Madison, WI – Yesterday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced committee assignments for the 2023-24 Legislative Session. Representative Rob Swearingen (R – Rhinelander) released the following statement in response the announcement. “I’d like to thank Speaker Vos for reappointing me as Chairman of the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. I look forward to another session working with my veteran colleagues on the committee, as well as several new members that have been appointed to serve. “I’m also excited to welcome Representative- elect Chanz Green (R – Ashland), to the committee and look forward to him serving as Vice-Chairman.” In this role,

MILWAUKEE – Yesterday, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors adopted [10-6] a resolution to request the Audit Services Division of the Office of the Comptroller conduct an audit of the 2012 agreement between Milwaukee County and the Rock Sports Complex/Ballpark Commons. The author of the resolution, Supervisor Patti Logsdon made the following statement:   “I’d like to thank Director Folliard and our entire audit division. The importance of the work they do to ensure that Milwaukee County is a good steward of our tax dollars cannot be understated. They review our contracts, search out waste, and even go as far as consulting neighbors about light and sound violations. As someone who has toured the district and observed homeowners unable to open their windows or use

MILWAUKEE, WI – After traveling to the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce in November,  County Executive David Crowley is ending the year strong with a continued push for a revenue solution just before the holidays. Seeing the next three months as mission-critical to gain additional revenue, the focus for the Move Forward Coalition remains on making sure a revenue solution for Milwaukee County is a priority for legislators as the put together their agendas for the upcoming year.  On Monday, County Executive Crowley visited the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board to discuss the need for revenue and resetting the relationship with the Wisconsin State

WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and nine of his Republican colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin following the Senate’s approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Senators urged Secretary Austin to freeze all COVID-19 vaccine-related discharges, and to establish a quick and thorough process so all members who were discharged because they refused the COVID-19 vaccine can be reinstated with back pay and full benefits. Sen. Johnson offered an amendment to the NDAA that would have immediately ended the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate, prohibited DoD from imposing

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council held a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 15, to seek input on recommending law changes to the Legislature concerning the state’s worker’s compensation program. “Input from the public, both during the hearing and in written comments, provides an important contribution in the process that results in positive changes to our state’s worker’s compensation system,” DWD Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek said. “Members of the advisory council give careful consideration to all comments received as they work collaboratively to develop and send the Legislature a bill that, in line with decades of tradition, reflect

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers announced today his appointment of Kat Turner to serve as Waupaca County District Attorney. The appointment fills a vacancy being created by District Attorney Veronica Isherwood’s resignation. Turner will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term that ends January 2025. “Kat Turner is an experienced attorney who is invested in and committed to the future of her community,” said Gov. Evers. “Her dedication and integrity will make her an excellent district attorney for the people of Waupaca County.” Turner is currently an assistant district attorney in the Waupaca County District Attorney’s Office. She began

MADISON, Wis. — In a ceremony held last week, Representative Lisa Subeck graduated from the 2022 Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship program. Bringing together 48 leaders representing 32 states from several sectors of state government, the Henry Toll Fellowship is the nation’s premier leadership development program for state government officials. “It was an honor to stand alongside this year’s graduates and see my name added to the prestigious list of Toll fellows,” said Representative Subeck, “This was a wonderful opportunity to build lasting relationships with other leaders from around the country, and to meet so many others with

MADISON, Wis. – 68th Assembly District Representative and 23rd District Senator-Elect Jesse James issued the following statement on Friday, December 16th: “Yesterday our Senate leadership announced committee appointments for the coming session. I was proud to be appointed as Chair of the newly-created Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Children & Families. The Wisconsin State Senate has not previously had a committee dedicated to Mental Health. We all know how much mental health issues are affecting our communities, families, and youth right now. This is an important step in the right direction. I am also grateful to be taking

Madison, Wis. – Chris Reader, Executive Vice President of IRG Action Fund, issued the following statement applauding the selections of Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) and Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Racine) as the incoming chairmen of the state’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee:  “With billions of federal dollars flowing into the state with little oversight and an administration seemingly interested in spending the money behind closed doors, there has never been a more critical time to hold state government accountable. “Sen. Wimberger and Rep. Wittke are fierce advocates for transparency and accountability in government, and IRG Action applauds these stellar selections by Leader

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is seeking public comment on its draft State Freight Plan, which, when finalized, will provide guidance for the next eight years. Wisconsin’s multimodal freight transportation system includes roadways, railways, ports and waterways, airports, pipelines, and intermodal facilities. The draft plan is available for review and comment at: https://www.wisdotplans.gov/plan/state-freight-plan. “Wisconsin’s multimodal freight transportation system provides efficient and resilient transportation of goods and supports our economy,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “We invite you to review the draft freight plan and share your thoughts as we plan a critical part of Wisconsin’s transportation future.” An update of

ROME, Wis. – “It is an honor to be appointed to chair the committee on Campaigns and Elections. As we all have observed over the few cycles there is a great deal of work to get done to restore the full faith and confidence in our election process for all eligible voters in the State of Wisconsin. States with much bigger populations are able to process and count ballots to deliver results to the publicprior to the middle of the night. Wisconsin must adapt and work to avoid perceptions of late night fraud. The recent revelations of military absentee ballot

MADISON, Wis. – Food on the table has its start on the farm and each year approximately 5,000 seasonal agricultural migrant workers come to Wisconsin to plant, harvest, and package a broad range of fruits and vegetables produced in the state. International Migrants Day is celebrated each year on Dec. 18. The day highlights the importance of protecting the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families, a concept Wisconsin furthers through state and federal regulations administered by the state Department of Workforce Development (DWD). “Wisconsin sets a high bar for labor standards to ensure safety, fair pay

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Today, State Senator LaTonya Johnson, Dr. Kristin Lyerly, M.D., and Ms. Yolanda Thomas joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin to discuss how Congress has a real opportunity to improve the health of moms and children in Wisconsin and across the country through bipartisan, affordable, and commonsense solutions. A new Public Policy Polling survey finds overwhelming public support for a series of reforms that will improve the health of millions of children, pregnant women, and moms, particularly people of color and rural Americans.  The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized country and 80 percent of