The Senate voted to create a mandatory minimum sentence for three or more convictions of retail theft. Under AB 829, the minimum sentence for a third conviction would be 180 days if the convictions were within a five-year period. The convictions would have to be for acts committed on separate

Wisconsin prison guards would get a raise paid for with federal funds under legislation that cleared the Senate Tuesday. Dems have knocked the bill for not putting state money into the raises, which would be temporary. And Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed past efforts by GOP lawmakers to dictate how

The Assembly approved AB 970, which would eliminate income caps for the state’s three school choice programs. The move would cost property taxpayers $577.3 million in extra expenses, assuming 67,689 newly eligible students would enter the system, according to a fiscal report produced by the Department of Public Instruction. Along

Dem Rep. Sondy Pope blasted Republicans for passing a bill that would disband Milwaukee Public Schools for what she called a racist attempt to grow the voucher program by splitting up the state’s largest school district. The Assembly today in a voice vote approved AB 966. The bill would break

Dems balked as Assembly Republicans today approved a bill that would create a “parental bill of rights” aimed at giving parents more say over what happens in classrooms. The Assembly voted 60-34 along party lines to approve AB 963, which includes language giving parents the right to determine a child’s

The Senate voted unanimously to authorize $41.8 million in general fund supported borrowing to build a new juvenile detention facility in Milwaukee County to house the most serious offenders in the system. But Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said it’s unlikely SB 520 will see a floor vote in his

The Legislature voted Tuesday along party lines to ban the UW or tech college systems from requiring students to “affirm, adopt, or adhere to” tenets of critical race theory. The bill is a watered-down version of what was first introduced. SB 409 originally sought to ban teaching things such as

The Senate approved a constitutional amendment to bar the use of private money to cover public costs to administer an election. It also signed off on a bill that would allow clerks to begin processing absentee ballots the day before election day. The bills were among the dozen election-related bills

Assembly Republicans today approved a bill that would create a “parental bill of rights” aimed at giving parents more say over what happens in classrooms. The Assembly in a 60-34 party line vote approved AB 963, which includes language giving parents the right to determine a child’s religion, type of

The Assembly approved a series of bills Republicans say would help increase the size of the state’s workforce by moving more people off of government programs while increasing talent attraction and training efforts. Republicans are seeking to change requirements to qualify for government assistance programs, fund efforts to attract more

The Assembly voted 59-35 along party lines to pass a bill limiting a governor’s emergency powers. Under AB 912, the governor would be prohibited from declaring businesses as “essential” or “nonessential” in emergencies. That means that any order affecting businesses would have to apply to all of them equally. Early

The state Senate today approved a series of COVID-19 measures that backers drew up in response to vaccine mandates and other measures to combat the pandemic. The bills would allow those who quit or are fired rather than get the vaccine to still qualify for unemployment benefits, to prohibit requiring

The state Senate signed off on a trio of bills designed to curb foreign influence at the UW System, including one that would prohibit members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army from being admitted to or working for the university. The bills passed along party lines as Dems decried them

The Assembly today approved a series of bills to use federal ARPA money to fund recruitment, retention and training efforts for police officers, sending them to the Senate.  The bills, which largely passed along party lines, would direct Gov. Tony Evers to spend $25 million in American Rescue Plan Act

Dem Rep. Evan Goyke slammed his colleagues for supporting a bill that would allow guards at the state’s juvenile prisons to use pepper spray even though they’ve been accused in the past of misusing the chemical irritant.  Assembly Republicans pushed forward with a series of bills aimed at increasing prison

The Legislature approved a measure making it a Class I felony for anyone who intentionally participates in a riot that results in substantial damages to property or bodily injury. The Senate signed off on the bill via a voice vote and the Assembly later approved it 59-34 along party lines,

GOP COVID-19 bills prohibiting discrimination based on vaccination status and accepting natural immunity instead of proof of vaccination will be sent to the Senate after passing in today’s Assembly floor session. AB 375 passed 59-34 along party lines. The bill would allow employees to present proof of natural immunity to

The state Senate today signed off on legislation that backers say would ban the teaching of critical race theory in Wisconsin K-12 schools, clearing the way for the bill to head to Gov. Tony Evers. The bill, which cleared the chamber 20-13, next heads to Gov. Tony Evers, who’s expected

The state Senate today gave initial approval to constitutional amendments that would bar non-residents from voting in state or local elections and give lawmakers a say if there’s another federal aid effort approved similar to the COVID-19 packages in recent years. Both amendments would have to clear the Assembly yet