Wisconsin Right Now

A Dane County Circuit court ruled against former Independent party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., siding with the Wisconsin Election Commission’s decision to keep Kennedy’s name on the state’s ballot this November, despite his withdrawal from the race and request for removal. Kennedy’s lawsuit argued that, absent a compelling reason, the state’s different treatment for third party candidates violates the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment. It claimed the different deadlines for ballot withdrawal for major party candidates versus third-party candidates – Sept. 3 for the former and Aug. 6 for the latter – are unlawfully discriminatory. Judge Stephen E. Ehlke disagreed, saying Kennedy’s request was essentially that the WEC ignore Wisconsin election law, which only allows a certified candidate to exit the ballot in case of death. “Courts are required to apply the law as written, not as some party wishes it were written,” Ehlke said. “Under the statute, t...

  A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court court struck down California’s ban on concealed carry permit users bringing their guns to many places outside the home, following an earlier federal district court’s injunction in December against the ban, then another 9th Circuit judge’s overturning of the injunction. 2023 bill SB 2 took effect on January 1 and banned concealed carry permit holders from bringing their certified firearms to most public places — even privately-owned commercial establishments open to the public unless its operator “clearly and conspicuously posts a sign” indicating license holders may carry their firearms on the property. California concealed carry applicants undergo thorough background checks that include interviews, fingerprinting, reviews through multiple government databases, and pass a state-certified full-day handgun training program designed for concealed carry permit holders. “Extremist judges have overturned CA's gun law and are insisting that...

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday temporarily halted the Biden administration's vaccine mandate on private sector businesses with 100 employers or more, citing "grave" constitutional issues. Ruling on lawsuits filed by Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as a Louisiana businessman seeking to prevent the private sector vaccine mandate from taking effect, the appeals court issued a stay over constitutional questions. "Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by the court," the ruling reads. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) this week released details of the private sector vaccine mandate, which until Saturday's ruling required private employers with 100 or more workers to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing. The mandate, which could affect an estimated 10...