Joint statement from members of the Milwaukee Common Council: Alderman Cavalier Johnson, Alderman Jose G. Perez, Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Robert J. Bauman, Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa, Alderman Michael J. Murphy, Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II and Alderman Nik Kovac As part of his 2021-23 biennial budget that will be introduced in full next week, Governor Tony Evers today announced a proposal that would allow counties to impose an additional 0.5 percent sales tax if approved by referendum. The proposal would also allow, if supported and approved by

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has received a $171,701 grant to develop Wisconsin’s implementation plan for 988, the new calling code that will launch in July 2022 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free service that helps people in emotional distress. A coalition organized by DHS is expected to use the funding from Vibrant Emotional Health, the administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to establish a system in which everyone in Wisconsin has direct access through 988 to trained counselors offering effective suicide prevention and mental health crisis services. People needing support should continue to call

“With the American Rescue Plan, we are taking strong action to secure needed relief with working people in mind, not the wealthy and well-connected. Critically, we are delivering survival payments that will help working people and their families pay (and backpay) bills and buy necessities,, supporting access to affordable health care for unemployed workers, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), two effective poverty alleviating resources for families, and strengthening retirement security by stabilizing troubled multiemployer plans. The crises resulting from the pandemic, extend far, impacting communities and small businesses causing food, job, health and

MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) – the combined state chamber and manufacturers’ association – announced on Friday its opposition to Gov. Tony Evers’ plan to allow counties and many municipalities to increase the sales tax. Wisconsin currently allows counties to impose an additional 0.5 percent tax on top of the state sales tax of five percent. The governor’s plan would allow counties and municipalities with greater than 30,000 residents to increase the sales tax by an additional 0.5 percent each. These additional increases would need to be approved via referendum. If the governor’s plan became law, many Wisconsinites could

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin applauded the inclusion of language from her Tracking COVID-19 Variants Act in the budget reconciliation legislation that passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. Baldwin’s reform aims to dramatically scale up our nation’s efforts to track coronavirus variants. The Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation that included $1.75 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct, expand and improve activities to sequence genomes, identify mutations and survey the circulation and transmission of viruses including SARS-CoV-2. Per the legislation, these dollars could also be used to provide genomic sequencing support

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will meet virtually on Monday for a Special Meeting to discuss the next steps to establish a wolf hunt in Wisconsin in 2021. The virtual meeting will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15, originating from the Public Meeting Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison, Wisconsin. The Board will act on items 1-2 as listed on the agenda. The public can watch the Special Meeting via Zoom here. If the meeting is at capacity and you are unable to join, the Special Meeting will also be livestreamed here. Please submit written