An Assembly committee Thursday heard mixed testimony on what some have dubbed a “Blue Lives Matter” bill, with a series of opponents speaking against the measure that would expand the definition of hate crime victims to include police officers. But bill author Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, said the legislation

State Superintendent Tony Evers chalked up his easy win over challenger Lowell Holtz to his role as “the chief advocate” of public school kids. Evers also struck an optimistic tone last night about the future of the state, telling reporters and a crowd of some 50 supporters in downtown Madison,

State Sen. Dave Craig, R-Town of Vernon, said his right-to-carry bill would remove barriers for law-abiding citizens who want to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin. Craig is the lead Senate sponsor of the bill, which would remove the requirements for a permit, training and fee for concealed carry. “This

Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Thursday his Senate GOP caucus doesn’t have the votes right now to pass a gas tax hike and downplayed the suggestion lawmakers could override a pledged veto by Gov. Scott Walker. Speaker Robin Vos, however, said all options remain on the table for his caucus

The Legislature’s top two Republicans say they’ll talk over with their caucuses a bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit. The bill, circulated Tuesday by GOP Sen. Dave Craig and Rep. Mary Felzkowski, also would eliminate the state’s school gun free zone law, though schools

The Joint Finance Committee unanimously backed a series of bills Monday designed to combat opioid addiction after shooting down several Dem amendments. That included one from Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, that would have directed the state to accept the Medicaid expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act. Gov. Scott Walker

State Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said he is proposing a mandatory minimum sentence for homicide OWI because he hears of too many drunken drivers who serve little time after killing someone. Ott discussed his legislation to toughen drunken driving penalties on “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com.

Legislation aimed to toughen penalties for drunken drivers received strong support in an Assembly hearing Thursday. Rep. Jim Ott, co-author of the three bills, said the legislation would help make drunken driving laws “more consistent with the seriousness of the offense.” Two of the three bills would create tougher consequences

Wisconsin voters had a more positive view of President Trump this spring than last fall, largely because Republicans have warmed to him since the election. But his numbers were still upside down in the latest Marquette University Law School Poll. Forty-one percent of registered voters approved of the job Trump

Gov. Scott Walker encouraged the U.S. House to move forward on a GOP health care plan that he expects will be continually improved as it winds its way through Congress, saying “doing nothing would be a big mistake.” “There’s going to be more stuff,” Walker said of the plan, adding

A Senate committee Thursday sent Gov. Scott Walker’s appointments to head the Department of Transportation and the Department of Veterans Affairs to the full Senate for confirmation. DOT Secretary Dave Ross pushed back during the hearing against an effort to bring in additional transportation dollars, saying the state has “a