State Sen. Luther Olsen tells WisPolitics.com he hopes the Department of Public Instruction’s COVID-19 safety guidelines remain recommendations and the department leaves the final say up to local districts. “Every community is different; size is different and circumstances are different,” said Olsen, R-Ripon and chair of the Senate Education Committee.

State Rep. LaKeshia Myers says police reform legislation Gov. Tony Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced is a “great start.” Myers, D-Milwaukee and chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said on Sunday’s “UpFront” the bills address things “we’ve been concerned about and immediately tries to curb some of the

The Department of Public Instruction today released its COVID-19 safety guidelines for the upcoming school year. DPI’s “Education Forward” provides health information to school boards, warning short-term closures of schools are still possible, and children and teachers with health conditions will continue to be at risk. The plan suggests, among

UW System President Ray Cross told regents he will be petitioning Gov. Tony Evers today for additional emergency funding to cover COVID-19 tests and personal protective equipment. During an emergency board meeting yesterday, Cross warned the system could see additional costs upwards of $50 million if it had to purchase

Ethics Commissioner Scot Ross opened his term on the panel by addressing structural racism before slamming the state’s Republican leaders. “Black people are treated unequally by the police. Black people are treated unequally in the workplace. Black people are treated unequally in the housing market. Black people are treated unequally

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald demanded Gov. Tony Evers identify the staffer who secretly recorded their May 14 conversation with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, say who authorized the taping and provide details on disciplining staff. Evers last week said he was unaware the call was being recorded and declined to

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said a de-escalation training provision she has added to a bill on police brutality could help prevent officer-involved deaths. But U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, called the bill a “disaster” that will lead to timid police forces. The Congressional Black Caucus has introduced the “Justice

Jim Johnsen today suddenly withdrew his name from consideration for president of the UW System, saying Wisconsin university officials “have important process issues to work out.” Johnsen, president of the University of Alaska system, was the sole finalist identified by a search committee to replace the retiring Ray Cross. His

Amid a bipartisan call to fire the staffer who authorized taping a phone call with GOP leaders, Gov. Tony Evers has declined to name the aide who approved recording the conversation. “I will not discuss personnel issues in public, but needless to say the practice has ended with this one

Gov. Tony Evers’ wasn’t aware a May phone call he and his aides had with the Legislature’s top two Republicans was being recorded and has directed staff “that this will not happen again,” a spokeswoman says. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said they

Shared governance advocates remain skeptical of UW System presidential finalist Jim Johnsen’s promises to share leadership with campuses and work with lawmakers. Johnsen, University of Alaska System president, told viewers Tuesday at a virtual campus forum “leadership is more powerful when it’s shared,” and that, if he were selected as

Declaring racism a public health crisis, Gov. Tony Evers renewed his call to accept federal money to expand the Medicaid program, arguing it would help address racial disparities in Wisconsin. In a call with reporters Thursday, the guv noted racial disparities that span infant mortality to incarceration, unemployment and poverty.