The Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization, ranked Wisconsin 8th in the nation for election security. That is because we have always done our due diligence. There were multiple investigations into 2020 election, including those done by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and the Legislative Audit Bureau, where improvements were proposed. The Senate Elections Committee, which I chair, has passed nearly 30 bills that address these real issues. We addressed the third-party money and meddling in our elections, we ensured nursing home residents aren’t taken advantage of, and closed the “indefinitely confined” loophole, just to name a few. These

Hi, this is Senator Melissa Agard with this week’s Democratic Radio Address. On the ceiling of the governor’s conference room in the east wing of the State Capitol is the phrase, “The will of the people is the law of the land.” Abraham Lincoln echoed a similar sentiment, when he wrote “democracy is a rule of the people, for the people and by the people.” That’s the way our democracy is supposed to work.  But here in Wisconsin there’s no way for the public to put something on the ballot without going through the Legislature.   In other states, voters have the ability to

WEST ALLIS, Wisc. – Today, Tony Evers’ disastrous DPI released new Forward Exam scores that quantify the education failures of his administration – a testament to his abysmal leadership despite his decades of experience in the education bureaucracy. On the most recent statewide assessments, just 37 percent of students are proficient in reading, 39 percent are proficient in math, and student achievement has not recovered from Evers’ refusal to help reopen schools during the pandemic. “These terrible Forward exam scores are shocking,” said Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels. “Tony Evers has been in the Wisconsin education driver’s seat for more than two decades — as

With the ratification of the Madison Professional Police Officers Association (MPPOA) agreementearlier this week, the Mayor has now successfully settled contracts with the City’s three unions,including IAFF Local 311 and Teamsters Local 695. “I am pleased that the City has been able to successfully negotiate collective bargaining agreementswith our three unions. I am grateful to the union leaders for their advocacy on behalf of theirmembers,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. The 4-year police contract includes a 1.5% raise in 2022, 2% in 2023, 3% in 2024 and 2025, similarto an agreement reached with the firefighters earlier in the year. As part of

MADISON, Wis., — Today, a new report details a new ethics complaint that has been filed against Ron Johnson for using his Senate twitter account for campaigning – a clear misuse of taxpayer dollars. The complaint shows that Johnson used his Senate Twitter account to attack Governor Tony Evers and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.   American Independent: Ethics complaint alleges Ron Johnson used Senate resources for political attacks Key Points: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is facing another ethics complaint after using his official social media accounts to smear his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.It asks the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to open an

The U.S. Department of Education announced awards totaling nearly $1 billion through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The Stronger Connections grants will help schools provide all students with safe and supportive learning opportunities and environments that are critical for their success. Through the BSCA, and under the leadership of President Biden, Congress provided $1 billion in Title IV, Part A formula funding to state educational agencies (SEAs) to develop state grant programs to provide students with safer and healthier learning environments. Earlier today, Secretary Cardona informed chief state school officers of their allocations under the BSCA Stronger Connections grant program. SEAs

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joined Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) Executive Director Shannon Barry and Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett to announce that his 2023 budget will prioritize emergency services for those facing the fear and uncertainty of how to leave abusive living situations. Parisi is allocating $1 million for DAIS to expand crisis intervention, prevention, outreach, and education efforts in the Dane County community. These funds will help DAIS add staffing and resources, improving the ability to respond to those in crisis. “With domestic violence, the ability to move quickly and get support to individuals in a timely

Washington, D.C. – We are 40 days out from Election Day, and one trend is becoming clear: Voters are tuning out the Democrat attack ads trying to distract from the failed Biden agenda in Washington of inflation, rising crime, open borders, and more.  In Georgia, Raphael Warnock and his allies have spent upwards of $70 million trying to smear Herschel Walker and politicize mental health.  But it isn’t working. In Pennsylvania, opponents of Dr. Oz spent tens of millions distorting his record and calling into question his allegiance to America.  But the race has now tightened dramatically. In Wisconsin, Democrats have spent untold

Madison, Wis. –  The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) recently announced the elimination of start-up and monthly fees associated with integrating the Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP) into electronic health record systems, expanding access to the ePDMP while simultaneously combating prescription opioid misuse. Since the announcement on June 5, 2022, six health systems in Wisconsin have registered and are benefiting from the new service: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, M Health Fairview, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, Mercy Health, CleanSlate Centers and Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network. “Our goal with this initiative is to ensure the ePDMP is as easily

MADISON, Wis. — At an event in Beaver Dam yesterday, Tim Michels said that decades of lawsuits over harassment and abuse at his company is a  “spectacular’ record,” and Michels even tried to claim that there is a “tremendous culture at Michels of respect, respect for women, respect for minorities, respect for each other.” TIM MICHELS: “You know that ad about numerous sexual assaults over the last? That’s over the past 62 years, there’s been five. Now the goal is zero. I’m not saying that five is a good number. But I’ll tell you, any business owner will tell you that is a spectacular number.” Over

Madison, Wis. — Today, state agency leadership from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI), Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), and Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) visited with researchers at the USDA Forest Products Lab as part of their ongoing Stronger Wisconsin outreach campaign. “Over the past year, our Stronger Wisconsin partners have joined us around the state as we learned about some of the cutting-edge climate resiliency work being done,” said Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek. “Sustainable wood utilization is one way Wisconsin can become more climate resilient, and most homes in the United States have already been built

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that the 2021-2022 overwinter number of pack-associated wolves is estimated between 812 and 1,193 within the pack-occupied range, with the most likely estimate being 972 wolves in a total number of packs estimated to be between 243 – 352 packs, with a most likely value of 288 packs. The complete 2022 annual wolf monitoring report will be available on the DNR’s Wildlife Habitat webpage once ready. While the wolf population estimate is lower than the previous winter, the current population remains nearly as large and widespread as it has been in recent