News
Wages, staffing struggles dominate discussion of state prison system budget
Nearly one-third of the jobs at Wisconsin prisons are vacant, and some facilities have only half the number of employees on their roster that they are authorized, the head of the Department of Corrections (DOC) told state lawmakers Tuesday. In the lead-off hearing for the state’s 2023-25 budget before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, DOC […]
Lawmakers consider how Wisconsin’s mental health policies could improve
State agency representatives and mental health advocates testified Tuesday about how Wisconsin could improve when it comes to addressing mental health issues, asking lawmakers to consider supporting different policies and additional investments, including certain items proposed by Gov. Tony Evers for the upcoming biennial budget. Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc), chair of the Assembly Mental Health […]
Members of U.S. Senate panel press financial regulators on massive bank failures
WASHINGTON — Financial regulators promised a full review of Silicon Valley Bank’s massive failure as members of a key U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday interrogated the officials about what led to the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history. Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs asked if the Federal Reserve could […]
Infant formula crisis could recur, former FDA official tells Congress
WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday debated if enough has changed to prevent a repeat of the infant formula shortage, more than a year after a nationwide crisis began. The U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services heard from two experts that while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration […]
Republicans announce hearings on UW free speech issues
Republicans on the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities announced on Tuesday they’d be holding a series of hearings about free speech and “intellectual diversity” on Wisconsin’s public university campuses. Republicans in the state have frequently complained that conservative voices are prevented from participating in campus discussions and earlier this year the University of Wisconsin […]
Republicans propose bill to bar state employees from promoting or providing abortions
A bill being circulated by Republican lawmakers would prohibit state and local government employees from promoting, providing or facilitating abortion services while acting within the scope of their job. The “Taxpayer Abortion Subsidy Prevention” bill is meant to continue severing ties between taxpayer dollars and abortion services, according to the co-sponsorship memo being circulated by […]
Traffic citations in Milwaukee at five-year low
Fewer traffic citations are being issued by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) as compared to past years. A recent TMJ4 investigation found that 33,105 citations were issued in 2022, down from the 71,402 issued in 2017 — a drop by more than half. The 53.6% decrease has been driven by several factors, including a shift […]
Kewaunee Co. farm, DOJ reach $215,000 settlement
A Kewaunee County factory farm has agreed to a $215,000 settlement with the Wisconsin Department of Justice over allegations it improperly spread manure in Door and Kewaunee counties from 2018 to 2022. The settlement with Kinnard Farms, which includes 16 industrial farming operations maintaining about 8,000 cows, also addresses allegations that the farm failed […]
Richland Co. board members release plan to save UW-Richland campus
A duo of Richland County board members released a plan Monday that aims to pull the UW-Richland campus from the brink of closure by adding bachelor degree programs, rebuilding the school’s recruitment efforts and sharing space with other local educational institutions. The Richland Center community has been fighting since late last year to keep the […]
GOP bill establishing a federal parental bill of rights passed in U.S. House
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday passed a bill designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in local public schools, but Democrats sharply criticized the measure, saying it would censor teachers and ban books. The legislation, called the Parents Bill of Rights, passed on a 213-208 vote. It would codify […]
Tomahawk mother calls for action after racially insensitive performance
A Tomahawk mother is asking her daughters’ school district to take action, following a fourth grade performance of a Black folk song that featured what seemed to be a student pretending to be a slave catcher chasing another student, pretending to be an enslaved person. “Run, chillun, run, the pattyroller will catch you,” fourth graders […]
Native American agricultural leaders detail farm bill priorities at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — A roundtable of Native American agricultural leaders at a recent U.S. Senate hearing lobbied for increased sovereignty and social justice in the coming farm bill by expanding tribes’ jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. It’s called “638” authority and refers to Public Law 93-638, which gives tribes the power to manage certain […]