TUE PM Update: Pence, DeVos praise school choice during rally at Wisconsin Capitol

Exclusively for WisPolitics Subscribers From WisPolitics.com … — Vice President Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos today hyped private school choice programs at a Capitol rally, saying the Trump administration wants to give parents the power to decide what education is best for their children. Saying Wisconsin is “where it all began,” Pence touted a $5 billion voucher proposal the Tru… 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

Read More »

Gov. Evers: Signs bills relating to employee contracts and funding for homelessness

Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov or 608-219-7443 MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed seven bills into law. The governor acted on the following bills:  Assembly Bill 119, now 2019 Wisconsin Act 76: Provides criteria for the Department of Administration to award grant funds allocated in the state budget for homeless shelters; Modifies code to allow the maximum award to be 50 percent of an organization’s total current or proposed operating budget;  Removes a provision in current law that prohibits awards from being granted to a facility or private home that provides shelter for victims of domestic abuse;  Requires the Department of Health Services to request

Read More »

Progressive Turnout Project: Progressive Group Unveils Wisconsin Voter Profile, Blueprint for Dems to Increase Turnout in 2020

CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | 612.281.2310 | jordan@unbendablemedia.com Engaging Low Propensity, Low Information Voters, Progressive Turnout Project Can Add 30,000+ Dem Voters in WI WISCONSIN – Today, the Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), a grassroots-funded organization dedicated to getting Democratic voters to the polls, unveiled its comprehensive state voter profile for Wisconsin, one of the 16 battleground states they’re targeting with a $45 million investment in get-out-the-vote efforts. PTP’s intensive six-month canvassing program, which begins in May, will engage low propensity, low information Democratic voters who the Party has struggled to reach in key swing states ahead of the 2020 election. The investment is part of the largest grassroots-funded

Read More »

WPE network executive director Heather Dubois: Wisconsin public school children deserve reinvestment

We stand united in our state Capitol today to remind our elected officials that Wisconsin supports its public schools and demand they restore the tax dollars taken from our children. To succeed, our students need real, immediate and lasting investments in solutions that we know work. We must fund investments that work and abandon reckless spending on programs that don’t. And we thank Rep. Jonathan Brostoff for bringing forward a bill that directly responds to the needs of our children and our communities with common sense policy that restores a critical investment in our children. I am a public school parent.

Read More »

WisPolitics Midday – January 28, 2020

In today’s WisPolitics Midday update, brought to you by Spectrum: VP Mike Pence and Education Secretary Besty DeVos in Madison. 1st District Court of Appeals denies requests to put two Milwaukee County Supervisor candidates back on the ballot.

Read More »

Rep. Subeck urges hearing on transparency bill

MADISON – Today, Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the impact of private voucher school programs on Wisconsin’s public schools and urged a hearing on Assembly Bill 299: “Our Wisconsin families overwhelmingly support our neighborhood public schools because these schools are the backbones of our communities. During the last election cycle, communities around the state resoundingly approved over $770 million in additional funding for their school districts through local referenda, despite the fact that this increases their property taxes. As state funding of public education declined under the previous administration, property taxpayers have been forced to pay

Read More »

Pence, DeVos extol school choice during rally at Wisconsin Capitol

Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos today extolled the virtues of school choice programs during a rally in the Wisconsin Capitol, saying the Trump Administration wants to give parents the power to decide what education is best for their children. Saying Wisconsin is “where it all began,” Pence touted a $5 billion voucher proposal the Trump Administration is pushing to exp… 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.

Read More »

Gov. Evers: Requests FEMA damage assessments in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers is requesting that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conduct a Preliminary Damage Assessment in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties, following severe winter storms and lakeshore flooding that occurred Jan. 10-12, 2020. The process is the first step in determining whether the state will request a federal disaster declaration. “A severe winter storm earlier this month, combined with high water levels on Lake Michigan, resulted in significant shoreline damage to public infrastructure in southeastern Wisconsin,” Gov. Evers said. “Doing these assessments will help determine whether affected communities may qualify for federal aid that can help

Read More »

Sen. Larson, Rep. Brostoff unveil public education reinvestment act

Milwaukee, WI – Senator Chris Larson and Representative Jonathan Brostoff unveil their Public Education Reinvestment Act (PERA) along with public education advocates. “Inherent to the idea of expanding vouchers is that we should give up on public schools and give up on the kids who are there and should instead only give some kids a path to success. Even if vouchers were successful, which they are not, this would be flatly unacceptable. “Our Public Education Reinvestment Act puts forward an evidence-based approach to closing the achievement gap by lowering class sizes and ending the failed voucher experiment. Just in the 2019-2020 school year

Read More »

WHEDA: Issues $140 million housing revenue bond

MADISON – The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has issued a $140 million Housing Revenue Bond to finance rental housing developments currently in its loan closing pipeline. The bond issuance is expected to help finance 12 developments that will provide 931 units of affordable and workforce rental housing throughout Wisconsin. Many of the projects supported by the bond issue are also 2019 awardees of WHEDA’s state and federal housing tax credits. Of the 12 projects in the bond issue, 10 have received housing tax credits. Developments are in River Falls, Horicon, Stevens Point, Sheboygan, Somers, Racine, Janesville and Milwaukee.

Read More »

Rep. Vos: Welcomes VP Pence, Sec. DeVos to school choice showcase

Madison…Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) released the following statement regarding the Wisconsin School Choice Showcase, celebrating 30 years of school choice in Wisconsin. “I would like to thank Secretary DeVos and Vice President Pence for travelling to Wisconsin to be part of this historic occasion. School Choice started with 7 schools and 300 students in Wisconsin. Three decades later, the program has grown to more than 40,000 students because more parents want to choose the best school for their children. “I believe Wisconsin needs more and not less educational freedom. School choice produces results and should continue to grow in our

Read More »

ICYMI: Jason Church sits down with WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters

(Hudson, WI) – This morning Jason Church, candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 7th District, joined WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters to discuss the race and the issues that are most important to the Northwoods. When asked the biggest issue in the district, Jason responded that the needs of farmers are his biggest concern: “We need to be able to provide opportunity to (farmers) to sell their products. I think recently, with the actual passing in the House and the Senate of the USMCA, and hopefully the signature soon to get all that done, that’ll provide relief needed for dairy farmers… And I

Read More »

WisDOT: Secretary-designee Thompson selected to chair regional transportation group

Embracing the opportunity to promote solutions to common transportation challenges throughout the Midwest, Secretary of Transportation-designee Craig Thompson will serve as President of the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO). “From the moment Secretary Thompson joined the Board of Directors at AASHTO, his active participation has been felt,” said Mike McKenna, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officers (AASHTO), MAASTO’s parent organization.  “Not only is he a transportation leader, his background shows he is an effective practitioner as well.” “I served with Secretary Thompson on the AASHTO Transportation Policy Forum as we deliberated state DOT

Read More »

WisDEMs: On day of Mike Pence visit, DPW Chairman Ben Wikler Wikler, Madison School Board member Ananda Mirilli, Bilingual Resource Officer Silvia Gomez, and Dane County Board Candidate José Rea blast Trump’s broken promises on education

(MADISON, WI) — Ahead of Mike Pence’s visit to Madison today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler, Madison School Board Member Ananda Mirilli, Madison East Bilingual Resource Officer Silvia Gomez, and Dane County Board Candidate José Rea blasted Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Betsy Devos for their broken promises on education. Instead of investing in education, the Trump administration has continued Scott Walker’s legacy of siphoning funds away from traditional public schools and attacking teacher’s unions. Trump, Pence and DeVos have repeatedly attempted to slash funding for public education, threatened student loan forgiveness programs, and proposed massive budget cuts in in

Read More »

Rep. Pope: Voucher lobby misleads taxpayers on negative effects to public schools

MADISON, Wis. – Representative Sondy Pope (D-Mt. Horeb), the ranking member on the Assembly Committee on Education spoke out on the negative effects to public schools due to Wisconsin’s four voucher programs, and misleading information purported by the voucher lobby. A recent memo, released by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau shows that vouchers caused $145 million in aid reduction to public schools.  $95 million of that aid reduction comes from the Racine and Wisconsin programs, up nearly 30% from the previous year. The Wisconsin program cap expands 1% each year, until 2026-27 when it is lifted completely. “The most troubling figure

Read More »

Progressive Turnout Project: Progressive Group Unveils Wisconsin Voter Profile, Blueprint for Dems to Increase Turnout in 2020

CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | 612.281.2310 | jordan@unbendablemedia.com Engaging Low Propensity, Low Information Voters, Progressive Turnout Project Can Add 30,000+ Dem Voters in WI WISCONSIN – Today, the Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), a grassroots-funded organization dedicated to getting Democratic voters to the polls, unveiled its comprehensive state voter profile for Wisconsin, one of the 16 battleground

Read More »

WisPolitics Midday – January 28, 2020

In today’s WisPolitics Midday update, brought to you by Spectrum: VP Mike Pence and Education Secretary Besty DeVos in Madison. 1st District Court of Appeals denies requests to put two Milwaukee County Supervisor candidates back on the ballot.

Read More »

Rep. Subeck urges hearing on transparency bill

MADISON – Today, Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) released the following statement regarding the impact of private voucher school programs on Wisconsin’s public schools and urged a hearing on Assembly Bill 299: “Our Wisconsin families overwhelmingly support our neighborhood public schools because these schools are the backbones of our communities. During

Read More »

Pence, DeVos extol school choice during rally at Wisconsin Capitol

Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos today extolled the virtues of school choice programs during a rally in the Wisconsin Capitol, saying the Trump Administration wants to give parents the power to decide what education is best for their children. Saying Wisconsin is “where it all began,”

Read More »

Sen. Larson, Rep. Brostoff unveil public education reinvestment act

Milwaukee, WI – Senator Chris Larson and Representative Jonathan Brostoff unveil their Public Education Reinvestment Act (PERA) along with public education advocates. “Inherent to the idea of expanding vouchers is that we should give up on public schools and give up on the kids who are there and should instead only

Read More »

WHEDA: Issues $140 million housing revenue bond

MADISON – The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has issued a $140 million Housing Revenue Bond to finance rental housing developments currently in its loan closing pipeline. The bond issuance is expected to help finance 12 developments that will provide 931 units of affordable and workforce rental housing throughout

Read More »

Rep. Vos: Welcomes VP Pence, Sec. DeVos to school choice showcase

Madison…Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) released the following statement regarding the Wisconsin School Choice Showcase, celebrating 30 years of school choice in Wisconsin. “I would like to thank Secretary DeVos and Vice President Pence for travelling to Wisconsin to be part of this historic occasion. School Choice started with 7 schools

Read More »

ICYMI: Jason Church sits down with WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters

(Hudson, WI) – This morning Jason Church, candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 7th District, joined WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters to discuss the race and the issues that are most important to the Northwoods. When asked the biggest issue in the district, Jason responded that the needs of farmers are his biggest

Read More »

WisDOT: Secretary-designee Thompson selected to chair regional transportation group

Embracing the opportunity to promote solutions to common transportation challenges throughout the Midwest, Secretary of Transportation-designee Craig Thompson will serve as President of the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO). “From the moment Secretary Thompson joined the Board of Directors at AASHTO, his active participation has been felt,” said

Read More »

WisDEMs: On day of Mike Pence visit, DPW Chairman Ben Wikler Wikler, Madison School Board member Ananda Mirilli, Bilingual Resource Officer Silvia Gomez, and Dane County Board Candidate José Rea blast Trump’s broken promises on education

(MADISON, WI) — Ahead of Mike Pence’s visit to Madison today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler, Madison School Board Member Ananda Mirilli, Madison East Bilingual Resource Officer Silvia Gomez, and Dane County Board Candidate José Rea blasted Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Betsy Devos for their broken promises on education.

Read More »