Wisconsin Right Now

Voters across Wisconsin said yes to a lot of things on their ballots Tuesday. Both of the state’s proposed constitutional amendments to keep outside money out of election operations passed, and a quarter-billion-dollar tax increase for Milwaukee Public Schools also likely gained approval. The first amendment, which bans so-called “Zuckerbucks,” passed with about 54% of the vote. The second question, which bans outside election workers from working in Wisconsin, passed with about 58% of the vote. Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, said Wisconsin voters made it clear that they want to keep out-of-state billionaires out of their elections. “Whether there is actual election tampering or not, an impression of an injustice is as detrimental to society as an actual injustice. People need policies and procedures that instill confidence in the vote result, even if they don’t like the result. These amendments help create that confidence,” Wimberger said in a statement. The amendments ...

Children in schools across the country are a step closer to finding chocolate milk in their school lunchrooms. Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany says his chocolate milk protection plan cleared the House. The plan, which would stop the Biden administration from banning chocolate milk in schools, is part of House Resolution 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023. The ban on flavored milk for school children out of a concern for too much sugar was proposed in February. Tiffany said getting rid of chocolate milk would likely lead to fewer youngsters drinking milk. Tiffany cited the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in saying removing flavored milk from schools would result in a 62% to 63% reduction in milk consumption by kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, and a 50% reduction in sixth through eighth grades. His chocolate milk protection plan would also protect strawberry milk. “Some may ask why we are focusing on this issue," Tiffany said. ...

  School districts across the country are spending federal COVID-19 relief money on bonuses to employees saying their employees earned it for their work during the pandemic. The bonuses vary from district to district, ranging $250 to more than $20,000 per employee. Flint Public Schools in Michigan gave each of its teachers a $22,500 bonus in 2021. Tucson School District in Arizona is going to pay $7,500 retention bonuses to all of its full-time employees spread over three payments starting Dec. 2, 2022, through Dec. 1, 2023. Gaston County Schools in North Carolina approved $5,000 in retention bonuses for all of its permanent employees during the 2021 and 2022 school years. District officials cited additional responsibilities employees "have endured" since the pandemic and said the bonuses helped improve the stability of the district's work force. The Los Angeles Unified School District is paying teachers a 3% retention bonus in 2022-23 and 2023-24. That w...

Schools across Wisconsin are getting millions of new dollars to help them afford school lunches during “supply chain challenges.” The state’s Department of Public Instruction this week announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sending Wisconsin $17 million to supplement the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. “School food authorities are facing extraordinary challenges in responding to shortages and price fluctuations, and this funding will immediately help nutrition programs across Wisconsin serve the students who rely on these meals every day,” Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement. Wisconsin School Lunch Money Every eligible school district in the state, as well as eligible private schools, will get a guaranteed base payment of at least $5,000. Many schools will see more money. Brett Healy, president at the MacIver Institute , said it is telling that the Biden Administration is having to spend more money to solve a problem it ...