Politics & Government
Meet three superheroes of the 2020 census effort
Getting an accurate count of the population of the United States every decade, as is mandated in the U.S. Constitution, is not an easy process. At stake for the state are more than $675 billion in federal funding, the allocation of congressional seats and more — so expect to hear about the 2020 census a […]
Sean Duffy’s rocky start
Ten days into the start of his new gig as a CNN commentator, Sean Duffy is off to a rough start. On Oct. 20, his first day in his new role, Duffy pushed a discredited conspiracy theory in defense of President Donald Trump’s request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he investigate former Vice President […]
State jobs will go unfilled
Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) sent the Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan an aggressive letter on Oct. 31, instituting a new requirement on executive branch agency positions and simultaneously rejecting a request from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration to create 60 new state jobs. The co-chairs […]
U.S. House green lights Trump impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday voted to formalize its impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Lawmakers adopted a resolution that lays out procedures for the inquiry that is already taking place in the House. That investigation is centered on whether the president abused his power by attempting to pressure the president of Ukraine […]
Paul Ryan’s new foundation keeps him in the spotlight
Former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) announced this week that he is using some of the millions of dollars left over in his congressional campaign coffers to launch a nonprofit think tank called the American Idea Foundation. The group’s website features campaign-style videos with images of the Statue of Liberty, George Washington, the Constitution, […]
Senate Democrats fail to unravel Trump policy that weakens Obamacare
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats failed on Wednesday to overturn a Trump administration policy that allows states to ignore certain requirements of the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. Democrats forced a Senate floor vote on a resolution that sought to unravel the controversial Trump administration health care rule. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins was the […]
Mark Pocan submits public comment on F-35
Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth) submitted a public comment today on the United States Air Force’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed F-35 mission at Truax Air National Guard Base in Madison. Pocan repeated his concern about the EIS and “the inability of an average person to understand the technical descriptions of anticipated […]
Wisconsin joins states opposing proposed EPA rule
Attorneys general across the country are uniting to oppose proposed rule changes to the Clean Water Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The proposed changes would allow federal agencies to circumvent or ignore state-issued regulations that protect water resources. “At a time when we need to step up our efforts to safeguard access to […]
Committee passes pipeline protest bill with only one Democrat voting no
The Senate version of a bill that would enhance criminal penalties for trespassing on pipeline sites and other energy- or water-related infrastructure passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday on a 4-1 paper-ballot vote. Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison) cast the lone vote against SB 386, which has been promoted by […]
New report shows high levels of uninsured children
After falling steadily for at least eight years, the number of children without health insurance rose nationwide for the second year in a row in 2018, according to a new report released on Wednesday. Nationwide, 5.2% of children were without health insurance in 2018, according to the report, produced by the Georgetown University Center for […]
Tammy Baldwin pushes for action on lead poisoning
Sen. Tammy Baldwin is joining 16 Senate colleagues in calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to tackle the looming issue of childhood lead exposure. The Senators sent a letter to Sema Verma, administrator for CMS, calling for renewed efforts to address issues in lead screening data. Current federal law requires lead […]
Donald Trump’s Man in Ukraine, Sen. Ron Johnson
Not all that long ago, Ron Johnson was running a Fox Valley plastics manufacturing company given to him by his in-laws. Now a United States senator, Ron Johnson has bumbled his way into the center of an impeachment investigation and looks very much like one of Donald Trump’s men in Ukraine. According to new media […]