Madison, WI – Today, Senate Bill 216, relating to the deregulation of natural hair braiding was heard in the Senate Committee on Insurance, Licensing, and Forestry. Senate Bill 216 is the Senate companion to Assembly Bill 121. Both bills specify that a person does not need to obtain a barbering or cosmetology license in order to perform natural hair braiding. On SB 216’s passage through the committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, Representative Stubbs (D-77) issued the following statement: “SB 216 will allows entrepreneurs, to practice the art of natural hair braiding without costly and unnecessary licensing regulations. SB 216 removes restrictions

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will meet virtually for the April board meeting to consider several proposed emergency rules and donations. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, originating from Public Meeting Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison, Wisconsin. The Board will act on items 1-4 and 7-8 as listed on the Agenda. Although the public will not be allowed to attend the meeting in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the public can watch the April board meeting on the DNR’s YouTube channel. The deadline for

Madison – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced today the next round of recipients for the Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP). The PSC awarded $7 million for 32 projects that reduce energy consumption, increase the use of renewable energy and transportation technologies, bolster preparedness and resiliency in the energy system, and ensure steps are taken to create comprehensive energy plans. Applications for this grant cycle were due on January 22, 2021, in which 108 applications were submitted requesting more than $24.4 million in total funding. “This grant funding makes investments in innovative projects and technology that will help the

“This is great news for the hundreds of Caddy Vista neighborhood residents who contacted me and others about the damage this placement would cause to the neighborhood and surrounding area. I am glad the court is reconsidering the placement of these sex offenders, and am hopeful they will find a more appropriate location to house these two predators. Thank you to every single person who participated in getting this placement revisited.” Last Thursday, March 25th, Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) learned of the imminent placement of two child sex offenders in the Caddy Vista Neighborhood in Caledonia. Wanggaard immediately reached out

MADISON, Wis.— As Wisconsinites start to feel the benefits of the American Rescue Plan, today Opportunity Wisconsin and SEIU Wisconsin State Council spoke with Representative Mark Pocan and Badger State residents on Facebook LIVE, discussing how this historic law is helping Wisconsinites recover from the COVID pandemic. Last month, Opportunity Wisconsin launched a six-figure digital ad campaign holding Senator Ron Johnson accountable for fighting tooth-and-nail against the American Rescue Plan. “We made sure that we got the bill that was needed to match the size of the problem we’re facing. And it was a $1.9 trillion bill. But that bill

MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers today with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) heralded the important impact of the Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit Program for Wisconsin households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. The benefit offered through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will provide a temporary discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. The number of people in the state that could be eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit is about 1,500,000 people or 300,000 households. “This pandemic has

Madison, Wis—The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) has published a special issue on the impact of race and racism on health in Wisconsin. The issue, which features original research, editorial content and artwork from more than 60 Wisconsin health professionals, researchers, students and community members, was developed in response to last summer’s high-profile racial incidents and subsequent protests. “Racism is a public health crisis, a fact that was amplified by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and, in Wisconsin, the shooting of Jacob Blake,” said WMJ Editor-in-Chief Sarina Schrager, MD, MS. For example, Dr. Schrager points out that

MADISON, Wis. – Spring in Wisconsin means warmer weather, melting ice and the start of the 2021 Ojibwe spring harvest season. With the Ojibwe spring harvest season officially underway, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds Wisconsinites of the protected tribal right to fish in certain Wisconsin waterways and the legal consequences they could face if found interfering with that right. “We fully support Ojibwe sovereignty and treaty rights,” said DNR Secretary Preston D. Cole. “The department has zero tolerance for harassment of tribal members who are exercising their treaty rights.” Each tribal harvest season, tribal members harvest using a

JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN—Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced he is seeking applicants for a Gold Star Family fellow through the House of Representatives’ Gold Star Family Fellowship Program. “I am committed to ensuring our veterans, military members, and their families have access to care, service, and benefits they’ve earned in service to our country. The Gold Star Family Fellowship Program is a great way to show our community’s respect and promise to support our military families. The fellow will be an integral part of our team and help provide assistance to our community. I am glad to have this opportunity to

“We are just elated that the World Dairy Expo has decided to remain in Madison, Wisconsin.  This never should have even been a topic that was up for discussion, but thankfully with all of the media attention and all of the grassroots efforts from around the state, we were successful in convincing the Expo to stay.  I look forward to the event remaining in Madison for years to come.”

MADISON, Wis. – In April 2023, Wisconsin will host a national gathering of about 4,000 collegiate researchers who will descend on Eau Claire to present their ideas, to network with peers and mentors, and to meet with corporate and graduate school recruiters. It’s a once-a-year gathering that illustrates just how far undergraduate research has come in Wisconsin, and what it can mean to the overall economy. The selection of UW-Eau Claire by the National Conference of Undergraduate Research is not only a chance to highlight that picturesque region in northwest Wisconsin, but to underscore the changing nature of research taking