THU PM Update: Senate GOP still short of votes needed to pass budget; Assembly passes amended Foxconn bill

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is holding open the option of coming in over the weekend to take up the state budget if needed as several of his members continued to hold out. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said again today the Assembly would not return to cast another budget vote. “We’re not going to come back and re-do… 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

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Voces De La Frontera: Amid reports of DACA deal, immigrants youth urge Paul Ryan to pass Clean Dream Act

RACINE, WISCONSIN — Late Wednesday night, Democratic Congressional leaders announced a tentative agreement with the President on a bill protecting DACA recipients from deportation. The agreement is said to include money for more ground sensors and drones at the border, but no measures to expand the border wall or hire more border agents. On Thursday morning, the President tweeted his support for the agreement. Voces de la Frontera issued the following response: “Our movement is united in calling for a clean Dream Act that provides a path to citizenship for immigrant youth and contains no provisions to further militarize the

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Rep. Taylor: Foxconn, redux: more corporate giveaways

Contact: Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342 MADISON – Today, the State Assembly passed Governor Walker’s Foxconn legislation, Special Session Assembly Bill 1. The bill authorizes up to $2.85 billion in cash payments to Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, as well as provides them with special exemptions from significant environmental protections, discounted electricity rates, and even a special court process. The Assembly took up the bill almost a month ago for the first time, but additional amendments were added to the bill by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee and the State Senate. After once again vigorously arguing against this giveaway and voting “no,”

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Rep. Allen: Beer with Scott kicks off

Contact: Dan Posca (608) 266-8580 This past spring, Rep. Allen experimented with a new format when listening to constituents called “Coffee with Scott.” These were pre-scheduled, one-on-one, ten-minute meetings with Rep. Allen to encourage interaction, and help constituents feel more at ease discussing their concerns about state government. After the success with “Coffee with Scott,” Rep. Allen is excited to announce “Beer with Scott,” to take place on Thursdays this fall before Thursday night football. The first ever “Beer with Scott” will be held on Thursday, September 28th from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M. just before the Packers/Bears game at Magellan’s

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Gov. Walker: Applauds legislature for approving Wisconn Valley Special Session bill

Contact: Tom Evenson, (608) 266-2839 MADISON – Governor Scott Walker released the following statement after the State Assembly approved the Wisconn Valley Special Session bill. The bill now moves to Governor Walker’s desk for his signature. “Thank you to members of the Legislature for approving this historic, bipartisan jobs bill. Foxconn’s $10 billion cutting-edge manufacturing campus and the creation of 13,000 jobs will be transformational for our state. Advanced display technology will be made in America, right here in Wisconsin. I look forward to signing this historic bill into law soon.”

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Acting U.S. Attorney Anderson: Zachary Schmelzer sentencing

MADISON, WIS. — Jeffrey M. Anderson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Zachary Schmelzer, 20, Madison, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to one month of imprisonment, a $5,000 fine, and four months of home detention following his incarceration, for embezzling from a bank. Schmelzer pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement by bank employee on June 26, 2017. Schmelzer was a teller at an Associated Bank branch in Madison from November 2014 until December 4, 2015. In December 2015, the bank discovered that $10,000 was missing from a

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Alliance for Great Lakes: Hit the beach with us this weekend!

September Adopt-a-Beach is this Saturday, the 16th! We’re so excited for volunteers across the region to clean up their beaches for one big day of Great Lakes action. September Adopt-a-Beach is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, so people all over the world will be joining you in cleaning up the beaches. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we want you to be a part of it! It’s not too late to join a cleanup. Just visit www.greatlakesadopt.org, find an event near you, and register. See you on the beach!

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Covering Wisconsin: Federal funding for navigator enrollment services cut 42%

Contact: Allison Espeseth 414-261-1455 aehales@wisc.edu  Madison, Wisconsin — Covering Wisconsin (CWI), the state’s largest federally-certified and state-licensed Navigator agency, received notice today that its federal support for outreach and enrollment services is reduced by over 42%. This amounts to a loss of $422,763 for educating Wisconsin residents this coming year about health insurance coverage, assisting them with enrollment, and supporting their post-enrollment needs. CMS, the federal funding agency, did not provide a justification for this reduction in funding or explain how it decided to allocate the funds. Covering Wisconsin exceeded enrollment goals as outlined in its federal funding proposal, so

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Wisconsin DNR: Hunters encouraged to record wildlife observations during fall hunting seasons

Contact: Jessica Rees-Lohr, DNR wildlife research scientist 608-221-6349 Madison, Wisconsin — With the start of the 2017 deer hunting seasons, the Department of Natural Resources is kicking off its ninth annual Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey, a survey where hunters can record their observations of deer and other wildlife while hunting. Survey results help track population trends for Wisconsin’s deer herd and other wildlife. Hunters can record all hunting activity throughout the deer season, even if no wildlife sightings were made during a hunt. The observations provide DNR staff with an index of abundance for many wildlife species. New this year, hunters

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Rep. Brandtjen: Issues statement regarding vote against the budget, “final budget leaves too much behind”

Contact: Rep. Brandtjen (608)267-2367 “Wisconsin is heading in the right direction. Governor Walker’s reforms are working, the economy is on the rebound, and the unemployment rate is as low as it has been in a long time. However, a solid track record over the past decade doesn’t excuse a budget that spends too much money, ignores additional reforms, and does not provide sufficient remedies for the lack of oversight that has plagued billion dollar departments like the DOT and DPI.” “Some of the outrageous spending includes millions of dollars to provide laptops for children that already have them, buying more

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Rep. Pope: Gov. Walker plays politics with children’s futures

Contact: Rep. Sondy Pope 608-266-3520 Madison, Wisconsin – Yesterday, Governor Walker rejected a plan submitted by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which would put Wisconsin in federal compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA Equity Council has been discussing the plan since August 2016 and is comprised of nearly 30 education stakeholder groups, and includes members of the legislature and a member of the Governor’s administration. “It is clear that this is nothing more than a petty political stunt by Governor Walker. He had a chance to sit on the ESSA Equity Council and had every

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Gov. Walker: South Korean technology startups to receive training, support in new business accelerator program in Milwaukee

Contact: Tom Evenson (608) 266-2169 Seoul, South Korea — The Wisconsin-based Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) will provide training and mentoring to 10 South Korean technology-based start-up companies under an agreement signed Thursday with a South Korean research institute during Governor Scott Walker’s trade mission. Under the agreement with the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), representatives of the startups will come to Milwaukee in mid-October, where they will participate in the new Technology Acceleration and Globalization (TAG) Program. The accelerator will establish a base of international business relationships that will help early-stage high-tech companies from the U.S. and South Korea expand

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Rep. Taylor: Foxconn, redux: more corporate giveaways

Contact: Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342 MADISON – Today, the State Assembly passed Governor Walker’s Foxconn legislation, Special Session Assembly Bill 1. The bill authorizes up to $2.85 billion in cash payments to Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, as well as provides them with special exemptions from significant environmental protections, discounted electricity

Read More »

Rep. Allen: Beer with Scott kicks off

Contact: Dan Posca (608) 266-8580 This past spring, Rep. Allen experimented with a new format when listening to constituents called “Coffee with Scott.” These were pre-scheduled, one-on-one, ten-minute meetings with Rep. Allen to encourage interaction, and help constituents feel more at ease discussing their concerns about state government. After the

Read More »

Acting U.S. Attorney Anderson: Zachary Schmelzer sentencing

MADISON, WIS. — Jeffrey M. Anderson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Zachary Schmelzer, 20, Madison, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to one month of imprisonment, a $5,000 fine, and four months of home detention following his incarceration,

Read More »

Alliance for Great Lakes: Hit the beach with us this weekend!

September Adopt-a-Beach is this Saturday, the 16th! We’re so excited for volunteers across the region to clean up their beaches for one big day of Great Lakes action. September Adopt-a-Beach is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, so people all over the world will be joining you in cleaning up

Read More »

Covering Wisconsin: Federal funding for navigator enrollment services cut 42%

Contact: Allison Espeseth 414-261-1455 aehales@wisc.edu  Madison, Wisconsin — Covering Wisconsin (CWI), the state’s largest federally-certified and state-licensed Navigator agency, received notice today that its federal support for outreach and enrollment services is reduced by over 42%. This amounts to a loss of $422,763 for educating Wisconsin residents this coming year

Read More »

Rep. Pope: Gov. Walker plays politics with children’s futures

Contact: Rep. Sondy Pope 608-266-3520 Madison, Wisconsin – Yesterday, Governor Walker rejected a plan submitted by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which would put Wisconsin in federal compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA Equity Council has been discussing the plan since August 2016 and is

Read More »

Gov. Walker: South Korean technology startups to receive training, support in new business accelerator program in Milwaukee

Contact: Tom Evenson (608) 266-2169 Seoul, South Korea — The Wisconsin-based Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) will provide training and mentoring to 10 South Korean technology-based start-up companies under an agreement signed Thursday with a South Korean research institute during Governor Scott Walker’s trade mission. Under the agreement with the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of

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