Jim Steineke
The hypnotherapist and failed politician who helped fuel Wisconsin’s never-ending voter fraud hunt
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Jay Stone grew up in the rough-and-tumble world of Chicago ward politics, the son of a longtime city alderman. But his own forays into politics left him distrustful of Chicago Democrats. When he ran for alderman in 2003, he was crushed at the polls after party leaders sent […]
In conspiracy-laden ‘circus’ Gableman attacks Wisconsin election administration
In three and a half hours of conspiracy-laden testimony that included downplaying the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, recorded interviews with sleeping senior citizens and attacks on a number of election officials and organizations, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman presented the “second interim report” of his partisan review of the […]
Assembly committee knocks down measure to recall 2020 electors
Assembly Democrats have attempted to drive a stake in the heart of a resolution from a Republican lawmaker who has demanded that his party recall Wisconsin’s presidential electors from 2020 — a demand that is impossible to fulfill and sparked conflict inside the Legislature’s GOP caucus. The Assembly’s Republican leader twice publicly renounced the rogue […]
A look back at Steineke’s tenure as he announces his departure
Majority Leader Jim Steineke — by most accounts the friendlier and funnier half of the Assembly leadership team that also includes Speaker Robin Vos — announced Tuesday that he will finish his term, but does not plan to run for reelection in the fall. The Kaukauna Republican served in local government as a town board […]
Election and vaccine conspiracies abound in Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics hearing
In a public hearing of the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics on Wednesday, Republicans agreed with and shared conspiracy theories and misinformation about a variety of topics, disparaging the state’s election security and the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19. The committee held hearings on a resolution that would start the process for amending […]
Wisconsin Republicans push forward on anti-abortion bill
Shortly after Texas implemented the most extreme anti-abortion bill in the nation, Wisconsin legislative Republicans are moving forward on an extreme bill of their own, which authors Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton) and Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) named the “born alive” bill. The measure was introduced last session as well and passed the Legislature […]
Nass asks Republican leadership to sue UW System over COVID mask mandates
Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) wants to pick a fight with Tommy Thompson. Last month, Nass and his fellow Republicans on the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules passed a motion attempting to force all UW System COVID-19 policies to first be approved by the committee. Thompson, the interim president of the UW System and […]
GOP donor group announces the agenda for surprise legislative session
The Legislature quietly announced Friday that it will convene in a special session Tuesday for a veto override vote — but Democratic legislators and the public were not informed of what would be on the agenda. Democrats and the public didn’t have to wait for Republicans to make an announcement, however. Tuesday morning before legislative […]
Democrats call out ‘systemic racism’ by Assembly Republican leaders for punishing their free speech
Republicans in the Legislature generally shrug off accusations from Democrats that they are being callous to Wisconsinites by refusing to provide health care coverage or elitist by giving tax breaks to the wealthy while making it harder for low-income families to get food or child care. But there’s one charge that generates a quick reaction: […]
The Wisconsin Legislature’s cynical run for the border
As Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Milwaukee to promote President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan, state Republicans were focused like a laser beam — 1,500 miles to the south, on the states that share a border with Mexico. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August sent […]
New GOP voting measure: prohibit non-citizens from voting
The Wisconsin Constitution guarantees that every U.S. citizen 18 and over is a qualified elector, however nowhere does it specifically state that only U.S. citizens are qualified to vote in state or local elections. That is a problem that needs to be addressed, according to Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton) and Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke […]
Gov. Evers and Legislature address police reform on same day with differing approaches
Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order Wednesday afternoon directing state law enforcement to update its use of force policies. The order came shortly after the Assembly Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities subcommittee on law enforcement policies and standards came out with its recommendations. The governor’s order only binds agencies managed by the state, […]