Wisconsin Right Now

The Milwaukee Public Museum is $92 million short of its $240 million funding goal for a new museum, even after receiving a large donation that they announced today. The construction of the museum is scheduled to begin in December, according to their website. In a press release on Sept. 27, MPM announced that The Kellogg Family Foundation has provided a $10 million gift, bringing the total project funding to $148 million; however, that is $92 million short of the project funding goal of $240 million. That means the museum has raised only $63 million in private donations, compared to $85 million from government/taxpayers. They were trying to get $5 from the federal government, but their website does not reflect receiving it. In a county committee meeting where they made their case for public funding, museum officials were asked what they planned to do if they fell short in private donations. Their solution? Borrowing. Yet we are told it's a lot tougher to raise private don...

Two Glendale Police Department officers have been awarded the Carnegie Medal, North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism. Officers Robert Wilson and Andrew Reischl were recently honored by the Carnegie Hero Fund for their actions on April 10, 2022, when they entered the dangerously cold Milwaukee River to rescue an unresponsive driver, 46, of an SUV that had entered the river and submerged in water 9 feet deep. WRN first reported the story here . https://youtu.be/ovVtk4TLK9Q   The Carnegie Hero Fund The Carnegie Hero Fund awards the Carnegie Medal to individuals in the United States and Canada who risk death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others. According to the Carnegie Hero Fund website , "Two Glendale (Wisconsin) police officers entered the dangerously cold Milwaukee River on April 10, 2022, to rescue an unresponsive driver, 46, of an SUV that had entered the river and submerged in water 9...

A group of 20 attorneys general want the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule a lower court's restrictions on local governments enforcing homeless camping bans. In their petition regarding Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, the attorneys general wrote that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong to prohibit state and local governments from enforcing laws that bar public spaces from being used as homeless encampments. “The Constitution nowhere strips States of the power to regulate use of public spaces,” the attorneys general wrote. “It empowers States and guarantees an inviolable sovereignty meant to address local issues like homelessness.” Meanwhile, the attorneys general said the 9th Circuit “relied on this Court’s ‘evolving standards of decency’ jurisprudence,” something they said “lacks textual, historical, or structural support.” “The Court should put that troublesome jurisprudence to bed once and for all,” they added. In 2018, the 9th Circuit ruled that the Eighth Amend...

The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy announced this morning that Tucker Carlson will be the special guest at the Institute’s November 8th fundraiser in Brookfield. “We are incredibly excited to bring the biggest name in the media today and one of the leaders of the conservative movement, Tucker Carlson, to Wisconsin,” said MacIver Board Chair Steve Fettig. “Wisconsin continues to be at the center of the fight over the fundamental direction of our country,” continued Fettig. “Will we as a country pursue a future grounded in liberty and opportunity for all or will we allow the government to control every aspect of our lives and smother our freedom? Tucker Carlson coming to Wisconsin just a year before the 2024 election shows the importance of the Badger State in this national debate and what a vital role the MacIver Institute plays in that debate.” The MacIver Institute’s fall fundraiser will take place on Wednesday, November 8th at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Sharo...

Online commerce giant Amazon said Tuesday that a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission could lead to higher prices and slower deliveries for customers. The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Amazon.com Inc. alleging the company uses "anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power." Amazon said the FTC was misusing its authority and that the agency failed to understand the retail marketplace. "Today’s suit makes clear the FTC’s focus has radically departed from its mission of protecting consumers and competition," David Zapolsky, senior vice president of Global Public Policy and general counsel for Amazon, said in a statement. "The practices the FTC is challenging have helped to spur competition and innovation across the retail industry, and have produced greater selection, lower prices, and faster delivery speeds for Amazon customers and greater opportunity for the...

  New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday joined a chorus of calls from top Democrats for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was indicted last week on bribery and corruption charges. In a statement, Booker called the allegations against Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife Nadine "shocking" and "disturbing" and said stepping down "is best" for Menendez's constituents. "The details of the allegations against Senator Menendez are of such a nature that the faith and trust of New Jerseyans as well as those he must work with in order to be effective have been shaken to the core," Booker said in a statement. "Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair," he added. "But I believe this is a mistake." On Friday, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a 39-page indictment accusing Menendez and his wife of accept...

Milwaukee Police are attempting to identify and locate the suspect and vehicle wanted in connection to a fatal hit and run that occurred on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at approximately 1:55 a.m., on the 2100 block of W. Canal St. The suspect vehicle is described as an unknown 2018-2020 white SUV, possibly a Kia Sportage. The suspect vehicle struck a pedestrian that was crossing the street. The unknown driver fled the scene in the vehicle. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414)224-Tips / or P3 Tips App.   https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/fatal-hit-run-suspect/?feed_id=1464&_unique_id=6513329870dd4

The liberal-controlled Supreme Court and Democratic Party want to “draw the most political maps in the history of the State of Wisconsin,” former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch warned a gathering of grassroots conservatives in Wausau on Saturday. The liberals on the state's highest court are poised to go after the “great legislators” who form the Republican majority, Kleefisch said. The core of Rebecca Kleefisch’s message Saturday was encouraging more conservatives to get involved in local government, especially if the legislative maps are, in fact, redrawn to favor liberals. “We lost the governor’s race, and then we lost the state Supreme Court race. Where do you go as a conservative? You go to local government,” she said. “You can either cry your tears in your Wisconsin beer or do something about it. The only place to get a remedy to what is ailing your government is you.” “If not you, who? If not now, when?” she told the audience. “Your house is on fire. One day, your kids a...

  A national government watchdog filed a complaint based on the group of former Wisconsin Supreme Court justices who are offering the state's assembly speaker advice on impeachment. American Oversight, which says it’s a nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog, filed a complaint with Dane County's district attorney, asking him to void any action that comes from the panel. The group says Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is breaking the state’s open meetings rules by asking the former justices for their advice on how to possibly move forward with an impeachment of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. “Speaker Vos has convened a secret panel to quickly craft recommendations for the potential impeachment of a newly elected state supreme court justice – a fundamentally anti-democratic action that is of great public importance and interest. His efforts to shroud the work and the identities of the panelists in secrecy violates Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law as well as the state’s strong a...

  Wolf hunters in Wisconsin say the state needs a population number, not for hunters and trappers but to help manage the health of the state’s wolf packs. Luke Hilgemann, executive director of the International Order of T Roosevelt told state lawmakers the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is making an error by leaving a wolf population goal vague. “Scientific research has shown that setting a numeric population goal for wolves can help ensure their survival while also addressing concerns about their impact on livestock and game species,” Hilgemann said. As opposed to a specific wolf number, the DNR is considering wolf population ranges . The population range proposal sets a goal of between 800 and 999 wolves in the state. If wolf numbers fall below 800, DNR says more protections may be needed. If the wolf numbers top 1,000, the DNR said hunting and trapping could be considered. If Wisconsin’s wolf population tops 1,200, the state would order a hunting and tra...

  The Department of Homeland Security has sparked controversy by adding to its Intelligence Board multiple members who signed on to the now-debunked 2020 letter saying the Hunter Biden laptop story was “Russian disinformation.” Now, House Republicans want answers, saying the new additions bring into question the federal group’s credibility and impartiality. “Your decision to appoint members to this group who have demonstrated political bias suggests misplaced priorities,” the letter said. House Committee on Homeland Security Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., and August Pfluger, R-Texas, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, sent the letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the appointees. The appointments in question include former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan, and former Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice Tashi...

EXCLUSIVE: Milwaukee Misses Out On $15 Million Federal Grant Because Police Department Didn't Submit Application On Time By Mark Belling, WISN-AM [Permission granted to reprint from Belling.com .] Top aides to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson admit "an unacceptable screw-up" led to the city missing out on a $15 million federal grant to increase funding for the police department. The city's application for funds under the federal COPS Act was rejected because a grant administrator for the Milwaukee Police Department didn't submit the application on time. Nick DeSiato, chief of staff to Mayor Johnson, and Jeff Fleming, the mayor's spokesman, both acknowledge the error was an unacceptable mistake. They are not naming the civilian police employee because he is now the subject of a disciplinary procedure. Fleming and DeSiato tell me the grant application was submitted two hours before the deadline this summer but the application had technical errors an...

Franklin Mayor John Nelson has scheduled an emergency meeting with representatives of the Rock and Franklin’s District 6 alderman regarding noise complaints. He wrote in a press release that he wants to find a “harmonious and equitable resolution” with the “cooperation of all involved parties” for the “benefit of Franklin’s residents and businesses.” The move comes just days after Wisconsin Right Now traveled to the area to report on neighbors’ long-standing noise complaints. County Supervisors Patti Logsdon, Deanna Alexander, and Kathleen Vincent then indicated at a county board meeting that they want to explore taking legal action against the sports and entertainment complex and/or rescinding its development agreement with the county. WISN 1130 talk show host Dan O’Donnell and local television stations followed with reports of their own. A county-funded sound study revealed a host of issues, saying the Rock's sound monitors were not all operable, and a speaker was direc...

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is slamming U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, saying the Democrat has "no record of accomplishment" even though she's spent more than 20 years in Washington D.C. Clarke stopped short of announcing a campaign against Baldwin, instead saying, "There's a lot of speculation going on at this point in time about my potential running for United States Senate." https://twitter.com/jtoscano22/status/1704277033277345800 The former sheriff, speaking in front of a thin blue line flag, called a Senate run a "huge leap, a big step. There's a lot to go through." But he sounded like a candidate. "Senator Tammy Baldwin, the incumbent, has been in Washington D.C. She's a lifer; she's a career politician. She's been there for over 20 years, and she has no record of accomplishment. I think Wisconsin can do better than that." Baldwin has been a U.S. Senator since 2013. From 1999-2013, she ...

Our plan spends less money than Gov. Tony Evers and legislative Republicans but still meets the Brewers' maintenance request needs. The Republicans' more than $700 million plan to maintain and renovate the Milwaukee Brewers' stadium should be a no-go. Gov. Tony Evers' plan is also a non-starter. We are proposing an alternative plan that meets the Brewers' maintenance needs, spends less, and reduces the pain on the state, City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County taxpayers. This is all backwards. You'd expect Democrats and a Democratic governor to oppose handing millions of dollars to a rich company owner, yet here we are. You'd expect Republicans to propose spending LESS overall than Democrats, yet here we are. That being said, there are elements of the Republicans' plan that we really like, such as the "jock tax" concept. We retain them. We would note that the Brewers asked for $428 million in a December 2022 consultant study (VSG) on...

Right to Work supporters aren't worried about its future in Wisconsin, yet. Workers at Spartek in Sparta recently removed their union, the United Electrical Workers Local 1161, after a three-year wait according to National Right to Work Foundation Vice President Patrick Semmens. “To begin with, Spartek employee Carl Berg and his coworkers were trapped under a union-imposed ‘contract bar’ for roughly three years, during which they weren’t allowed to decertify the union. When Berg was finally able to submit the petition asking the NLRB for a decertification vote, it already contained signatures from the majority of his colleagues,” Semmens said. “That’s likely why the UE union disclaimed interest before a vote could even be scheduled: Union officials saw the support for the decertification vote and decided to disclaim interest in the unit as opposed to facing an embarrassing loss at the ballot box.” Wisconsin lawmakers approved Right to Work in 2015, though it's never bee...

  The U.S. gross national debt surpassed $33 trillion, a troubling benchmark as lawmakers show little interest in reining in spending, let alone a balanced budget. The milestone comes as Congress faces a deadline of Sept. 30 to pass another spending measure or face a federal government shutdown. “$1 trillion more debt… SINCE JUNE!” Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., wrote on social media. “Now $33 trillion. Your family’s share is over $260,000. The swamp’s answer: let’s do another CR.” The current deficits mean that debt will only continue to grow. Earlier this month, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office published its estimate of the deficit 11 months into the fiscal year which reported that the U.S. deficit hit about $1.5 trillion. At the same point last year, the deficit was under one trillion dollars. That debt has several economic consequences, including elevated inflation and taxpayers shelling out billions just for interest payments on the debt. As The Center Square previou...

  The Republican-led House Oversight Committee announced its first impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden is scheduled for Sept. 28, next Thursday. The impeachment inquiry committee will have the power to subpoena records and communications to dig up evidence and will likely be a thorn in Biden’s side heading into the 2024 election year. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last week directed three House Committees to lead the inquiry, pointing to evidence that the president's son, Hunter Biden, and his associates allegedly received millions of dollars from foreign entities and that the president knew about it. Biden’s supporters immediately pushed back, arguing there was no evidence for the inquiry. McCarthy responded, saying the inquiry is to find the facts and that there is plenty of evidence. He pointed to about 150 U.S. Treasury Department suspicious activities reports filed by the agency around Hunter Biden’s dealings as well as bank records and testimony f...

  Milwaukee Brewers President Rick Schlesinger understands $600 million is a lot of money. He also understands American Family Field is running out of money, quickly. Schlesinger didn’t downplay the cost to taxpayers after Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol introduced a plan to spend $600 million over the next 25-plus years to maintain and upgrade the Brewers’ ballpark. “It is a lot of money,” Schlesinger told The Center Square. “Unfortunately, it is not inexpensive to keep a ballpark of this size and this stature in the condition it needs to be through the next generation.” The latest ballpark funding plan would have $400 million coming from the state, another $200 million coming from Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, and $100 million from the Brewers. Rick Schlesinger was clear, however, that none of that money is going to the team or its owner Mark Atanasio. “The money is not going to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club. It is going from one or more governmental en...

The Rock's developer refused to make a "good faith" effort to meet community benefits requirements and goals that were outlined in the 2018 development agreement between Milwaukee County and the developer, documents obtained by Wisconsin Right Now show. However, the development agreement doesn't have much teeth, so all the county could do was make the Rock forfeit $10,000 and ban the developer from working on county projects for three years, the documents reveal. In August 2023, an update to a 2021 Milwaukee County audit revealed that the “developer has submitted letter to the county demonstrating their intent to provide no further community benefits reporting and has agreed to forfeit their $10,000 deposit and forgo doing business with Milwaukee County for three years.” The community benefits angle comes as several county supervisors said in a committee meeting last week that they want Milwaukee County to consider legal action against the Rock because of lon...

Mike Zimmerman, the developer of the Rock sports and entertainment complex in Franklin, is blaming "emotional" Milwaukee County Supervisors for "legal threats" relating to noise concerns and warned that any legal action against his facility "would be very expensive for them and taxpayers." The supervisors who made the comments are Patti Logsdon, Deanna Alexander, and Kathleen Vincent. We asked Zimmerman for comment after several Milwaukee County Supervisors said they want to write resolutions urging legal action against the Rock and/or consider rescinding the Rock's development agreement because they say long-standing noise problems have not been addressed for years. People who live in the residential neighborhoods around the Rock told County supervisors and Wisconsin Right Now that the noise from the Rock is destroying their quality of life. A new sound study found a host of concerns, accusing the Rock of having inoperable sound monitors an...

The Biden impeachment inquiry is highly justified, no matter what mantra the Dems are all parroting. He ought to be tried for high treason too, if the allegations are substantiated (as that’s what would have happened in the ‘old days’ when a public official accepts money from a foreign power or official. I believe the most famous traitor before Biden came along was Benedict Arnold.) But, I am not in favor of removing him from office. Yes, use the evidence they find - in the election, but don’t actually vote to remove him from office. Why? One word; VP Harris. She’d be even worse than Biden as president, and she could then be in office for up to 8 years. The Janet Protasiewicz impeachment, on the other hand, is a different story. Yes, definitely, impeach, but not just for the reasons of Justice Janet speaking out on the maps. Impeach her and the other two liberal justices for their alleged criminal activity and violating the constitution in the firing of the court’s administrator ...

I live in Waukesha County for a reason. It’s generally a safe community, and I always had the impression that Waukesha County is a place that protects people. Unfortunately, that belief was shaken on Thursday as I watched a Waukesha County judge, Bill Domina, a Jim Doyle appointee, give a slap on the wrist to William Bednarz, a violent felon with a battery and DV history who had attacked a woman. The courageous victim, who is a friend of mine, asked for prison, describing to the judge how William Bednarz’s eyes “turned black” and how he became “unhinged in a matter of seconds” and violent, sending her to the hospital. He was charged with felony stalking, felony substantial battery – intend bodily harm, three disorderly conduct misdemeanors and misdemeanor battery. The DA pleaded it down, tossing the stalking and two DC offenses but having them read-in at sentencing. This wasn't a terrible deal for the victim or state; it was better than forcing her to testify in a trial. But ...