPolitics.com. Johnson outlined his thoughts on the policies he plans to support, and what a change in leadership could mean for Milwaukee. Johnson revealed that he has […]
Evers rolls out replacement bill to repeal personal property tax
Having rejected a previous Republican-authored attempt, Gov. Tony Evers unveiled draft legislation Wednesday to carry out the personal property tax repeal that GOP lawmakers had tried to link to the 2021-2023 state budget this summer. The draft bill includes a new state aid program for local governments to replace the revenue they would lose with […]
Conservatives, anti-maskers target school boards around the state
A conservative citizens’ group took over the annual Kenosha School Board meeting on Tuesday night, pushing through a cut in school board member salaries and a property tax reduction. “With rage still apparently simmering from a recent school board vote to require face masks in schools, a different crowd outnumbered the regulars Tuesday night,” local […]
Nonprofit status of group pushing for Wisconsin wolf hunts may not be valid
Update: This article was published on Wednesday morning, Hunter Nation officials did not respond to requests for comment until Thursday afternoon. We have now updated it with their comments throughout. The hunters’ rights advocacy organization heavily involved in pushing to hold wolf hunts in Wisconsin and other intense fights over the state’s conservation policy claims […]
Republicans invite critical race theory evangelist for hearing on education bills
Months after they were first introduced, Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are set to hold a hearing Wednesday on a slate of bills meant to prevent so-called critical race theory from being taught in schools. At the hearing, the activist responsible for injecting the academic theory into the public consciousness this summer is scheduled to […]
Gableman video puts a polished gloss on election nonsense
On Monday, the ethically challenged former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who is overseeing state Republicans’ “investigation” of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election released a six-minute video warning local elections clerks that he might use his subpoena powers to force them to hand over information. He also put them on notice that the burden of proving that […]