Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers

****************************************

Jan. 30: WisPolitics Luncheon with Kevin Nicholson

Join WisPolitics.com for lunch at the Madison Club, 5 East Wilson St., Madison, on Tuesday, Jan. 30 with GOP U.S. candidate Kevin Nicholson to talk about the 2018 race for the seat now held by Tammy Baldwin.

See more on Nicholson: https://nicholsonforsenate.com/meet-kevin/

Check-in and lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., with the program going from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Madison Club members and their guests receive discounted pricing for WisPolitics luncheons of $19 per person. Price for general public is $25 per person.

This luncheon is sponsored by: Husch Blackwell, American Family Insurance, Xcel Energy, Walmart, AARP Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

To register, visit: https://eventbrite.com/e/wispolitics-luncheon-with-kevin-nicholson-tickets-40921540429

****************************************

STORY TOPICS

– White house

– 2018 governor campaign

– State government

– Federal government

– Local government

– Agribusiness

– Banking and investment

– Demographics

– Education

– Elections

– Environment

– Foxconn

– Law and order

– Media

– Retail

– Tourism

– Editorials

– Columns

TOP STORIES

DeVos approves Wisconsin ESSA plan that Gov. Walker rejected
… [DPI Super] Evers — a Democrat running for governor — said Wednesday that the plan will give local districts more flexibility to innovate and a greater say in turning around failing schools. … “top-down reform … hasn’t worked in the past,” Evers said after his remarks at the 97th annual State Education Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday. “We’re going to be relying on local districts and holding their feet to the fire that they are engaging their communities in the change process,” he said. Walker spokeswoman Amy Hasenberg said in a statement that Evers’ plan “met the bare minimum requirements of the law” and lacked “innovative solutions.” … [WILL] called it “a missed opportunity.” … [at convention,] Evers commended the often selfless work of educators and stressed the importance of so-called “social-emotional learning” … took a couple of jabs … lauded Walker’s increased support for rural schools and lifting the revenue caps for low-spending schools, “regardless of the motivations. … I get it. I get it,” Evers said, acknowledging the laughter that rippled through the room. “Those were our ideas. Remember? We did it together.” … mocked [WEDC] transit ads in Chicago. … “our best workforce development strategy comes from within — back home in our schools and communities.” By Johnson, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
https://jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/01/17/devos-approves-wisconsin-essa-plan-gov-walker-rejected/1039649001/

Crowded Democratic gubernatorial field takes stage in Menasha
… [Doolan, Evers, Flynn, Gronik, Harlow, McCabe, Mitchell, Roys, Wachs, Vinehout at UW-Fox Valley forum] … stayed away from combating each other, mostly agreeing on issues such as higher wages for workers, finding better health care solutions and questioning the recent Foxconn deal that Walker has championed. They chose to unite against Walker … “One of the key questions tonight is that there are a lot of good people who support one another: Who do you want on the stage next October next to Scott Walker, prosecuting the case against him as aggressively and articulately as possible?” said former party chairman Matt Flynn. … All said they would either sign a bill to repeal Act 10 or would actively work to get it overturned, except for Gronik. “I’m about moving forward,” Gronik said. “So I don’t look back to restoring. I look forward to restoring the voice of labor at the bargaining table.” … group then split again over the question of legalizing marijuana, for medicinal and recreational purposes, statewide. Doolen, Gronik, McCabe, Mitchell, Roys and Wachs all gave yes answers, some adding that they would use tax from sales of marijuana to help fund drug treatment programs or mental health needs. … there was much discussion about ending divisions between different factions of people in Wisconsin, like urban residents and rural residents, and advocating for voters who deserted the party amid the election of President Donald Trump. Last week’s PPP poll found Evers leading with 29%, Undecided 28, Vinehout 11, Soglin 10, Flynn, McCabe and Mitchell 5. By Behrm APPLETON POST CRESCENT
http://postcrescent.com/story/news/2018/01/17/1036020001/

Ryan: GOP needs to ‘pay attention’ to Dems’ big special election win
… “I know this district fairly well. It’s not my district. It’s over in western Wisconsin. But typically, we’ve held this seat. And we lost this seat last night,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters in Washington on Wednesday. “So yeah, I think we should pay attention to it.” Gov. Walker, who is up for re-election this year, tweeted, “Senate District 10 special election win by a Democrat is a wake up call for Republicans in Wisconsin.” AFP spent at least $50K, Wisconsin Alliance for Reform and WMC combined to spend $80K to assist GOP candidate Jarchow. GWC spent $30K, NDRC spent $10K to assist Schachtner. DLCC’s Post said Schachtner’s win “perfectly encapsulates the local progressive movement” sweeping the country. Walker and Ryan are favored to win re-election, but 17 Dems are so far fighting to face Walker and Dems are pumped about Ryan’s populist challenger Randy Bryce. By Terkel of HuffPo, AOL NEWS
https://aol.com/article/news/2018/01/17/paul/23336350/

As Senate vote nears, state Ethics chief blasts former Government Accountability Board as partisan, inconsistent
… Ethics Administrator Brian Bell is ripping the former state ethics agency, the Government Accountability Board, saying he left it in 2015 because it enforced the law unevenly and one of its top attorneys, Democrat Shane Falk, “displayed open partisanship.” In a memo released to lawmakers Wednesday, Bell gave his sharpest public denunciation yet … Wisconsin civic groups signaled Wednesday they may go to court over whether Republican legislators can forcibly remove the state’s Ethics and Elections administrators — as Fitzgerald is vowing to do through the confirmation vote. By DeFour, WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
http://host.madison.com/wsj/45ba3eaa-68c4-5ab5-a6b4-35e082314164.html


STORY TOPICS


WHITE HOUSE ^top^
– At MLK event, Glenn Grothman counters Trump comments by noting Al Sharpton was frequent visitor to Obama White House … “The past president brought Al Sharpton into the White House something like 80 times,” Grothman said on Monday at a Ripon College event. “That was kind of stunning to me, but nobody ever made a big ruckus out of it.” … Grothman was not asked about nor did he mention Trump’s disparaging comments from immigrants from African and other countries.
https://jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/17/martin-luther-king-event-honoring-civil-rights-leader-grothman-says-al-sharpton-frequent-visitor-whi/1041997001/


2018 GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN ^top^
– John Nichols: Mandela Barnes understands what state’s 2018 election is about
http://host.madison.com/ct/4b18382e-1343-5195-88ab-5f3ed876c673.html

– Ambassador Tom Loftus: Paul Soglin’s always fought the good fight — and should keep on
http://host.madison.com/ct/c029db55-9776-57b0-8088-c1f0e7a104df.html


STATE GOVERNMENT ^top^
– Why Does Welfare Reform Top The GOP Legislative Agenda in Wisconsin? WisPolitics’ Ross said GOP thinks the issue is popular with voters and the Trump administration is enabling more reforms, to get more able bodies into the workforce. Ross also comments on Walker’s response to Soglin’s guv campaign and his emphasis on education policies, Mandela Barnes and the Lieutenant Governor race, Nicholson-VUkmir primary and US Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Super PACs and Eric Hovde. 8:24 audio.
http://wuwm.com/post/capitol-notes-why-does-welfare-reform-top-gop-legislative-agenda-wisconsin

– GOP reels after ‘electric shock’ defeat, Republicans search for lessons in Wisconsin special election upset. … Since 2016, Democrats have outperformed Hillary Clinton’s performance in more than two-thirds of state legislative special elections across the nation. And in the six congressional special elections held in 2017, Democrats overperformed in five of them — and that list doesn’t even include the December pickup of a Senate seat in ruby-red Alabama. … All of it, together with the party’s latest victory in a rural and suburban seat in western Wisconsin that backed Trump by 17 points, is unnerving Republicans from Madison to Washington. … In western Wisconsin, where Republicans were fretting about slippage in suburban districts, the party suffered a big loss in rural counties — places where Trump romped in 2016. Radio host Sykes: “This special election hit the Wisconsin GOP like an electric shock. In particular, they’re very worried about women. They are losing women, suburban women, and if you extrapolate across the country, you have a real problem. … Trump is the subtext in all of these races, which makes it really, really hard for Republicans to fight against that mood music.” FdL GOP chair Bishop: “The most troubling sign is that we lost St. Croix County. If we lose that county in November, we’ll get slaughtered statewide.” Grothman challenger Kohl “not shocked … it jibes with the impulse I’ve been experiencing on the ground. This president made a lot of promises. And a lot of the support he attracted was over this message of change, and people perceive that’s not happening.” Dem strategist Ferguson: “I wouldn’t want to be a Republican in a district that Trump won by less than 17 points.” Dem strategist Hagner: “It helps make the case that these rural seats — in upstate New York, in the upper Midwest — are still good places to invest in.” But Schachtner said it has nothing to do with nat’l trends, “It wasn’t Trump or Paul Ryan’s race, it was District 10’s race. I focused on western Wisconsin and western Wisconsin values.” Reisinger for Walker: “We’ve had to mobilize our grass-roots army before — most notably, the recall effort in 2012. … we will do it again.”
https://politico.com/story/2018/01/17/republicans-wisconsin-special-election-surprise-345082


FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ^top^
– Paul Ryan Has the Toughest Job in Washington: Avoiding a Government Shutdown … Republican Party is fractured over immigration, and its nominal leader, President Donald Trump, is sending mixed signals with offhand comments and unscheduled tweetstorms. Hyper-partisan voices like Breitbart News only make compromise more difficult on the right. … The real debate is … what to do about the Dreamers … Republicans are split on policy but in no mood to yield on the politics.
http://time.com/5105422

– Ryan, McConnell struggling to prevent government shutdown
https://nypost.com/2018/01/17/ryan-mcconnell-struggling-to-prevent-government-shutdown/

– Ryan suggests Democrats would be blamed if the government shuts down: Ryan at Wed. presser: “I feel that it makes no sense for Democrats to bring this to a shutdown. I hope cool heads will hopefully prevail on this thing,” reiterated that Republicans are negotiating over DACA “in earnest” want “balanced” solution that includes border security, cap offer deal with Dems is “very, very close,” but said that Democrats are “holding out” for DACA, “It’s got to be bipartisan and the president has to support this.” … unclear if GOP leaders will have the votes for a CR.
https://cbsnews.com/news/house-gop-leaders-hold-weekly-press-conference-ahead-of-friday-funding-deadline/


LOCAL GOVERNMENT ^top^
– Madison City Council approves ‘click-and-collect’ alcohol sales [curbside pickup], Soglin veto anticipated
http://host.madison.com/ct/e6132809-e1f2-5234-90de-6c0541d14bb2.html


AGRIBUSINESS ^top^
– State of the current dairy farm crisis: Karen Gefvert, government relations director for Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, explains in 2:50 video
https://jsonline.com/videos/news/2018/01/18/state-current-dairy-farm-crisis/109568870/


BANKING AND INVESTMENT ^top^
– Strong returns for the Wisconsin Retirement System in 2017 … The Core Fund closed the year with a preliminary return of 16.2 percent, the highest since 2009. … market value was $100.6 billion on Dec. 31, 2017. The optional, all-stock Variable Fund ended 2017 with preliminary earnings of 23.2 percent, the best since 2013, and stood at $8.2 billion as of Dec. 31, 2017. … Both funds outperformed market returns that are considered benchmarks … Pension adjustments will be announced in March, and are expected to take effect in May. … [WRS] funds ended 2017 at $108.8 billion, up from $96.3 billion, a year earlier.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/fda86ecd-e2db-56c7-ab99-1df40aef3ca2.html


DEMOGRAPHICS ^top^
– Speaker decries dearth of affordable housing during MLK luncheon
http://kenoshanews.com/news/local/speaker-decries-dearth-of-affordable-housing-during-mlk-luncheon/article_efb7603b-d7a6-5dfe-a4e4-157833ec756b.html


EDUCATION ^top^
– Strong showing for Madison School District’s 2nd Pathways cohort for fall 2018
http://host.madison.com/wsj/81fe73ca-6d3f-5fc6-a387-9514f887f9dc.html


ELECTIONS ^top^
– Democrats Score Major Upset in Wisconsin–Are Paul Ryan and Scott Walker Next? Randy Bryce is predicting a “Bluenami” in the mid-term elections. Stephen Wolf tweet: “Huge: Wisconsin Democrats flipped a GOP state Senate seat in a special election, putting the GOP’s majority in play in November. Dems could break Scott Walker’s grip on Wisconsin in 2018.” Walker tweet: “Senate District 10 special election win by a Democrat is a wake up call for Republicans in Wisconsin.” Bryce: “We. Are. Coming. #Bluenami.” John Nichols tweet: “Scott Walker is going to try to use the shocking defeat of one of his allies in a special election Tuesday night to raise money. But money may not be enough to save Walker this time.” https://alternet.org/news-amp-politics/democrats-score-major-upset-wisconsin-are-paul-ryan-and-scott-walker-next

– Ethics chief Brian Bell left Wisconsin Government Accountability Board in part because of political bias
https://jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/17/brian-bell-says-he-left-wisconsin-government-accountability-board-part-because-concerns-political-bi/1042366001/

– Democratic Senate race win in northwest Wisconsin sends political shock wave [DeFour]
http://host.madison.com/wsj/d8a0aa97-ad29-5172-bf63-619661cfd5ea.html

– Wisconsin Democrats hope state Senate upset signals inroads this fall [Marley and Stein]
https://jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/17/wisconsin-democrats-hope-build-tuesdays-results-fall/1039911001/

– ‘Politics of Resentment’ author Kathy Cramer looks ahead to 2018 … “It’s a powerful force,” she said during an evening Cap Times Talk at a packed High Noon Saloon. … hours before Democrats won a special election in the 10th Senate District … “We can expect both parties to tap into it. There’s quite a struggle in the Democratic Party, what does this look like? What does the future look like? Do we spend more effort courting rural voters in areas? Do we double down and court voters in the city? We can see Gov. Scott Walker definitely knows he can make use of that resentment.” … economic anxiety and racism play into rural resentment, Cramer said … “we can’t tell ourselves the answer is simply racism. … Incumbents do have their work cut out for them. A lot of the resentment is directed toward politics in general and politicians in general. … A lot of people talk about money being a crazy force in politics and that politicians are crooked.” … Bridging the rural and urban divide starts with genuine listening and “everyday interpersonal relationships” … rather than figure out how you can counter what they just said. [see Media]
http://host.madison.com/ct/97160b77-9f2d-5463-b386-92fa375d7879.html

– National media viewing northwest Wisconsin Senate result as another sign of blue wave
http://host.madison.com/ct/1ee9a587-6e48-578b-894c-752cf9ad2805.html

– Loss of Wisconsin Senate seat sounds the alarm for Republicans [Beckett]
https://wrn.com/2018/01/loss-of

– Cillizza analysis: The Democratic wave looks like it is getting bigger … Schachtner’s win marked the first Republican-to-Democrat switch at the state legislative level of 2018 but it is the 34th state legislative seat pickup for Democrats since the start of 2017. That trend is beginning to rightly alarm smart Republicans. … The writing is on the wall. The Democratic base is hugely excited — largely due to their distaste for Trump. The Republican base — at least for most of 2017 — has been less passionate. And that sort of base enthusiasm disparity has translated — and likely will continue to translate — into major gains for Democrats in the midterms.
http://cnn.com/2018/01/17/politics/wisconsin-state-senate-special-election-analysis/index.html

– Bump analysis: This is what the Democratic special election wave looks like. … On Tuesday night, voters in the 10th state senate district in Wisconsin unexpectedly chose Democrat Patty Schachtner over Republican Adam Jarchow. It’s a district that in 2016 backed Donald Trump by 17 points. Schachtner won by nine. … A critical point — one that Republicans will often hasten to note — is that the Democrats have made a lot of gains but have picked up far fewer seats. … In November, if the rest of the state sees a shift that’s even half as big as the one in the special state senate election on Tuesday, Walker will likely find himself out of a job in 2019.
https://washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/01/17/this-is

– Special election: Schachtner claims lead 10ThousandCouple http://10thousandcouples.com/2018/01/special-election-schachtner-claims-lead/

– Democrats just picked up a Wisconsin state Senate seat in a district Trump won by 17 points, Special elections across the country are, on average, swinging in Democrats’ favor. … Gov. Scott Walker, the conservative two-term Wisconsin Republican running for reelection again this year, openly tweeted about his concerns: … The numbers looks awful for Republicans. But they still have several months in which to turn things around. … For now, the Democratic base appears remarkably energized. If they can keep it up until November, the real question will be just how big Democrats’ gains end up being.
https://vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/17/16899932

– A Democrat won a special election in a Wisconsin district that Trump carried by 17 points [WaPo’s HOhman]
http://philly.com/philly/news/politics/democrat-wisconsin-special-election-scott-walker-donald-trump-patty-schachtner-republicans-wake-up-call-20180117.html

– Democrats win special election for Wisconsin state Senate seat held by Republicans for past 17 years, It is the 34th district to flip from red to blue since Donald Trump’s election victory
http://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/a8163361.html

– Wisconsin Upset Raises Hopes for Democrats in 2018 Races: DPW’s Conklin: “Everything is in play now. This is a district that has been a very red district for a long time, and the numbers last night were very blue.” Walker, Ryan call GOP to attention. Schachtner: “My message has always been be kind, be considerate and we need to help people when they’re down.” Trump won WI by 1 but won St. Croix County by 17, though Obama won the district in 2008. In another special election in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Gundrum-R beat Dem challenger by 14 in a heavily GOP district.
https://nytimes.com/2018/01/17/us/wisconsin-elections-state-senate.html

– Democrats win historically GOP state Senate seat in Wisconsin, yet another sign of a coming wave
https://mic.com/articles/187432

– An Ominous Sign for Republicans in Wisconsin
http://nationalreview.com/morning-jolt/455490/oprah-winfrey-president-more-media-hype-reality

– John Nichols: The Trump Effect Helps Democrats Pull Off a Surprise Win in Wisconsin, In a district that backed Trump 55-38, Patty Schachtner sweeps to victory with a result that has shocked the state–and Governor Scott Walker.
https://thenation.com/article/the-trump-effect-helps-democrats-pull-off-a-surprise-win-in-wisconsin/


ENVIRONMENT ^top^
– DNR approves wetland permit for Kohler’s golf course in Sheboygan County on Lake Michigan shoreline
https://jsonline.com/story/news/2018/01/17/dnr-approves-wetland-permit-kohlers-golf-course-sheboygan-county-lake-michigan-shoreline/1042613001/


FOXCONN ^top^
– Hundreds attend Yorkville hearing, express Foxconn anxieties
http://journaltimes.com/70ab96fd-4a37-564b-85e9-ada680c66afb.html


LAW AND ORDER ^top^
– Marquette University police chief cited for drunken driving
https://jsonline.com/story/news/2018/01/17/marquette-university-police-chief-cited-drunken-driving/1043048001/

– Racine police fatally shoot armed driver during foot chase, Department of Justice says … The officers pulled over the vehicle because it had no front license plate and chased him into a yard, officials said. “The officers witnessed the vehicle’s driver brandish a firearm and responded with gunfire, striking the driver,” the DOJ statement said.
https://jsonline.com/story/news/2018/01/17/racine-police-shoot-driver-after-he-points-gun-officers/1042485001/

– Man fatally shot by Racine Police officers, DOJ says
http://journaltimes.com/b46f7022-0cae-5011-a8c0-2879e923dada.html


MEDIA ^top^
– Paul Fanlund named publisher of the Cap Times … Fanlund will continue to direct the newsroom as editor but also represent the Cap Times within the Capital Newspapers organization. He will continue to oversee other Cap Times business interests, including WisPolitics.com, which the Cap Times owns. Frink, the former publisher, remains as president and CEO of The Capital Times Co.
http://host.madison.com/ct/14155a8a-fe6a-5174-ab93-30d74c5ef26c.html

– UW prof Kathy Cramer gave Jon Stewart a tour of small-town Wisconsin to help scout for a possible film
http://host.madison.com/wsj/347e6cb5-6557-5b76-b44c-86604386cd80.html


RETAIL ^top^
– Deal for 4 Gordy’s stores falls through
http://leadertelegram.com/News/Front-Page/2018/01/17/div-class-libPageBodyLinebreak-Deal-for-4-stores-falls-through-div.html


TOURISM ^top^
– More ATVs, snowmobiles could join hikers in Wisconsin parks sooner under plan
http://host.madison.com/wsj/dc15254b-30a4-54f6-b992-db1104639ce2.html


EDITORIALS ^top^
– RJT editorial: Wanggaard’s bill puts crime victims first
http://journaltimes.com/408e77a0-7686-5a9f-a905-ce95dcd8e683.html


COLUMNS ^top^
– Martin Dyckman: Let’s eliminate the power of the Electoral College … Some 94 percent of all 2016 campaign events were in only 12 states with 30 percent of the population, and nearly six out of 1 were in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio. “The nation as a whole is not going to elect the next president. Twelve states are,” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said in 2015 before he quit the race.
http://smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/21538

(c)2018 WisPolitics.com.
All rights reserved. Reproduction or retransmission of this publication, in whole or in part, without the express permission of WisPolitics.com is prohibited. Unauthorized reproduction violates United States copyright law (17 USC 101 et seq.), as does retransmission by facsimile or any other electronic means, including electronic mail.