Opinion

Republicans pass on fixing broken school funding system.

In an era where the unthinkable becomes reality, now is the time for the Wisconsin legislature to be proactive.

While pressure for redevelopment of the 500 block of Mifflin Street grows, the case to designate the block a historic district remains strong.

The La Crosse County Republican Party recently shared a WisconsinEye video showing legislators — including Rep. Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska, and Sen. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse — remaining seated during a recent salute to Wisconsin National Guard troops in Madison.

The nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated that the enhanced federal Medicaid expansion funding would allow Wisconsin to substitute federal for state spending, saving $324.5 million.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.   Underlying partisan gridlock and venom in...

Rural Wisconsin and its farmers are on the edge. And, Trump’s razzle-dazzle can’t mask the misery and pain.

Wisconsin farmers are reeling from retaliatory tariffs on dairy products, corn, cranberries, ginseng, kidney beans and soybeans, as well as beef and pork. The resultant economic fallout will pulverize rural towns.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.   Our state’s license plates proudly read...

In dairy, the only thing we know for certain is that the industry will continue to change. Research and innovation are key to navigating that change and setting the course for the future.

As milk production in the United States continues to increase, it is more and more important to create value-added products and identify new markets for those products, here at home or around the world.

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2019/05/02/murphys-law-how-walker-wrecked-states-prisons/

Study finds Wisconsin has nearly double the national rate and 91% killed with guns.

And UW-Milwaukee is the poster child for an ever-bigger problem, new study shows.

Average top exec earned $34.4 million in 2018 — 660 times the average worker's pay.

It’s happening worldwide and in the U.S. with Wisconsin helping lead the way.

Not very, the data suggests. Is there any way to change this?

So says a Cato Institute report. There’s reason to doubt this.

Health exchanges working better than ever, particularly for Trump supporters.

Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize small amounts of recreational marijuana in Wisconsin is dead on arrival, according to Republicans leaders.

For many decades, motor fuel taxes have functioned adequately as a user fee to support transportation needs - and they remain a viable funding source into the foreseeable future. Most importantly, the time to act is now. Adjusting the motor fuel tax involves no administrative or infrastructure costs and can be implemented promptly to address our pressing needs.

There is no need to expand Medicaid coverage since Wisconsinites living just above the poverty line are already eligible for what amounts to essentially no-cost coverage.

Enacting automatic voter registration would exacerbate the potential for fraud and ineligible voting while simultaneously infringing on the rights of those who don’t wish to participate.

Mining industry representative Nathan Conrad, in his May 15 Cap Times column, repeats the discredited statements and vague promises used to support 2017 Act 134 to push unsafe mining on Wisconsin. Conrad claims the new law maintained environmental protections, when in fact it gutted many protections and public rights for mining proposals.

Wisconsin taxpayers are on the hook for about $4.5 billion if you count the local subsidies as well. Foxconn’s Gau should have traveled to Madison to meet Gov. Evers, not the other way around. It was important symbolism and common good manners.

We need to keep our eyes on the prize and that prize is a new president in January 2021.

The priorities of Wisconsinites are clear, but they’re still being ignored.

There's been nothing partisan about the League's efforts. It fought Democrats who tried to suppress the black vote in the south and Republicans and their efforts to make it tougher to vote in the north.

There was a time when Republicans were leading the charge against anyone who dared suggest dealing with Russia or even called for greater cooperation between the two Cold War adversaries. Apparently, times have changed.

The American people may not be fully aware of it yet, but Trump's dissembling of rules and regulations on everything from creating a level playing field between financiers and consumers to protecting clean water and air will come back to haunt them in the not too distant future.

Wisconsin's urban and rural interests clashed over whether to adopt daylight saving time.

Attacks on Madison have become commonplace in Scott Walker's speeches.

Foxconn and Wisconsin happen to be a major example of how a new niche of consultants called "site selectors" pit communities against each other in multi-state bidding wars to maximize tax breaks, grants, land deals and other incentives.

Yes, we can be a low-taxed state, but at what cost? A second-rate education system? Inferior roads? Poor water quality? Those factors are likely to chase business away rather than attract it as the GOP claims low taxes do.

The Wisconsin Guard has to reexamine its procedures, institute better training for commanders and officers on what to look for and establish a support system that can restore a soldier's self-esteem.

The Republicans in control of the Wisconsin Legislature have boldly stepped up to let everyone know they plan to continue down the road to turn Wisconsin into a backwater state.

Polls, public hearings show support for more K-12 education funding, Medicaid expansion, medical pot.

Leaving aside the younger Bernie Sanders fans, most progressive Democrats are activating for a new generation to take charge of the party in 2020. In the last weeks, however, they have been forced to concede that the vim, savvy and experience most confounding Donald Trump stem from two septuagenarians.

Rudy Giuliani’s announced and then canceled trip to Ukraine to encourage that government to find dirt on Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s only surviving son, proved too obviously low for even Trump’s senior advisers – but only after pronounced criticism from both parties.

Why the Supreme Court should overrule lame duck laws.

Wisconsinites should be able to trust that our elected leaders will respect their obligations and will always act in accordance with the Constitution. The Legislature broke that trust by convening an unconstitutional extraordinary session, increasing its own authority and constraining executive power.

While details remain to be worked out, one thing is clear about whatever transportation package Gov. Tony Evers eventually signs: it won’t be enough.

In a press release, DOT Secretary Craig Thompson provided a list of more than 200 projects on the bubble if Gov. Tony Evers’ plan for a higher gas tax is shelved.

The Sauk County Board voted 15-14 Monday to settle a lawsuit with the Baraboo News Republic over the release of documents.

In a front-page New York Times feature from Colfax, reporter Jeremy Peters made clear the race for president in 2020 will be hard fought in a number of counties along the Mississippi River.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections, under the direction of Governor Tony Evers’ Secretary-Designee, Kevin Carr, recently decided to give a $5 per hour increase to Correctional Officers and other staff in every maximum security prison in Wisconsin – except the Boscobel Prison.

It's like the whole state was enrolled against its will in Trump University. Because we're seeing again how far in over their heads were Walker and the WEDC he had created as they worked a 'deal' with Foxconn, a far more stable, experienced and sophisticated multi-national corporation.

Democratic Governors and even fair redistricting could return and help rebalance some politics in Wisconsin, but a deeply red State Supreme Court can blot out blue waves here for a generation and leave Walker's damaging marks indelible.

At least ten very old oak trees along the west bank of the Milwaukee River in Glendale's Kletzsch Park are threatened by the construction of a passage for migrating fish past yet another of those troublesome Milwaukee River dam remnants.

Despite spending like Democrats, the Republican Party actually lost every statewide office in 2018 even with a strong economy.

A proposed amendment to a bill to protect the lives of children who survive attempted abortions is dividing the state’s two pro-life organizations.

An English teacher in Kenosha County is concerned that a lawsuit to overturn Act 10 will force her to join a union and restrict her classroom teaching.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.  Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn very...

On May 9, the Republican chairs of the Wisconsin Legislature's Joint Finance Committee — Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, and Sen. Alberta Hills, R-River Hills...

A Wisconsin 2020 election preview just played out in the spring election season here and it is not a good thing for the people of Wisconsin.

The stewardship program, which allows the state to acquire land and easements, develop recreational facilities and restore wildlife habitats, has been reauthorized twice since its creation — first in 1999 by Thompson and again in 2007 by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

As Madison schools consider how best to teach students about healthy relationships and safe sexual activity, the rest of the state should follow suit. Every student in Wisconsin will benefit.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.   As a former first grade teacher,...

Pocan is raising the alarm on Donald Trump’s ill-advised and dangerous escalation of tensions with Iran.

Sixty-two percent of the voters in the April election signaled that they wanted to keep the treasurer's position. And no serious observer imagined that the people wanted simply to keep the treasurer’s job on the list of the state’s constitutional offices. They wanted an actual state treasurer, with the powers that were traditionally associated with the office.

A combination of workforce challenges, inadequate Medicaid rates, and facility closures or downsizings are jeopardizing the future viability of Wisconsin’s nursing facilities and access...

Just as the national debate ramps up on a government take-over of the nation’s health care, it looks like employers and market forces have already worked out a business model that is taming previously out-of-control health costs.

Violent words can bruise and wound. Their damage to our democracy is deep and wide – beyond calculation. Can we learn from the violence in Congress almost 200 years ago? The outcome then was not good.

Republican lawmakers again inexplicably vote against Medicaid expansion.

The use of historic designation nowadays often has nothing to do with preservation.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.   Wisconsin can’t be rid of NAFTA...

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. When so much about politics is...

Evers is proposing that private schools must complete all the steps of accreditation prior to participating in the choice programs. This change creates a catch 22 for new schools – the school could not accept students on a voucher until they completed the entire accreditation process but they cannot complete accreditation without students in the building.

There is clearly a demand for options outside of the traditional public schools from parents across the state.

It may be legal, but a federal funding transfer program that siphons more Medicaid money for University of Wisconsin Health and the state of Wisconsin looks a lot like a scam on taxpayers.

On May 9, the GOP-dominated Joint Finance Committee disregarded the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites on a number of crucial items in Evers’s budget.

Parents are free to homeschool their unvaccinated kids.

Democrats on the far left embrace redistribution of income and other modern-day socialist ideals.

The mining industry has updated its practices and technology, and our laws have also been updated over time. Act 134 maintained strong environmental standards without preempting local regulations or adding exemptions to environmental standards.

As the legislative Republicans go about assembling the nuts and bolts of the budget, recent polls show that a majority of Wisconsinites support conservative legislative goals.

I would hope that people from all walks of life can come together against using abortion as a tool of discrimination.

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.   What words come to mind when...

When Donald Trump comes to Wisconsin and lies in a way that could conceivably provoke violence against innocent people, it’s hard to ignore. But, for the most part, ignore it we should.

Pollster Charles Franklin foresees a dead even starting point next year and beyond for statewide elections in Wisconsin between Democrats and Republicans.

The Democratic Party needs leaders who can at once match the GOP’s politics-as-war tactical acumen while not painting the entire Republican Party as vile and corrupt.

In an hour-long conversation in her office, Cheatham said she sees the intensity around school debates as inevitable because Madison is still coming to grips with how to get to a healthy and diverse school system that works for all children.

Legal cannabis will bring health benefits, racial justice and personal freedom.

As Wisconsin policymakers craft the next state budget, I urge them to consider the invaluable benefits the University of Wisconsin System brings to all parts of the state.

Wisconsin’s health ranking has dropped dramatically over the past quarter century, sliding from the top 10 states in the nation down to the 20s.

I urge our communities to keep contacting their legislators to let them know that the people want Medicaid expansion and the people want a budget that’s for them.

As we head into RPW2019, we have to get up off the mat, look at what went wrong, what went right, make appropriate adjustments, dust ourselves off and get to work.

Rather than demand safe spaces and PC, exhibit mental toughness and focus on how to disagree better.

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson sat down with the Thompson Center Director Ryan Owens to discuss a wide variety of contemporary political issues in Wisconsin, and to share what he has been doing since his retirement from public office.

The Republican-led state legislature recently introduced a package of initiatives on Earth Day meant to address pressing issues while seizing economic opportunities for Wisconsin. One of those initiatives, the development of public-private partnerships to build out statewide electric vehicle charging infrastructure, has the potential to be an economic win for our state.

More jobs. Increasing take-home pay. Growing confidence in the economy and in our labor market. These are all good signs for the future.

If Republicans fail to fight back nationally – instead of pushing back as we did in Wisconsin – we will find ourselves in a perpetual minority for a generation.

Presently, with the actions in Venezuela, we have yet another reason not to nationalize the deployment of 5G technology. Competition ensures that people will have multiple options for their cellular and Internet services. And it ensures that access to those technologies can never be blocked from one source.

If we truly “back the badge” – we should support their spouse and children.

Four times during the ceremony, Republicans and Democrats alike gave our National Guard members standing ovations. Beyond that, there were numerous times we interrupted the speaker with rounds of applause. Unfortunately, there was one moment that the speaker wandered into partisan territory, and Democrats chose not to stand.

Two first-team players are gone—Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan—but the mission of Wisconsin Republicans meeting this weekend has not changed: Make sure President Trump carries Wisconsin again in 2020.

Republican legislative leaders are quietly trading ideas on ways to boost transportation spending without raising the 30.9-cent per gallon gas tax, which hasn’t been increased since 2006.

MADISON, Wis. -- With the city of Madison and its metropolitan area popping up consistently in national rankings on economic vitality, many people would...

We’ve done it before...and we can do it again   Earlier this spring, the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership held a transportation conference that...

If viewed from a long-term perspective Trump’s tariffs represent a successful conclusion, not the failure, of trade talks with China.

The harmful effects on health and society outweigh any potential benefits.

After the GOP-run Joint Finance Committee stripped out Dem Gov. Tony Evers' budget priorities, WisOpinion Insiders Chvala & Jensen analyze the politics behind the story. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

The WisOpinion Insiders debate the lame-duck appointments controversy and the issues before the state Supreme Court after it reinstated Republican appointments nixed by Gov....

The WisOpinion Insiders, Jensen and Chvala, debate the meaning of continuing mixed signals on the Foxconn project. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.

Even after the GOP-Controlled Joint Finance Committee cut it from the budget, WisOpinion Insiders Chvala and Jensen consider whether Dem Gov. Tony Evers' medical marijuana proposal might still find legislative approval. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and Michael Best Strategies.