Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — The Elections Commission today voted to put off until March a decision on whether to appoint a new interim administrator and begin a national search for a permanent one. The move comes after the commission last week decided to keep Mike Haas

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — GOP U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson today brushed off reports he was paid by the Democratic Party for campaign work as late as 2002, despite previously claiming he was “absolutely sure” he was not a Dem after speaking at the party’s 2000

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Maggie Gau is taking over as campaign manager for Dem Tony Evers’ guv bid after the state superintendent parted ways last week with Nathan Henry. The move comes not long after the leading Dem guv candidates filed campaign finance reports that showed

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Gov. Scott Walker, in Milwaukee for a post-State of the State promotion of his child tax credit proposal, expressed confidence the GOP-run Legislature will back the plan even though some conservatives question his new spending proposals. Walker said the plan was a

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Gov. Scott Walker’s Department of Administration won’t recognize the Elections Commission’s decision to re-appoint Mike Haas as agency administrator through April 30. The commission this afternoon voted 4-2 to keep Haas on through April 30 to cover the upcoming spring election and

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — The Ethics Commission agreed to pay investigator Patrick Fiedler $350 an hour to conduct the probe into allegations administrator Brian Bell had acted in a partisan manner, according to a copy of the agreement provided to WisPolitics.com under the open records law.

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin joined a majority of their colleagues today in voting for a short term funding bill that will keep the government going for three weeks. Senators allowed the government to shut down midnight Friday after failing

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Ethics Commission Administrator Brian Bell said today he raised his concerns about partisanship at the old Government Accountability Board with former Director Kevin Kennedy. But in a phone interview with WisPolitics.com today, Kennedy rejected Bell’s description of the GAB, saying “It just

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — JFC Co-chair Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, hailed the new revenue numbers released today, but isn’t committing just yet to a bill that would boost state aid to rural school districts. “I think we have to look at all of our priorities,” she

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Gov. Scott Walker pulled in $3.7 million during the second half of 2017, outraising the collective Dem field over the six-month period and finishing the year with more cash on hand. Walker’s numbers also trailed what he reported at the same point

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — The state Ethics Commission today unanimously signaled its confidence in agency Administrator Brian Bell as Republican lawmakers continue to push for his ouster. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, has refused calls for a public hearing on Bell and Elections Commission Administrator

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Madison Mayor Paul Soglin responded to Gov. Scott Walker’s jabs at the city by saying the guv should be thanking Madison and the region for “making him look good.” “I hear this morning that Scott Walker was mocking Madison’s economic development. Well

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — The offices of Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Sen. Steve Nass told WisPolitics.com they have been contacted by an attorney hired by the Ethics Commission to probe charges of “partisan influence” directed at agency Administrator Brian Bell. The Ethics Commission declined

From WisPolitics.com … — Gov. Scott Walker today threw his support behind a plan from JFC Co-chair John Nygren to help low-revenue school districts after vetoing a similar provision from the state budget. The legislation also would boost sparsity aid $6.4 million. Still, fellow JFC Co-chair Alberta Darling, R-River Hills,

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to move youthful offenders from prisons in northern Wisconsin to new regional facilities wouldn’t kick in until at least 2019. But with some Dems complaining the transition of offenders wouldn’t be fast enough, Walker’s office signaled late this

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Senate candidates Kevin Nicholson and Leah Vukmir today agreed to sign a unity pledge from the Wisconsin GOP so they’ll be eligible to win the party’s endorsement at the state convention in May. Meanwhile, former UN Ambassador John Bolton’s super PAC is

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Middleton attorney Tim Burns filed his nomination papers today, setting up a three-way primary with Milwaukee Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock. The Elections Commission found Screnock had 3,539 valid signatures, while Dallet had 3,073. Candidates for the court