Politics & Government
Struggle over tax break for inherited farmland churns below surface in reconciliation bill
WASHINGTON—Agricultural groups and farm-state lawmakers notched a significant win when U.S. House Democrats chose not to touch a big tax break for inherited property, avoiding for now a confrontation. But opponents remain wary that the idea could come back at any time as Democrats shape their massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, and search for ways […]
Communities near Fort McCoy work to welcome Afghan refugees
On the highway between Fort McCoy — where thousands of Afghan refugees have been temporarily living for the last month — and the city of Sparta, a hand painted sign in blue and white says “Fuhrer Biden,” except the “i” in Biden is a swastika. The two communities next door to the U.S. Army base, […]
GOP Legislature’s fall agenda: pummel Evers in a culture war
Wisconsin Republicans set the stage last week for the fall session by painting a clear picture of how governing and campaigning will take shape into 2022, despite partisan elections being more than a year away. While redistricting — drawing new political maps based on the 2020 census — has taken center stage of late, and […]
Jim Crow tactics reborn in Texas abortion law
The new Texas law that bans most abortions uses a method employed by Texas and other states to enforce racist Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries that aimed to disenfranchise African Americans. Rather than giving state officials, such as the police, the power to enforce the law, the Texas law instead allows […]
Circuit Court rules Natural Resources Board chair can remain in seat
A Dane County Circuit Court judge ruled on Friday that Frederick Prehn can remain in his seat as chair of the Natural Resources Board (NRB). Prehn has refused to give up his seat since his term expired on May 1, saying state law allows him to hold on until his replacement, already nominated by Gov. […]
Environmental groups can file brief, but not join WMC lawsuit against hazardous contamination law
A Waukesha County judge will allow a group of environmental organizations to file a “friend of the court” brief in a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business lobbying group, against the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The WMC lawsuit challenges Wisconsin’s “spills law,” which forces anyone who is responsible […]
Riot bill’s penalties are as broad as they seem
A bill that would create a felony penalty for people who were part of a protest where rioting broke out appears to be as broad as it sounds. During a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, on Thursday, questions persisted as to who exactly the bill would apply to if […]
Sortwell hopes social media bills have uniting principles
When it comes to censorship on social media, Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers) hopes to find bipartisan ground to stand on. Recently, he introduced three bills which aim to both combat online censorship and provide new avenues for free-speech challenges. “Big tech has long been violating people’s free speech rights through deleting, censoring and shadow-banning […]
Federal court ready to draw new maps if Evers, Legislature fail
A panel of three federal judges denied a request from Republican lawmakers to dismiss two lawsuits that seek to have a federal court draw new maps for legislative districts. The panel’s order, released on Thursday, states that if Gov. Tony Evers and Republican leadership can’t reach a compromise on the redistricting process — an outcome […]
Rural policymakers, leaders look for long term answers for economic growth
Leaders and officials in Wisconsin’s rural communities must be creative and work together to turn around decades of decline and build sustainable local economies, experts said at a WisPolitics event held in La Crosse on Tuesday. The results of Wisconsin’s 2020 census show declining populations in many rural areas and a 4% decrease in the […]
U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail in second shot at infrastructure bill
The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in the Senate-led bipartisan infrastructure […]
Jill Biden visits Milwaukee school
On Wednesday First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Milwaukee for the first time since Inauguration Day, to visit Marvin E. Pratt Elementary School and talk about keeping students safe as they return to in-person learning. Pratt, a Milwaukee Public School that receives federal Title I funding because of its high number of children in poverty, […]