A Waukesha businessman who co-founded the non-partisan group Democracy Found said he thinks ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin could help restore a “functional democracy.” Democracy Found is a Wisconsin-based initiative committed to revitalizing democracy. Co-founder Austin Ramirez, the president and CEO of Husco International, said his group favors having a nonpartisan

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told WisPolitics.com Senate Republicans won’t extend the suspension of a one-week waiting period so laid off Wisconsinites can begin collecting unemployment right away. The Oostburg Republican said his caucus is hearing from businesses around the state that are having a hard time filling open positions.

Gov. Tony Evers says better data on COVID-19 infections and deaths in nursing homes would not have changed precautions or vaccine rollout plans. The Evers administration has been facing GOP criticism for a lag in accurately reporting COVID-19 infection and death numbers for nursing homes. The criticism comes after administration

Milwaukee County is trying to identify its most vulnerable citizens and connect them with COVID-19 vaccine. The new effort uses census data in 10 county zip codes to locate underserved people and help them get vaccinations, said Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services in the Milwaukee County Office of

DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk says she expects enough COVID-19 vaccine supply to achieve herd immunity by the end of June, but that doesn’t mean all Wisconsinites will want a shot. Herd immunity would need about 80 percent of the population fully vaccinated, health officials say. The June

The State Building Commission deadlocked along partisan lines on all motions relating to Gov. Tony Evers’ $2.4 billion capital budget before it goes to the Joint Finance Committee. GOP lawmakers at the start of yesterday’s meeting sought to send the capital budget to JFC without a recommendation. The move failed

The GOP members of the Building Commission are signaling they’ll move at today’s meeting to send Gov. Tony Evers’ capital budget to the Joint Finance Committee without a recommendation. Republican lawmakers on the commission tried a similar tactic two years ago as their GOP colleagues objected to the $2.5 billion

Note: This item first appeared in WisPolitics.com’s FRI REPORT, available to Gold and Platinum subscribers. Visit here to subscribe.  Gov. Tony Evers would like to eventually close some of Wisconsin’s state prisons, after campaigning on a goal of eventually cutting the state’s inmate population in half. His budget lays out

New language in the pandemic relief bill would likely mean about 195,000 fewer Wisconsin filers getting $1,400 relief checks, according to figures from the state Department of Revenue. Still, more than 3.2 million filers are in line for the stimulus money under the Senate version of the $1.9 trillion pandemic

Two GOP lawmakers are circulating legislation that would rein in government powers during a pandemic, including a provision that would ban sweeping stay-at-home orders. Among other things, the two bills would mandate governors get approval from at least two legislative leaders before declaring a public health emergency. The bills are

A Republican senator sponsoring legislation to change state election laws says he’s trying to preserve integrity in elections, while a Dem lawmaker calls it an attempt at voter suppression. Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, and Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, appeared jointly yesterday on “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com. Stroebel has

In a weekend TV appearance, the candidates for state schools superintendent clashed over voucher schools and their own district leadership during the pandemic. Deborah Kerr, former superintendent of the Brown Deer Schools, and Jill Underly, superintendent of the Pecatonica Area Schools, appeared jointly on the statewide “UpFront” program, produced in