TUE PM Update: Senate committee backs constitutional amendment to eliminate state treasurer’s office

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — A state Senate committee today voted 3-1 to back a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the state treasurer’s office. GOP Sens. David Craig, Duey Stroebel and Dan Feyen voted for the amendment, while Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, was the lone vote against. Dem Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, left the hearing prior to th… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options. Username or E-mail Password * Remember Me     Forgot Password

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U.S. Sen. Johnson: Applauds President Trump’s action targeting harmful EPA WOTUS rule

Contact: Brittni Palke, (202) 224-0382 Ben Voelkel, (202) 228-0071   WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had this to say following executive orders from President Trump today on the harmful EPA Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule: “I along with farmers, manufacturers and other Wisconsinites we rely on to create good paying jobs thank President Trump for taking swift and decisive action to reconsider and potentially dismantle this ill-conceived regulation. Taking steps to roll back this harmful regulation is a good sign President Trump is focused on growing the economy and creating more opportunity for Wisconsinites

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Sen. Kapenga: Circulates Article V resolution calling for a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution

Contact: Senator Chris Kapenga, (608) 266-9174 Madison – On Wednesday, Senator Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) circulated for co-sponsorship a resolution that requests that congress call a convention under the authority of Article V of the United States Constitution. The purpose of the convention would be to draft the language for a proposed constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to operate under a balanced budget. The draft language would need to be passed by the convention in order for congress to send the proposed amendment to the states for ratification. Through this resolution, the Wisconsin State Legislature will use the power granted to it and

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Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions: 2016 net income, lending increase for state-chartered banks

Contact: George Althoff, 608-261-4504 MADISON – Net income grew 3.5% and net lending increased by 1.4% at Wisconsin’s state-chartered banks in the year ending Dec. 31, 2016, compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Compared to 2015, Wisconsin’s 166 state-chartered banks: Grew net income to $536.2 million, up from $518.3 million. Increased net loans to $35.3 billion, up from $34.8 billion. Maintained their capital ratio at 11.39%, down slightly from 11.60%. Reduced their past due loan ratio to 1.26%, down from 1.45%. “State-chartered banks continued to build on their solid showing of the

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Bill Lueders “Transparency and Truth in Government” talk

“Never have issues such as transparency and truth in government been more important given our current president,” said Chuck Ogg of the Rock County Progressives. “Therefore we are excited to have Bill Lueders, associate editor at The Progressive magazine speak on this at our upcoming educational forum.  Bill has worked as the Money and Politics Project Director for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism,  and as news editor of Isthmus weekly newspaper in Madison for 25 years. This will be held on Wednesday, March 8 at the Basics Cooperative Natural Foods Store in Janesville.  This is an independent event not affiliated with

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Milwaukee Jewish Federation: Nominees sought for Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award

Contact: Elana Kahn, 414-390-5736 ElanaK@MilwaukeeJewish.org MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation is seeking nominees for its third annual Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award. The award will be given to an individual who has demonstrated leadership, courage and compassion as a social justice advocate, while working to eliminate discrimination and injustice in the greater Milwaukee area. Nominees’ professional and personal contributions to social justice will be considered. Attorney James H. Hall, Jr., won the inaugural award in 2015 and Danae Davis won the award in 2016. The honoree will be recognized at the JCRC’s

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Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety executive session

The committee will hold an executive session on the following items at the time specified below: Thursday, March 2, 2017 1:00 PM 330 Southwest Dunkin, Regina Of Beloit, as a Public Member on the Public Defender Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2019. Senate Bill 7 Relating to: expiration dates of renewed licenses to carry a concealed weapon. By Senators LeMahieu, Testin, Feyen, Kapenga, Lasee, Marklein, Moulton, Olsen, Stroebel, L. Taylor, Tiffany and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Kuglitsch, Kremer, Born, Brandtjen, R. Brooks, Duchow, Edming, Felzkowski, Gannon, Horlacher, Jacque, Jarchow, Kerkman, Kleefisch, Knodl, Krug, Kulp, Loudenbeck, Murphy, Mursau,

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The Heartland Institute: Heartland expert: Prevailing-wage reform bill gives taxpayers more bang for their buck

Contact: Jesse Hathaway, 312/377-4000 jhathaway@heartland.org A new bill introduced in Ohio would give more freedom to local governments, enabling them to save taxpayer money by contracting with companies of their choosing rather than being forced to hire only companies that pay wages mandated by the state. The following statement from Jesse Hathaway, a research fellow and budget/tax expert at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact New Media Specialist Billy Aouste at media@heartland.org and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 847/877-9100. “On February 28, Ohio state

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Sen. Carpenter: Delay will not fix Gov. Walker’s DOT budget crisis 

Contact: Stuart Ewy, 608.266.8535 Madison – Today State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement calling on Governor Walker and Republican leadership to take ownership of the problems with our infrastructure and to take steps to fix it instead of kicking it down the road again into the next budget cycle. “After the disasters uncovered by the recent audit of the Department of Transportation highway program, it is increasingly apparent that Governor Walker keeps hoping the problem of transportation funding will just go away if they delay long enough.   Wisconsin needs a viable transportation funding plan to fix our

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U.S. Sen. Johnson: Applauds President Trump’s action targeting harmful EPA WOTUS rule

Contact: Brittni Palke, (202) 224-0382 Ben Voelkel, (202) 228-0071   WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had this to say following executive orders from President Trump today on the harmful EPA Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule: “I along with farmers, manufacturers and other Wisconsinites

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Sen. Kapenga: Circulates Article V resolution calling for a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution

Contact: Senator Chris Kapenga, (608) 266-9174 Madison – On Wednesday, Senator Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) circulated for co-sponsorship a resolution that requests that congress call a convention under the authority of Article V of the United States Constitution. The purpose of the convention would be to draft the language for a proposed constitutional amendment

Read More »

Bill Lueders “Transparency and Truth in Government” talk

“Never have issues such as transparency and truth in government been more important given our current president,” said Chuck Ogg of the Rock County Progressives. “Therefore we are excited to have Bill Lueders, associate editor at The Progressive magazine speak on this at our upcoming educational forum.  Bill has worked

Read More »

The Heartland Institute: Heartland expert: Prevailing-wage reform bill gives taxpayers more bang for their buck

Contact: Jesse Hathaway, 312/377-4000 jhathaway@heartland.org A new bill introduced in Ohio would give more freedom to local governments, enabling them to save taxpayer money by contracting with companies of their choosing rather than being forced to hire only companies that pay wages mandated by the state. The following statement from Jesse Hathaway,

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Sen. Carpenter: Delay will not fix Gov. Walker’s DOT budget crisis 

Contact: Stuart Ewy, 608.266.8535 Madison – Today State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement calling on Governor Walker and Republican leadership to take ownership of the problems with our infrastructure and to take steps to fix it instead of kicking it down the road again into the next budget

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