MADISON, WI. – Today, the Institute for Reforming Government announced the hiring of Anthony LoCoco, J.D., to join the team as Chief Legal Counsel & Director of Oversight. LoCoco, a graduate of Harvard Law School and former Deputy Counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, will lead IRG’s state government oversight efforts, and help deliver real transparency and accountability for the people of Wisconsin. “We’re thrilled to welcome Anthony to the IRG’s senior leadership team. His experience and expertise in Wisconsin law will be a vital asset to our growing work on oversight and rooting out the sources of dysfunction in state government.

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) invites Wisconsin meat processors to apply for meat processor grants through March 17, 2023. The program aims to grow Wisconsin’s meat industry and improve the long-term viability of the state’s livestock industry. “There is a strong need out there to modernize, expand, and enhance the capacity of our meat processing infrastructure,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “The funding included in the Governor’s budget can be used to ease some of the supply chain bottlenecks and help our state’s already strong meat processing industry increase throughput.” These grants

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) released the following statement on President Biden’s visit to Wisconsin.   “Workers across the country have seen their real pay fall by 1.7% over the past year. Labor force participation remains well below pandemic levels. As Biden touts creating jobs in Wisconsin today – I hope he remembers the union workers in Wisconsin he laid off after canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline. From his war on energy to excessive spending, Biden’s policies have hurt workers. When the President returns to Washington, I encourage him to engage with Congress to truly help workers.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, today announced key hires made for the Select Committee. These include Dave Hanke, who will serve as Staff Director, Charles Morrison, who will serve as Policy Director, Caroline Vik, who will serve as Communications Director, and Julissa Milligan Walsh, who will serve as General Counsel.  After announcing the hires, Rep. Gallagher said, “This effort to combat Chinese Communist Party aggression is one of the most important tasks of our generation and will require a team that understands just how critical this mission is. The team

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports nine snowmobile fatalities so far in 2023 and urges all snowmobile operators to Sled Safe and Sled Smart. “With the big football weekend coming up, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for snowmobile operators to be safe, responsible and sober. Impairment of any kind can have tragic consequences,” said DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Administrator Lt. Jacob Holsclaw. “Over the past five years, alcohol was involved in 68% of snowmobile fatalities. As you venture out on your snowmobile, think of your loved ones. Don’t drink and ride.” Local sheriff’s deputies

In January, Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, hosted the first meeting of the State Joint Diversity Executive Council (SJDEC), a retooled team authorized to drive meaningful change throughout the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The council is modeled after the National Guard Bureau’s Joint Diversity Executive Council, which has been recognized nationally as among the best in the nation. National Guard policy states that diversity and inclusion is to be institutionalized “by developing an agile, ready, innovative and adaptive force to attract, recruit, and retain a quality, inclusive and equitable work force that reflects the communities it serves.”

MADISON, WI – Last night, US President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union Address. He outlined our nation’s progress under his administration and his agenda to keep us moving forward for the next two years. Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:  “President Biden was elected to lead our nation out of turmoil and recession, and I applaud the progress made by him and his administration in two short years. His priorities are our priorities, and he and his administration can be relied upon to continue dismantling regressive policies while bolstering and advancing the progressive policies that will sustain our momentum. “Through

On Wednesday February 8, President Biden will visit with Wisconsin workers in Madison at the Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council Training Center. On this occasion, Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale released the following statement.  “On behalf of Wisconsin’s union workers, I welcome President Biden to Madison today, and we more than welcome the discussion of the accomplishments in the first two years of his administration.  Just as President Biden laid out in his speech last night, investments across many sectors of our economy have made a real difference for working people in Wisconsin and across the country.  His bold initiatives are

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address.  “During the past two years, President Biden interpreted a narrow Congressional majority as a mandate for radical change. The American people responded by electing a divided government to put a check on the excesses of the Biden administration and work together to address the challenges we face. If last night’s speech was any indication, the President has not learned his lesson. “The President’s speech doubled down on the same policies that added trillions of dollars to our national debt, helped fuel

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal will include efforts to strengthen Wisconsin’s forestry industry, bolster the state’s clean energy and conservation workforce, and improve transparency and accountability in the state’s allocation of stewardship funds. The governor’s announcement today covers a wide range of investments aimed at promoting sustainability and combatting climate change while providing the training and support to ensure Wisconsinites can meet the state’s clean energy and conservation workforce needs.  “Wisconsin has a proud and rich history of conservation and stewardship—from our work to safeguard our unique forests and urban trees to the

Kewaunee County, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix Early College High School Program continues to gain momentum with a new partnership between Algoma, Kewaunee and Luxemburg-Casco high schools in Kewaunee County. High school students from these schools will have the opportunity to get a head start on earning college credits through dual enrollment while still in high school. The application is now open for the program which will start in Fall 2023. Superintendents from the three participating schools are excited for the program to grow in Kewaunee County. “Creating this partnership with UW-Green Bay is a huge step in preparing our

MADISON, Wis.—Feb. 8, 2023—According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults in the U.S. will experience at least one trauma in their lifetime. That’s 223.4 million people. Over 90% of behavioral health clients have reported experiencing trauma. Going through a traumatic event—be it a violent crime, seeing combat, a natural disaster, or any number of other occurrences—is not rare.  Trauma and how individuals react to it have been well-documented in historical records and literature, from Homer’s eighth-century B.C. epic the “Iliad” to the writings of Shakespeare and Dickens. Nowadays, it is generally understood that anyone might be subjected to experience a genuine—and