Visit WisPolitics-State Affairs for premium content,
keyword notifications, bill tracking and more
A minimum-security prison especially for convicted drunken drivers could get them off the road, and give them the treatment they need, said state Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon. “That’s where you could send people to get more treatment and incarcerate them
On this week’s episode, Wisconsin Public Radio’s Shawn Johnson and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold lame-duck laws, the state budget, the Assembly’s passage of bills on homelessness and Lincoln Hills deadline, and more.
A split state Supreme Court today upheld the Legislature’s power to meet in extraordinary session and rejected a challenge to the actions Republicans took in December to undercut powers of the incoming Dem guv and AG. In a 4-3 ruling,
GOP legislators racked up $1.5 million in legal bills over the first five months of the year as they relied on outside counsel to represent them in lawsuits over the lame-duck session, abortion restrictions and the environment. And taxpayers aren’t
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg praised retiring Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson as “the very best, the most courageous and sage, the least self-regarding” judge she had encountered. “As lawyer, law teacher and judge, she has inspired
Gov. Tony Evers says he will not make a decision on how to use his partial or full veto authority on the state budget until lawmakers present him with a finalized version. The Joint Finance Committee last week wrapped up
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he’s confident the budget that came out of Joint Finance last week will pass his chamber, but he didn’t venture an opinion as to what the Senate or Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will do with
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the Joint Finance Committee’s final actions on the budget, the guv bringing back the pardon process and the state Supreme Court’s latest rulings in the lame-duck lawsuits.
The Assembly Transportation Committee has approved three bills designed to ensure spending by the Department of Transportation is “efficient and effective.” The panel Thursday approved three measures from the so-called Road to Sustainability package authored by Rep. Joe Sanfelippo: AB
A trial is now off in one of the two lame-duck cases out of Dane County after the state Supreme Court stayed part of a judge’s ruling in the suit. Dane County Judge Frank Remington had blocked some provisions Republicans
Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Rep. John Nygren is strongly denying a charge that the state’s budget panel is looking to “(smuggle) into the budget” an amendment that would put in place new regulations on so-called wedding barns. The Wisconsin Institute
With the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee preparing to wrap up work on the state budget, Sens. LaTonya Johnson and Devin LeMahieu on Sunday’s episode of “UpFront” debated the committee’s actions on transportation funding and Medicaid expansion. The JFC last week
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the latest from the Joint Finance Committee, Senate votes on abortion bills and Ben Wikler’s election as state Dem chair.
A coalition of first responders is calling on Wisconsin lawmakers to increase funding for road repair and maintenance. In a Capitol news conference Tuesday, first responders said lawmakers need to find solutions so they can more effectively and safely do
With Republicans rejecting his call to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, Gov. Tony Evers announced a new partnership aimed at boosting the number of state residents enrolled in the existing program. In a news conference on the steps of the Capitol
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Congress should exert its oversight role over the executive branch and continue to investigate President Trump. But in a weekend interview, the Madison Democrat said she did not join dozens of other Democrats who are
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the latest on Joint Finance Committee actions and Justice Daniel Kelly announcing plans to run for a full 10-year term, as well as a look ahead to the Dem state convention.
The Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a pair of bills Thursday that stiffen penalties for impaired drivers. AB 15 and 17 would require those charged with first-offense OWI to appear in court and would implement a
Efforts by the state crime lab to trim a backlog of untested sexual assault kits led to delays in testing DNA in nearly 350 active cases, a new Department of Justice report says. The state began to clear that backlog
The state Senate still plans to move forward with a bill that would ban abortions on the basis of race, sex or disability despite the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday declining to review a federal appeals court decision striking down a
A minimum-security prison especially for convicted drunken drivers could get them off the road, and give them the treatment they need, said state Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon. “That’s where you could send people to get more treatment and incarcerate them longer, keep them off the roads,” Ott said in an
On this week’s episode, Wisconsin Public Radio’s Shawn Johnson and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold lame-duck laws, the state budget, the Assembly’s passage of bills on homelessness and Lincoln Hills deadline, and more.
A split state Supreme Court today upheld the Legislature’s power to meet in extraordinary session and rejected a challenge to the actions Republicans took in December to undercut powers of the incoming Dem guv and AG. In a 4-3 ruling, the court found the Legislature has the power to set
GOP legislators racked up $1.5 million in legal bills over the first five months of the year as they relied on outside counsel to represent them in lawsuits over the lame-duck session, abortion restrictions and the environment. And taxpayers aren’t just covering the costs to draft briefs or appear in
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg praised retiring Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson as “the very best, the most courageous and sage, the least self-regarding” judge she had encountered. “As lawyer, law teacher and judge, she has inspired legions to follow in her way, to strive constantly to
Gov. Tony Evers says he will not make a decision on how to use his partial or full veto authority on the state budget until lawmakers present him with a finalized version. The Joint Finance Committee last week wrapped up its deliberations on the guv’s original proposal. The panel approved
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he’s confident the budget that came out of Joint Finance last week will pass his chamber, but he didn’t venture an opinion as to what the Senate or Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will do with it. “We’re really confident that we have a budget that
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the Joint Finance Committee’s final actions on the budget, the guv bringing back the pardon process and the state Supreme Court’s latest rulings in the lame-duck lawsuits.
The Assembly Transportation Committee has approved three bills designed to ensure spending by the Department of Transportation is “efficient and effective.” The panel Thursday approved three measures from the so-called Road to Sustainability package authored by Rep. Joe Sanfelippo: AB 273 would offer ways for the DOT to source materials
A trial is now off in one of the two lame-duck cases out of Dane County after the state Supreme Court stayed part of a judge’s ruling in the suit. Dane County Judge Frank Remington had blocked some provisions Republicans approved in the December extraordinary session, including how state agencies
Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Rep. John Nygren is strongly denying a charge that the state’s budget panel is looking to “(smuggle) into the budget” an amendment that would put in place new regulations on so-called wedding barns. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty was among a coalition of groups
With the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee preparing to wrap up work on the state budget, Sens. LaTonya Johnson and Devin LeMahieu on Sunday’s episode of “UpFront” debated the committee’s actions on transportation funding and Medicaid expansion. The JFC last week scrapped Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed 8 cents-per-gallon gas tax increase,
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the latest from the Joint Finance Committee, Senate votes on abortion bills and Ben Wikler’s election as state Dem chair.
A coalition of first responders is calling on Wisconsin lawmakers to increase funding for road repair and maintenance. In a Capitol news conference Tuesday, first responders said lawmakers need to find solutions so they can more effectively and safely do their jobs. “We stand here as a united group focused
With Republicans rejecting his call to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, Gov. Tony Evers announced a new partnership aimed at boosting the number of state residents enrolled in the existing program. In a news conference on the steps of the Capitol Monday, Evers said the new partnership between the Department of
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Congress should exert its oversight role over the executive branch and continue to investigate President Trump. But in a weekend interview, the Madison Democrat said she did not join dozens of other Democrats who are calling for Congress to begin an impeachment inquiry. “Congress has
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the latest on Joint Finance Committee actions and Justice Daniel Kelly announcing plans to run for a full 10-year term, as well as a look ahead to the Dem state convention.
The Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a pair of bills Thursday that stiffen penalties for impaired drivers. AB 15 and 17 would require those charged with first-offense OWI to appear in court and would implement a presumptive mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for
Efforts by the state crime lab to trim a backlog of untested sexual assault kits led to delays in testing DNA in nearly 350 active cases, a new Department of Justice report says. The state began to clear that backlog — which peaked at over 6,800 untested kits, some of
The state Senate still plans to move forward with a bill that would ban abortions on the basis of race, sex or disability despite the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday declining to review a federal appeals court decision striking down a similar law in Indiana. The Indiana law would prohibit doctors