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Vignesh Ramachandran and Dahlia Saba: UW-Madison tramples protesters’ First Amendment rights
Rather than opposing the overwhelmingly popular demands of their students at every turn, only releasing weakly worded statements when they feel the government has gone too far, we call on universities to be accountable to their students and actively fight against state repression.

LaKeshia Myers: The Shedeur Sanders controversy: Exposing the NFL’s plantation mindset
As we watch Shedeur Sanders navigate this system, we must recognize that the criticisms of his demeanor aren’t about football – they’re about power. They’re about maintaining a structure where Black excellence must be packaged in a way that doesn’t threaten white comfort.

David Blaska: Fantasizing Gov. Tony Evers’ arrest is a sign our democracy is ailing
MAGA minions are ululating over the prospect of the Democrat(ic) governor doing the perp walk. If they can’t defeat ‘em at the ballot box, put ‘em in handcuffs! Easier than winning minds and hearts.

Lucy Ripp: 100 days in, here’s how Trump has harmed state communities — and what we can do about it
We must continue making our voices heard through forums like public hearings, town halls, protests, and letters to the editor, and holding our Wisconsin elected officials accountable, demanding they put Wisconsinites first.

Brian Reisinger: Trump must negotiate trade deals that will put America’s family farms first
The only way forward is targeted trade deals that put family farms — and our domestic food supply — first.

Richard Moore: The mantra of due process
While progressives run around yelling for due process for criminal immigrants and cartoonish judges, there are less glamorous though far more serious issues of due process being contested every day in the United States.

John Nichols: Trump’s assault on PBS and NPR chooses oligarchy over press freedom and democracy
As the supporters of speaking truth to power celebrate World Press Freedom Day, Trump seeks to defund public media in the United States.

Dave Cieslewicz: Local public media will pay the price for the sins of NPR
What I’d like to see preserved is the public money that goes to the local stations. They provide valuable local news coverage and local cultural programming. Yes, they’ve followed NPR and PBS in going left, but it’s not nearly as extreme.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ discuss issues found in audit of Universities of Wisconsin DEI programs
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, take up a recent audit of Universities of Wisconsin diversity, equity and inclusion programs that found a failure to track spending on the initiatives, among other problems. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Margaret Arney: Judges must be free to exercise their duties independently
Judge Hannah Dugan’s recent arrest by the FBI raises troubling questions about the motivations behind it and the chilling effect it could have on all judges who aim to uphold the ideals of liberty and justice for all.

Scott Walker: Rogue judges are not above the law
Wisconsin Supreme Court removed the argument that Judge Hannah Dugan was some kind of hero.

Dan Knodl: Governor Evers and Supreme Court play as legislators
A healthy democracy relies on process, balance, and respect for the distinct roles each branch of government plays.

Paul Fanlund: Numbers suggest Madison is failing its Black residents
Black people in the city have a shorter average life expectancy than the national average — 72.6 years versus 74.9 years nationally. That is according to the “Black Progress Index,” a sophisticated Brookings database available online.

Tony Wied: Bipartisan bill helps fix gap in obstetrics care for women in rural areas
Equipping more rural healthcare facilities to provide labor and delivery services means shorter travel times and reduced risks for both mothers and their babies.

Wyatt Eichholz: Milwaukee rents in national spotlight; rent caps not the solution
Economic theory and history show they instead limit supply and raise costs.

Ryan M. Billings: Checks and balances: Embracing our patriotic skepticism
On Law Day, I ask everyone to reflect on the genius of our careful separation of powers and critical checks and balances.

Corrine Hendrickson: Wisconsin’s budget decision: Child care community or continued chaos?
Once more, Gov. Evers has requested investment for child care in the state budget. Will the third time be the charm? Or will Republicans again block it in the legislature?

Bill Barth: Why has talking become unusual?
Sometimes the solution to a problem presents itself through the absurdity of the alternative.

Rick Esenberg and Dan Lennington: Judge Dugan was wrong. Don’t use the courthouse to protest Trump’s policies.
It is regrettable that a sitting judge had to be arrested. If she does not face consequences, it will embolden others and further undermine the rule of law.

Ruth Conniff: ‘Lock her up!’: Trump is determined to arrest democracy and the women who defend it
The least the most timid among us can do is insist that the federal government follow the law before caving in. That’s what Dugan did, when she asked if the agents who came to her courtroom to arrest Flores-Ruiz had a judicial warrant. They did not. Nor do they have proof that Dugan herself broke any laws.

WisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ preview the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
The WisOpinion Insiders, Chvala and Jensen, preview the April 1 election for Wisconsin Supreme Court between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Rewind: Your Week in Review for March 21
On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and CBS 58’s Emilee Fannon discuss record spending in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, a surge in early voting ahead of the April 1 election, the latest action in the state Legislature, a joint forum with candidates for state schools superintendent and more.