U.S Sens. Johnson, Collins: Announce legislation to pay ‘excepted’ workers during shutdown

Contact: Ben Voelkel (Johnson) Christopher Knight (Collins) WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced legislation to ensure federal workers that are deemed “excepted” are paid for their work despite the partial government shutdown. The Shutdown Fairness Act authorizes federal agencies affected by the current government shutdown to pay federal personnel that continue to come to work each day and serve the United States. Cosponsors of the bill include Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “The least a dysfunctional Washington,

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Rep. Felzkowski: Statement on in-district meeting with Gov. Evers

CONTACT: Rep. Mary Felzkowski 608-266-7694  Madison, WI – Representative Felzkowski (R-Irma) made the following statement after meeting with Governor Tony Evers in the district this afternoon: “I want to thank Governor Evers for prioritizing a visit to Northern Wisconsin in his first week of office. This afternoon, the Governor and his staff took a tour of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools. Senator Tiffany and I appreciated the opportunity to meet with him afterward one-on-one to discuss the school, its employees, and the transition moving forward.” We expressed the extreme importance of staff safety at the facilities. These selfless employees go

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FRI REPORT: Legislative study committees wrapping up work as new session convenes

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers TABLE OF CONTENTS Quotes of the week Political stock report Legislative study committees wrapping up work as new session convenes Former Walker administration officials explore opportunities, take on new roles Assembly GOP leaders OK hiring lawyers to defend lame-duck laws Week ahead Political TV Names in the news Lobbyist watch QUOTES OF THE WEEK As… 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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Dept. of Natural Resources: DNR Secretary Cole makes first appointments to leadership team

CONTACT: Andrew Savagian, DNR Office of Communication, 608-261-6422 MADISON – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole today announced the first appointments to his leadership team. Elizabeth Kluesner has been named deputy secretary. She is currently the DNR liaison to local and federal government. Previous to holding this position, she was the Nature is our Business Project Coordinator at the DNR. She also served for 4 1/2 years as Dane County Director of Policy and Program Development under Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, where her primary duties focused on land acquisition, recreation, land use and transportation planning. Prior to working

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U.S. Rep. Pocan: CPC calls on National Labor Relations Board to withdraw anti-worker proposed rule on joint employer status

Contact: Ron Boehmer, 202-225-2906 Vedant Patel, 202-379-6013 WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led 48 House Democrats inwriting to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), calling for the agency to withdraw “The Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status” proposed rule, which would overturn the Obama-era Browning-Ferris standard of joint-employment. This new pro-corporate rule would undermine workers’ rights to collectively bargain with their true employer while exempting corporations from their legal obligations to their employees. “We write in strong opposition to the proposed rule, ‘The Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status.’ This proposed rule would narrow the standard for determining when employees

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Rep. Vining: Announces 2019-2020 committee assignments

Contact: Rep. Robyn Vining 608-266-9180 MADISON – Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) announced today her committee assignments for the 2019-2020 legislative session of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Rep. Vining was elected to serve the 14th Assembly District in 2018. Rep. Vining will serve on the following committees: Children and Families, Financial Institutions, Health, and Small Business Development. Rep. Vining issued the following statement regarding her committee assignments: “I want to thank Rep. Gordon Hintz for these committee appointments, where I will work toward the priorities expressed by the people of Brookfield, Wauwatosa, and Milwaukee: ending the human trafficking crisis that exists

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U.S. Sen. Baldwin: Senate passes Baldwin supported bill to ensure federal workers affected by shutdowns receive retroactive pay

Contact: press@baldwin.senate.gov 202-224-6225 Currently, 420,000 federal workers are being forced to work without pay, and another 380,000 federal workers were sent home over the holidays without pay WASHINGTON, D.C. – Twenty days into the federal government shutdown, the Senate yesterday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill cosponsored by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin to ensure federal and other government workers impacted by the current federal government shutdown will receive their back pay. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, led by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), stipulates that all employees

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Voces de la Frontera: Racine Common Council committee advances resolution supporting driver licenses for all

Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman, sfreeman@vdlf.org, 414-469-9206 RACINE, WISCONSIN – On Thursday, the City of Racine Affirmative Action and Human Rights Commission unanimously approved an advisory resolution endorsing the restoration of access to driver license access to undocumented immigrants and those who have lost their licenses due to unpaid fines. A similar resolution was passed by the Racine Unified School Board last month. The full Racine Common Council will vote on the resolution on Tuesday, January 15th at 7pm in the Common Council Chambers at Racine City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 205. If the resolution is passed, Racine will become the

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WisBusiness: The Podcast with Saran Ouk, CEO and founder of ConNEXTions

This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: The Podcast” is with Saran Ouk, CEO and founder of ConNEXTions, a Madison nonprofit startup connecting low-income youth with mentorship and financial education.   She says the goal of her business is to guide underrepresented adults in the Madison area toward financial, educational and career goals.   After starting the program in 2016, Ouk says the c… 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.

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WisPolitics Midday: Jan. 11, 2019

In today’s WisPolitics Midday update: Gov Evers says he plans to address “the crumbling Wisconsin roads” in his first state budget. Elections Commission wants Republicans to hold hearings and vote to confirm it’s new administrator. Rep. Anderson suing the state legislature for violating open meeting laws during the extraordinary session.

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Wisconsin Working Families Party: Endorses slate of candidates for Milwaukee Board of School Directors to create strong pro-public school majority

Contact: Rebecca Lynch 262-676-2587 Electing a school board to serve MPS students; strengthen and fund public education; fight back against ineffective charter programs MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Working Families Party is endorsing a strong slate of public school advocates for the Milwaukee Board of School Directors to create a board that will work for all students and bolster public schools. The political powerhouse is endorsing Bob Peterson (Member at Large), Marva Herndon (District 1), Erika Siemsen (District 2), Sequanna Taylor (District 3), and Megan O’Halloran (District 8). Along with current Board members, who were supported by Working Families Party in 2017

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One Wisconsin Now: Robin ‘Boss’ Vos: The million dollar speaker

MEDIA CONTACT Mike Browne, Deputy Director mike@OneWisconsinNow.org (608) 444-3483 Sticks Taxpayers With $1 Million Plus Annual Tab for His Personal Legislative Staff MADISON, Wis. — For 2019 Republican Speaker of the State Assembly Robin “Boss” Vos will have a million dollar staff, literally. As reported by state media, Vos has dramatically expanded the number of staff he will have working for directly him in his legislative office. According to information obtained by the office of the Assembly Democratic Leader, the total compensation for Vos’ newly expanded personal staff will exceed $1 million a year. “Robin Vos runs a ‘my way

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One Wisconsin Institute: Plaintiffs in federal voting rights lawsuit reply to Republican ‘smoke and mirrors’ argument less early voting is expanding early voting

MEDIA CONTACT Mike Browne, Deputy Director mike@OneWisconsinInstitute.org (608) 444-3483 ‘Attempts to Rig the Rules on Voting and Suppress Legal Voters Were Unconstitutional in 2016 and They Remain Unconstitutional Today’ MADISON, Wis. — Plaintiffs in the federal voting rights lawsuit One Wisconsin Institute, et. al. v. Thomsen, et. al. have filed a reply in support of their request for enforcement of a previous ruling striking down a number of restrictions on voting in Wisconsin, including early voting. In the reply plaintiffs clearly establish the authority of the federal court to enforce its earlier ruling and that the actions of the Republican

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U.S Sens. Johnson, Collins: Announce legislation to pay ‘excepted’ workers during shutdown

Contact: Ben Voelkel (Johnson) Christopher Knight (Collins) WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) today announced legislation to ensure federal workers that are deemed “excepted” are paid for their work despite the partial government shutdown. The Shutdown Fairness Act

Read More »

Rep. Felzkowski: Statement on in-district meeting with Gov. Evers

CONTACT: Rep. Mary Felzkowski 608-266-7694  Madison, WI – Representative Felzkowski (R-Irma) made the following statement after meeting with Governor Tony Evers in the district this afternoon: “I want to thank Governor Evers for prioritizing a visit to Northern Wisconsin in his first week of office. This afternoon, the Governor and his

Read More »

U.S. Rep. Pocan: CPC calls on National Labor Relations Board to withdraw anti-worker proposed rule on joint employer status

Contact: Ron Boehmer, 202-225-2906 Vedant Patel, 202-379-6013 WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led 48 House Democrats inwriting to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), calling for the agency to withdraw “The Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status” proposed rule, which would overturn the Obama-era Browning-Ferris standard of joint-employment. This new

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Rep. Vining: Announces 2019-2020 committee assignments

Contact: Rep. Robyn Vining 608-266-9180 MADISON – Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) announced today her committee assignments for the 2019-2020 legislative session of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Rep. Vining was elected to serve the 14th Assembly District in 2018. Rep. Vining will serve on the following committees: Children and Families, Financial

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U.S. Sen. Baldwin: Senate passes Baldwin supported bill to ensure federal workers affected by shutdowns receive retroactive pay

Contact: press@baldwin.senate.gov 202-224-6225 Currently, 420,000 federal workers are being forced to work without pay, and another 380,000 federal workers were sent home over the holidays without pay WASHINGTON, D.C. – Twenty days into the federal government shutdown, the Senate yesterday unanimously passed a bipartisan bill cosponsored by U.S. Senator Tammy

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Voces de la Frontera: Racine Common Council committee advances resolution supporting driver licenses for all

Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman, sfreeman@vdlf.org, 414-469-9206 RACINE, WISCONSIN – On Thursday, the City of Racine Affirmative Action and Human Rights Commission unanimously approved an advisory resolution endorsing the restoration of access to driver license access to undocumented immigrants and those who have lost their licenses due to unpaid fines. A similar

Read More »

WisBusiness: The Podcast with Saran Ouk, CEO and founder of ConNEXTions

This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: The Podcast” is with Saran Ouk, CEO and founder of ConNEXTions, a Madison nonprofit startup connecting low-income youth with mentorship and financial education.   She says the goal of her business is to guide underrepresented adults in the Madison area toward financial, educational and career

Read More »

WisPolitics Midday: Jan. 11, 2019

In today’s WisPolitics Midday update: Gov Evers says he plans to address “the crumbling Wisconsin roads” in his first state budget. Elections Commission wants Republicans to hold hearings and vote to confirm it’s new administrator. Rep. Anderson suing the state legislature for violating open meeting laws during the extraordinary session.

Read More »

Wisconsin Working Families Party: Endorses slate of candidates for Milwaukee Board of School Directors to create strong pro-public school majority

Contact: Rebecca Lynch 262-676-2587 Electing a school board to serve MPS students; strengthen and fund public education; fight back against ineffective charter programs MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Working Families Party is endorsing a strong slate of public school advocates for the Milwaukee Board of School Directors to create a board that

Read More »

One Wisconsin Now: Robin ‘Boss’ Vos: The million dollar speaker

MEDIA CONTACT Mike Browne, Deputy Director mike@OneWisconsinNow.org (608) 444-3483 Sticks Taxpayers With $1 Million Plus Annual Tab for His Personal Legislative Staff MADISON, Wis. — For 2019 Republican Speaker of the State Assembly Robin “Boss” Vos will have a million dollar staff, literally. As reported by state media, Vos has

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One Wisconsin Institute: Plaintiffs in federal voting rights lawsuit reply to Republican ‘smoke and mirrors’ argument less early voting is expanding early voting

MEDIA CONTACT Mike Browne, Deputy Director mike@OneWisconsinInstitute.org (608) 444-3483 ‘Attempts to Rig the Rules on Voting and Suppress Legal Voters Were Unconstitutional in 2016 and They Remain Unconstitutional Today’ MADISON, Wis. — Plaintiffs in the federal voting rights lawsuit One Wisconsin Institute, et. al. v. Thomsen, et. al. have filed

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