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Dave Zweifel: Legislative idleness is the devil’s workshop
All too many of these full-timers have nothing better to do than dream up schemes to fuel the flames of discord.

Colin Gillis: UW Health Nurses determined to win seat at bargaining table. People want unions.
The laws meant to give workers the freedom to organize together are not working. Corporate lobbyists have used their money and influence to weaken our rights.

Mike McCabe: The beginning is near
If history is any kind of guide, this moment—with its eerily similar injuries and usurpations and disgruntled youth drained of national loyalty by rulers deaf to the voice of justice—does not signal an end fast approaching but rather a new beginning about to commence.

Scott Walker: Boyhood trip to Washington instilled love of country
Forty years ago this week, I made my first trip to Washington.

Rob Gundermann: Proposed legislation doesn’t fix drug price problem
A federal proposal, the Most Favored Nation pricing model, threatens to destabilize our health care system and stall innovation.

Jordan Karweik: Credit card proposal would hurt small businesses, consumers
The Durbin-Marshall credit card mandate would force banks to offer alternative payments on credit cards. This change would allow big-box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot to pick and choose which network to use when processing transactions, while small businesses would be stuck dealing with the consequences.

James Causey: Clear the way, old folks: Sports youth rage raises age-old questions
As pro sports draft picks get younger, an important question remains: can an 18-year-old’s physical skills match their emotional and mental maturity?

Bill Barth: Free speech wins from the pulpits
In a move that thrilled some and angered others, the IRS recently announced it will no longer hang a threat over the heads of faith leaders and churches for engaging in political advocacy. The net result is that pastors and church leaders can step up to the pulpit and politically pontificate as they wish.

Gregory Humphrey: Madison LakeWay Project still grand idea despite last-minute naysayers
At the last hour, an all-too-often-used playbook by naysayers was brought out to stymie a project that the city has long studied and which has broad public support.

Emily Grandy: A small Whitefish Bay wetland provides recreation and benefits worth preserving
Of the 80-plus species of plants and animals documented using the Cahill Park cattail marsh, several include rare wetland-dependent birds.

Tom Still: Unusual close on Wisconsin budget debate may lead to wins for all
Evers and Democrats got much of what they asked and legislative Republicans scored some victories, as well. With a little outside prodding, what emerged from the Capitol is a budget that should serve Wisconsin well.

Ron Tusler: Governor caught playing politics with Brillion residents’ lives & livelihood
At 1:30 a.m., while most of Wisconsin was asleep, Governor Evers quietly vetoed a project that would’ve protected Brillion families from devastating floods. It wasn’t about policy, it was about politics. … The backlash from Brillion residents and the local press forced his hand. Now, his administration is scrambling to rewrite the story, pretending they supported the project all along. But we have the receipts.

Kathleen Gallagher: Wisconsin must seize the moment with fusion energy as power demand soars
Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region are well-positioned to shape a new, emerging fusion energy industry. It’s a rare chance — like the birth of Silicon Valley — to create an industry with potential for massive growth.

Bill Barth: Conspiracy theories thrive on this stuff
Trust is everything. Rebuilding it is a sacred duty. So it is stunning to see the allegations aimed at former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl.

Mario Koran: Past pay raises just a “Band-Aid” on Wisconsin prison staffing problems
Following initial progress, staffing vacancies are again rising in Wisconsin prisons. Improving training, safety and workplace culture would help retain officers, some say.

Neil Heinen: One City is a model of best practices in education
One City Schools embrace innovation and are a model of best practices in education from around the world. Yes, it is obviously a “whatever it takes” approach to ensure kids learn. But the approaches included in the curriculum have proven track records of success.

Mark Belling: With birth rates crashing, school districts are overbuilt. Deal with it.
The debate in Waukesha will occur everywhere.

Dave Zweifel: Big bill only a piece of Trump’s assault on the public
While all the public’s attention has been focused on the congressional machinations over the budget, with a few brief distractions like bunker-buster bombs being dropped on Iran, the administration is busy quietly dismantling programs that had positioned America for the future.

Bruce Murphy: Trouble at Milwaukee Art Museum?
Amid financial problems, staff layoffs, board leadership questioned.

Steven Walters: A tale of two spending plans
Leaders in Madison and Washington diverge on tax policy, Medicaid, partisanship.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ discuss the next steps in Wisconsin’s budget process
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, look at the budget-making process in Wisconsin as legislators remake Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for June 13
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss Joint Finance Committee Republicans approving tax cut and education funding plans for the state budget, a lawsuit filed against Elon Musk over paying people to sign petitions, this weekend’s state Dem Party convention and more.