From WisPolitics … — Early voting begins today, two weeks from the nationally watched April 1 state Supreme Court election.  The race between conservative Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford will determine the ideological balance of the court, which currently has

From WisPolitics … — The Senate Education Committee will vote by paper ballot today on a bill to overhaul the Department of Public Instruction’s changes to state test standards.  SB 18 would reset state report card standards to levels set in 2019-20, align grades 3-8 with national standards from the

From WisPolitics … — Conservative Brad Schimel accused the liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court of carrying out a political agenda, saying if elected to an open seat he would help restore the rule of law. Liberal rival Susan Crawford countered the former GOP attorney general was paying “lip service to the

From WisPolitics … — Supreme Court candidates Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel will meet tonight in their first and only debate of the campaign. WISN-TV “UpFront” hosts Matt Smith and Gerron Jordan will moderate the hourlong debate, which begins at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast on: WISN in Milwaukee,

From WisPolitics … — Eau Claire Dem Rebecca Cooke announced today she’s running for a third time to represent the 3rd CD currently held by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.  Cooke’s latest bid comes after she narrowly lost to Van Orden in the November general election. Van

From WisPolitics … — Former Gov. Scott Walker says Brad Schimel needs to “come out swinging, rhetorically,” Wednesday night in the first and only debate with Wisconsin Supreme Court rival Susan Crawford. “I think he needs to make the point that particularly on law and order, I mean this is

From WisPolitics … — The Elections Commission will meet today on a staff report outlining things the Madison clerk could’ve done to avoid the failure to count 193 absentee ballots from November. The commission’s agenda also includes the results of a post-election audit that included a hand count of more

From WisPolitics … — The Wisconsin National Guard has seen an increase in reports of sexual assault and inquiries to its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office in recent years. In its first-ever report on the topic, the Guard suggested that rather than an increase in the occurrence of sexual

From WisPolitics … — An Assembly committee will hear testimony today on legislation that would dictate how MPS and Milwaukee split the costs of placing resource officers in schools. State law required officers to return to Milwaukee Public Schools by Jan. 1, 2024. But the district and city couldn’t reach

From WisPolitics … — The Joint Audit Committee will meet today to consider a review of how the Department of Public Instruction created new benchmarks for standardized tests. The GOP-run committee will also look at asking the Legislative Audit Bureau to review how grant programs are overseen at departments within

From WisPolitics … — Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August says Republicans could hold up passing the state budget if their GOP tax cut plan isn’t first passed and signed by Dem Gov. Tony Evers. “Well, look, I think it depends on how the governor is going to react to the

From WisPolitics … — Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford is out with another new TV spot this morning, this one knocking the “false ads trying to tell you who I am.”  Crawford’s buy was up to nearly $13 million for the full campaign as of last night, according to AdImpact.

From WisPolitics … — The Assembly Environment Committee is holding a public hearing today on an administrative rule to impose stricter limits on surface water pollution after another Assembly committee voted more than a year ago to request changes to the policy. The proposed revision would update the state’s antidegradation

From WisPolitics … — The co-chairs of the Joint Audit Committee say they are moving forward with an effort to review how the Department of Public Instruction created new benchmarks for standardized tests. It’s one of two audits Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, and Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Caledonia, said they will

From WisPolitics … — The Assembly Ag Committee has an informational hearing planned this afternoon to hear from DATCP. The committee has invited Deputy Secretary Aileen Switzer and State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene M. Konkle to testify. The hearing will be a general update from the Department of Ag, Trade and

From WisPolitics … — State Sen. Kelda Roys, a member of the Legislature’s budget-writing committee, says Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed 20% spending increase is not only responsible but needed. “I would go as far as to say, let’s look at the context here,” the Madison Dem said on WISN’s “UpFront,”

From WisPolitics … — Liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford released a new TV ad today featuring a police officer who says when he walks into a courtroom, he wants a judge like her. For the week that ends Monday, Crawford has nearly $1.3 million in ad reservations, according to

From WisPolitics … — The Assembly approved by voice vote a resolution celebrating Black History Month after dropping one man that backers had originally planned to honor. Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde, D-Milwaukee, said he was “so glad” to be able to bring the measure to the floor on a bipartisan

From WisPolitics … — GOP legislative leaders are vowing to scrap Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ $118.9 billion budget and work off current law as they put together their own spending plan for the 2025-27 biennium. Evers last night hailed his proposal as the “most pro-kid budget in state history,” from