Wisconsin Right Now

It’s not that Republican lawmakers don’t want to give the University of Wisconsin any more money, one legislator says the problem is the university is reluctant to tell the legislature where the money it currently gets is being spent. Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, was on News Talk 1130 WISN Wednesday, and said the UW System is likely not getting more money until school leaders improve their relationship with the legislature. “It's hard to be confident in institutions that are seeming so reluctant to share simple information with the legislature,” Nedweski said. “I mean, the lack of transparency and accountability shown by the system in the last two decades has resulted in so much distrust between the legislature, the system and the taxpayer.” University President Jay Rothman earlier this week announced plans to ask the legislature for $914 million in the next state budget. Rothman said the UW needs the money to cover the costs of pay raises, to provide wrap-ar...

It’s all over but the official final count in Wisconsin’s race for U.S. Senate. Democrat Mandela Barnes conceded the race Wednesday morning. "Unfortunately, we didn’t get over the finish line this time," Barnes told reporters. "But just because we didn’t get across the finish line that doesn’t mean that it’s over." Barnes added "I've fought the good fight. I've run my race. I've kept the faith." Barnes’ concession came after the last votes were counted in Milwaukee County early Wednesday morning. Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson said while the vote total is not official yet, there are not enough votes for Barnes to snag a last-second victory. "There is no path mathematically for Lt. Gov. Barnes to overcome his 27,374 vote deficit. This race is over," Johnson said Wednesday morning. Johnson went to bed earlier Wednesday telling his supporters the same thing. “This race is over,” he said. Johnson’s victory keeps Wis...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker contended last week that the green energy law he signed in Illinois last year that requires coal-fired power plants in the state to close by 2045 isn’t the culprit. It’s not quite time for rolling blackouts , but an alert issued Tuesday by the Midcontinent Independent System Operators, which serves much of Illinois, could be the first step in preparing for such actions. Midcontinent Independent System Operators ’ “maximum generation alert” was issued for Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m for the market footprint, which also includes Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota, most of Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana and South Dakota, and parts of Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana and Texas. A similar alert was sent Monday for the south region of MISO. The nation is split among several regional energy grids. “The reason for the Event is because of Forced Generation Outages, Above Normal Temps, High Congestion,” the alert notification said Tuesday. The announc...

It’s been two weeks and there’s still no word on who leaked the U.S. Supreme Court draft brief indicating that the court was set to overturn Roe V. Wade and returning the issue of abortion back to the states. At a recent event in Dallas, Texas, hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, the Hoover Institution, and the Manhattan Institute, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke about the leak and his concern for the rule of law and credibility of the court. A roughly 8-minute clip of his talk was published by C-SPAN, in which he said, “I think we are in danger of destroying the institutions that are required for a free society. You can’t have a civil society, a free society without a stable legal system. https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1525497678263635972 “You can’t have one without stability in things like property or interpretation and impartial judiciary. I’ve been in this business long enough to know just how fragile it is.” Prior to the draft opinion being leake...

Wisconsin’s Republican Party said Republicans flipped the county board in Kenosha as well. It’s being seen as one of the biggest upsets in Wisconsin and possibly a bellwether for the rest of the state. Voters in Kenosha County on Tuesday elected their first-ever Republican County chairman in the first local election since the 2020 riots that burned parts of the city of Kenosha to the ground. Samantha Kerkman beat Clerk of Courts Rebecca Matoska-Mentink by nearly 800 votes. [caption id="attachment_79519" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Samantha Kerkman[/caption] “Liberals and Tony Evers let Kenosha burn,” Republican candidate for governor Rebecca Kleefisch said on Twitter Tuesday night. “Now voters are taking back control and putting the county in a capable set of hands.” Wisconsin’s Republican Party said Republicans flipped the county board in Kenosha as well. “Like all Wisconsinites, residents of Kenosha are fed up with the failed polic...

It’s the latest snapshot of just how many parents in Wisconsin want to explore educational options for their kids. Tuesday was the first day for parents to enroll in the state’s Private School Choice Program. By midday, the state’s website crashed because of a flood of applications. “Due to high volume, the system is temporarily unavailable,” read a note at the Department of Public Instruction’s website. Jim Bender with School Choice Wisconsin is not surprised. “We know from talking to schools that interest in the program is very high. Many new parents are seeking options,” Bender said. Bender said it won't be known just how many more parents will opt their kids out of traditional public schools until the fall. But the trend is that more parents will make a choice. Enrollment figures from last year showed more students enrolled in Wisconsin’s four school choice programs. Wisconsin Private School Choice Enrollment While Tuesday brought a flood of parents to Wi...

“For decades, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been putting-up burdensome and unnecessary regulations that get in the way of enjoying the great outdoors,” - Rep. Calvin Callahan It’s now the Wisconsin Assembly’s turn to consider what to do with the staggering 55,000 regulations for hunting and trapping in the state. The Assembly’s Committee on Sporting Heritage on Wednesday held a hearing on AB 676 , which would require the state’s Department of Natural Resources to toss three regulations for every new rule it puts into place. “For decades, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been putting-up burdensome and unnecessary regulations that get in the way of enjoying the great outdoors,” Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk, told lawmakers. “As Wisconsinites we understand the need to conserve our resources, however, over-regulation is not the way to do it.” Callahan wrote the proposal. He says the DNR should be making it easier for people to get outside and...