Visit WisPolitics-State Affairs for premium content,
keyword notifications, bill tracking and more
Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to move youthful offenders from prisons in northern Wisconsin to new regional facilities wouldn’t kick in until at least 2019. But with some Dems complaining the transition of offenders wouldn’t be fast enough, Walker’s office signaled
A state budget that dragged into September and a proposed $10 billion Foxconn manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin were some of the top stories of 2017. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, helped shepherd through the GOP tax bill as
GOP state Sen. Frank Lasee and Rep. Keith Ripp are joining the Walker administration next week, according to the guv’s office. The GOP lawmakers, who resigned their seats in the Legislature on Friday, will double their salaries. Ripp, R-Lodi, will
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel says a new investigation of the now-defunct Government Accountability Board will look into whether there was “other criminal activity” at the former ethics and elections agency. Leaders of the Republican-led Wisconsin Senate last week voted
Ethics Commission Administrator Brian Bell is requesting the commission launch an investigation into his conduct, saying the move would help set the record straight on allegations legislative leaders have made against him. Meanwhile, the commission is also weighing holding its
This week on ‘Rewind’: WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley discuss the latest developments over an investigation into leaks from the John Doe, the results of this week’s primaries for open legislative seats and more developments with Lincoln Hills.
A GOP-run Senate committee Thursday voted to give AG Brad Schimel the go-ahead to conduct an expanded investigation into the actions of the defunct Government Accountability Board. The vote came after the Elections Commission head’s protests that Schimel is unable
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he doesn’t see a crisis in the state’s workers comp program and sees no demand in his caucus to impose a fee schedule for the medical care injured employees receive. Vos, R-Rochester, said he has
Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said Rep. Josh Zepnick is no longer caucusing with Assembly Dems after he was accused of kissing two women without their consent at political events in 2011 and 2015. But Hintz declined to go into details
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said she thinks Special Counsel Robert Mueller is in danger of being fired by President Trump over the Russia investigation. “I do think (Mueller) is in terrible trouble right now,” Moore told “UpFront with Mike
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the GOP leaders’ call for Ethics and Elections commission Administrators Brian Bell and Michael Haas to resign; reports this week that House Speaker Paul Ryan’s stepping down in 2018; and the Dec. 19 special elections.
Gov. Scott Walker Friday repeatedly declined to weigh in on whether the administrators at the Ethics and Elections commissions should step down following the DOJ’s John Doe leak report. Walker answered a series of reporters’ questions on the topic this
Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly. Quotes of the week The nature of life on Capitol Hill necessitates long hours in close proximity to lawmakers
The state Ethics Commission Tuesday countered DOJ’s investigation into leaks from the John Doe probes, saying the report failed to accurately describe the agency’s efforts to cooperate or the steps it took to secure records after replacing the GAB. But
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, the top elected female Democrat at the Capitol, is deferring to Milwaukee leaders on whether former Dem Sen. Spencer Coggs should resign as city treasurer despite her call for state Rep. Josh Zepnick to step
State Sen. Leah Vukmir says the now-defunct Government Accountability Board’s keeping of some of her personal emails was politically motivated. The Brookfield Republican said that because she authored legislation revamping the agency — a combined ethics and elections oversight agency
The state Ethics Commission will provide “clarifications” to the DOJ report on how agency staff handled John Doe records and will seek the release of sealed court documents to back up the contention employees acted properly, the commission chair tells
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the John Doe leak report, the governor’s race and sexual harassment allegations at the Capitol.
GOP state Sen. Steve Nass is calling on four Elections or Ethics commission employees to quit following a DOJ report that accused the old GAB of mishandling documents related to John Doe probes that touched Gov. Scott Walker or his
At least one person illegally removed documents from the old GAB and leaked them to The Guardian, but the needed proof does not exist to convict anyone, the state DOJ concluded in a report released today. Still, the 92-page document
Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to move youthful offenders from prisons in northern Wisconsin to new regional facilities wouldn’t kick in until at least 2019. But with some Dems complaining the transition of offenders wouldn’t be fast enough, Walker’s office signaled late this afternoon he was ready to work with lawmakers
A state budget that dragged into September and a proposed $10 billion Foxconn manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin were some of the top stories of 2017. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, helped shepherd through the GOP tax bill as speculation popped up around his future in politics. And while
GOP state Sen. Frank Lasee and Rep. Keith Ripp are joining the Walker administration next week, according to the guv’s office. The GOP lawmakers, who resigned their seats in the Legislature on Friday, will double their salaries. Ripp, R-Lodi, will take over the No. 3 spot at the Department of
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel says a new investigation of the now-defunct Government Accountability Board will look into whether there was “other criminal activity” at the former ethics and elections agency. Leaders of the Republican-led Wisconsin Senate last week voted to authorize Schimel to conduct a new investigation of the
Ethics Commission Administrator Brian Bell is requesting the commission launch an investigation into his conduct, saying the move would help set the record straight on allegations legislative leaders have made against him. Meanwhile, the commission is also weighing holding its own public review of Bell’s performance should the Senate opt
This week on ‘Rewind’: WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Patrick Marley discuss the latest developments over an investigation into leaks from the John Doe, the results of this week’s primaries for open legislative seats and more developments with Lincoln Hills.
A GOP-run Senate committee Thursday voted to give AG Brad Schimel the go-ahead to conduct an expanded investigation into the actions of the defunct Government Accountability Board. The vote came after the Elections Commission head’s protests that Schimel is unable to lead an impartial investigation into the John Doe probes.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he doesn’t see a crisis in the state’s workers comp program and sees no demand in his caucus to impose a fee schedule for the medical care injured employees receive. Vos, R-Rochester, said he has heard good arguments from both sides of the issue. But
Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said Rep. Josh Zepnick is no longer caucusing with Assembly Dems after he was accused of kissing two women without their consent at political events in 2011 and 2015. But Hintz declined to go into details with WisPolitics.com about the Milwaukee lawmaker’s status with the caucus
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said she thinks Special Counsel Robert Mueller is in danger of being fired by President Trump over the Russia investigation. “I do think (Mueller) is in terrible trouble right now,” Moore told “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com. “We see our colleagues
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the GOP leaders’ call for Ethics and Elections commission Administrators Brian Bell and Michael Haas to resign; reports this week that House Speaker Paul Ryan’s stepping down in 2018; and the Dec. 19 special elections.
Gov. Scott Walker Friday repeatedly declined to weigh in on whether the administrators at the Ethics and Elections commissions should step down following the DOJ’s John Doe leak report. Walker answered a series of reporters’ questions on the topic this afternoon with variations of “I think the report speaks for
Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly. Quotes of the week The nature of life on Capitol Hill necessitates long hours in close proximity to lawmakers and staff that can create power dynamics of which young
The state Ethics Commission Tuesday countered DOJ’s investigation into leaks from the John Doe probes, saying the report failed to accurately describe the agency’s efforts to cooperate or the steps it took to secure records after replacing the GAB. But AG Brad Schimel fired back, saying questions the Ethics Commission
Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, the top elected female Democrat at the Capitol, is deferring to Milwaukee leaders on whether former Dem Sen. Spencer Coggs should resign as city treasurer despite her call for state Rep. Josh Zepnick to step down. “I think former Sen. Coggs should do what is
State Sen. Leah Vukmir says the now-defunct Government Accountability Board’s keeping of some of her personal emails was politically motivated. The Brookfield Republican said that because she authored legislation revamping the agency — a combined ethics and elections oversight agency — that put her “in the sights of the GAB.”
The state Ethics Commission will provide “clarifications” to the DOJ report on how agency staff handled John Doe records and will seek the release of sealed court documents to back up the contention employees acted properly, the commission chair tells WisPolitics.com. David Halbrooks, speaking after the agency called an emergency
On this week’s episode, WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters discuss the John Doe leak report, the governor’s race and sexual harassment allegations at the Capitol.
GOP state Sen. Steve Nass is calling on four Elections or Ethics commission employees to quit following a DOJ report that accused the old GAB of mishandling documents related to John Doe probes that touched Gov. Scott Walker or his associates. Of the four, only Nathan Judnic, an Elections Commission
At least one person illegally removed documents from the old GAB and leaked them to The Guardian, but the needed proof does not exist to convict anyone, the state DOJ concluded in a report released today. Still, the 92-page document paints the Government Accountability Board as being sloppy in its