TOP STORIES Wisconsin’s alcohol-related deaths more than tripled since 1999… Midwest region had the largest spike, a 2.5-fold increase … In 1999, alcohol-induced deaths among Wisconsinites totaled 356. By 2020, that number had risen to 1,077. [CDC-defined as a range
From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers has declared an energy emergency in response to severe regional cold weather, noting in an executive order its impact on distribution of residential heating fuel. Yesterday’s release announcing the order notes multiple suppliers
From WisPolitics … — U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, today voted to advance a GOP bill aiming to bolster border security and combat crimes perpetrated by noncitizens, despite having “major concerns” about the legislation. The Laken Riley Act cleared a
TOP STORIES Senate passes voter ID measure, clearing way for final passage in Assembly next week… During debate on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, Republicans and Democrats squared off, with Democrats questioning why there hasn’t been any action on issues
From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s nominal personal income growth is projected to go up 5.2% for 2024 before growth moderates to 4.1% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026, according to the state Department of Revenue. The agency recently released its
From WisPolitics … — Liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford has now pulled in $2.8 million since May, topping the $2.2 million that conservative rival Brad Schimel says he has raised since launching his bid in late 2023. Crawford, a
TOP STORIES Wisconsin GOP pushing to make voter ID a constitutional requirement… public hearing Tuesday … Senate was expected to pass it Wednesday. … Assembly was expected to give final approval next week. … Legislature passed the voter ID proposal
From WisPolitics … — Conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel raised $1.5 million over the past six months, bringing his overall haul for the campaign to $2.2 million. Schimel’s campaign said today the haul is more than double what any
From WisPolitics … — A Senate committee today voted 5-3 along party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment to require voter ID, as Republicans argued the state Supreme Court could overturn the requirement now in Wisconsin statutes. But Dems
TOP STORIES Evers’ plan to let Wisconsin voters repeal and create state laws meets GOP resistance… Evers [FY25-27 budget] is reviving a [2022] plan previously rejected by Republicans giving voters the [constitutional] power to enact laws without approval of the
From WisPolitics … — Freshman GOP Rep. Lindee Brill, of Sheboygan Falls, says she prays this session will produce results that make her regret not voting for Robin Vos, R-Rochester, as Assembly speaker. Brill joined Rep. Chuck Wichgers, R-Muskego, in
From WisPolitics … — Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was reelected Assembly speaker today as two of his GOP colleagues abstained from voting. Freshman Rep. Lindee Brill, of Sheboygan Falls, and Rep. Chuck Wichgers, of Muskego didn’t vote as Vos was
TOP STORIES Evers revisits effort to give voters more say in state laws… [Vos and LeMahieu previously dismissed his Constitutional citizen initiative as “desperate political stunt,” but] by including [it] in his 2025-27 biennial budget request, Evers hopes to force
From WisPolitics … — Dem Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “a joke” that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos thinks schools can get by on the spending boost due them over the next two years, vowing to propose an even bigger
From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s population is expected to be largely flat through 2030 before declining slightly in each of the following two decades as the state’s birth rate has fallen, the latest report from DOA shows. That projection for
TOP STORIES Nearly 200 ballots went uncounted in Wisconsin and officials want to know why… [WEC] voted unanimously to investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl failed to comply with state law or abused her discretion. … concerned the clerk’s
From WisPolitics … — At least three of Wisconsin’s six House Republicans are publicly vowing to back U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, for speaker during today’s vote. The offices of U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, and Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie
From WisPolitics … — The Elections Commission today voted unanimously to open an investigation into the Madison clerk to determine why the city failed to count 193 absentee ballots on Election Day. Chair Ann Jacobs called the oversight “egregious” and
TOP STORIES Coalition of 30 groups call for $953M investment for safe drinking water… long with policy changes [repeal REINS Act] and preventive measures … local rental inspection programs to ensure apartments are lead-free, funding for farmers that use practices
From WisPolitics … — The state Elections Commission today will consider opening an investigation into the Madison clerk after 193 uncounted absentee ballots were found more than a month after Election Day. In materials prepared for today’s meeting at the
TOP STORIES Wisconsin’s alcohol-related deaths more than tripled since 1999… Midwest region had the largest spike, a 2.5-fold increase … In 1999, alcohol-induced deaths among Wisconsinites totaled 356. By 2020, that number had risen to 1,077. [CDC-defined as a range of short- and long-term conditions such as alcoholic liver diseases,
From WisPolitics … — Gov. Tony Evers has declared an energy emergency in response to severe regional cold weather, noting in an executive order its impact on distribution of residential heating fuel. Yesterday’s release announcing the order notes multiple suppliers are experiencing long lines at fuel terminals and needing to
From WisPolitics … — U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, today voted to advance a GOP bill aiming to bolster border security and combat crimes perpetrated by noncitizens, despite having “major concerns” about the legislation. The Laken Riley Act cleared a procedural vote 84-9, the first step toward a final vote
TOP STORIES Senate passes voter ID measure, clearing way for final passage in Assembly next week… During debate on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, Republicans and Democrats squared off, with Democrats questioning why there hasn’t been any action on issues such as gun safety or the high cost of living
From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s nominal personal income growth is projected to go up 5.2% for 2024 before growth moderates to 4.1% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026, according to the state Department of Revenue. The agency recently released its November 2024 economic forecast, which shows last year’s personal income
From WisPolitics … — Liberal Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford has now pulled in $2.8 million since May, topping the $2.2 million that conservative rival Brad Schimel says he has raised since launching his bid in late 2023. Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Court judge, reported in July that she
TOP STORIES Wisconsin GOP pushing to make voter ID a constitutional requirement… public hearing Tuesday … Senate was expected to pass it Wednesday. … Assembly was expected to give final approval next week. … Legislature passed the voter ID proposal last session and must approve it again by Jan. 21
From WisPolitics … — Conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel raised $1.5 million over the past six months, bringing his overall haul for the campaign to $2.2 million. Schimel’s campaign said today the haul is more than double what any Supreme Court candidate in Wisconsin history has raised during the
From WisPolitics … — A Senate committee today voted 5-3 along party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment to require voter ID, as Republicans argued the state Supreme Court could overturn the requirement now in Wisconsin statutes. But Dems on the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee said the state
TOP STORIES Evers’ plan to let Wisconsin voters repeal and create state laws meets GOP resistance… Evers [FY25-27 budget] is reviving a [2022] plan previously rejected by Republicans giving voters the [constitutional] power to enact laws without approval of the Legislature. [2022 special session was intended to let voter decide
From WisPolitics … — Freshman GOP Rep. Lindee Brill, of Sheboygan Falls, says she prays this session will produce results that make her regret not voting for Robin Vos, R-Rochester, as Assembly speaker. Brill joined Rep. Chuck Wichgers, R-Muskego, in abstaining from yesterday’s leadership vote as Vos was reelected to
From WisPolitics … — Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was reelected Assembly speaker today as two of his GOP colleagues abstained from voting. Freshman Rep. Lindee Brill, of Sheboygan Falls, and Rep. Chuck Wichgers, of Muskego didn’t vote as Vos was reelected to the post 52-44. Members otherwise voted for either
TOP STORIES Evers revisits effort to give voters more say in state laws… [Vos and LeMahieu previously dismissed his Constitutional citizen initiative as “desperate political stunt,” but] by including [it] in his 2025-27 biennial budget request, Evers hopes to force the budget committee’s 16 members to hold a vote on
From WisPolitics … — Dem Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “a joke” that GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos thinks schools can get by on the spending boost due them over the next two years, vowing to propose an even bigger increase in his budget. Evers used his partial veto authority
From WisPolitics … — Wisconsin’s population is expected to be largely flat through 2030 before declining slightly in each of the following two decades as the state’s birth rate has fallen, the latest report from DOA shows. That projection for the statewide population, though, masks the major decreases expected in
TOP STORIES Nearly 200 ballots went uncounted in Wisconsin and officials want to know why… [WEC] voted unanimously to investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl failed to comply with state law or abused her discretion. … concerned the clerk’s office didn’t inform them of the problem [discovered Nov. 12]
From WisPolitics … — At least three of Wisconsin’s six House Republicans are publicly vowing to back U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, for speaker during today’s vote. The offices of U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, and Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, told WisPolitics the lawmakers would support Johnson today.
From WisPolitics … — The Elections Commission today voted unanimously to open an investigation into the Madison clerk to determine why the city failed to count 193 absentee ballots on Election Day. Chair Ann Jacobs called the oversight “egregious” and said she initiated the effort to launch an investigation to
TOP STORIES Coalition of 30 groups call for $953M investment for safe drinking water… long with policy changes [repeal REINS Act] and preventive measures … local rental inspection programs to ensure apartments are lead-free, funding for farmers that use practices to reduce nitrate contamination from manure run and phasing out
From WisPolitics … — The state Elections Commission today will consider opening an investigation into the Madison clerk after 193 uncounted absentee ballots were found more than a month after Election Day. In materials prepared for today’s meeting at the direction of Chair Ann Jacobs, the staff proposed the probe