Wisconsin Right Now

  Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced late Sunday the commonwealth will file an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to block the return of more than 1,500 noncitizens to voter rolls. The appeal follows a unanimous panel ruling Sunday from the Fourth Circuit of Appeals rejecting Virginia's request to stop an order from a lower court to reinstate noncitizens removed from voter rolls within 90 days of an election. The latest ruling comes two days after the commonwealth filed an emergency motion to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Friday night to stay a ruling from the district court. Shortly after Friday's ruling, Miyares defended the commonwealth's removal of noncitizens from the voter rolls, claiming the ruling was “politically motivated.” "It should never be illegal to remove an illegal voter," said Miyares. "The Department of Justice pulled this shameful, politically motivated stunt...

Wisconsin saw a 2.1% increase in its general sales and use tax collections in the first quarter of the new fiscal year in numbers released Thursday. The state collected more than $1.32 billion after collecting $1.29 billion during the same period last year. The numbers represent collections from July through September. Overall, the state collected an adjusted amount of $4.15 billion in general purpose revenue during the first quarter, up from $3.97 billion in the first quarter of last fiscal year. Wisconsin collected $21.3 billion last fiscal year, ending in June, after collecting nearly $21 billion the year before. The numbers represent a continuation of a trend of slowed growth in sales tax revenue for the state in the post-COVID timeframe. The state collected $2.73 billion in state sales taxes over the first five months of 2024, a 0.4% increase over the $2.72 billion in the same five months the year before, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum . “The retail sector contr...

  A coalition of state attorneys general sent a letter Monday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas backing Texas in its border battle with the Biden administration. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defied the Biden administration last week, making clear he would continue to put up concertina wire fencing at the southern border to help stop the flow of illegal immigration, which has soared since Biden took office. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the issue last week, saying federal agents could continue to remove the concertina wire, but the ruling did not prohibit Texas from installing the border defenses. Abbott said after the ruling that the federal government had broken its pact with the states for not stopping what more than 50 Texas counties have declared an “invasion.” That court case is the latest touchpoint for the ongoing immigration crisis and frustration of many border states and Republicans who argue Biden is willfully aiding millions of ille...

  A coalition of 19 attorneys general filed a brief with the Colorado Supreme Court arguing an appeal to keep former President Donald Trump off the primary ballot can’t be decided by the courts. The 41-page brief , led by Republican Attorneys General Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia and Theodore Rokita of Indiana, argues Congress should decide any alleged violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The brief states the “courts have no business second guessing Congress’s decisions to enforce – or not enforce—the Clause,” referring to the insurrection clause in the amendment. “The Fourteenth Amendment entrusts Insurrection Clause questions to Congress—not state officials or state courts,” the brief states. “The Amendment vests Congress with ‘power to enforce’ the Insurrection Clause ‘by appropriate legislation’ and power to ‘remove [the] disability’ it imposes.” The brief was filed on the same day as a brief by three Republican secretaries of state arguing t...

Fond du Lac County D.A. and AG candidate Eric Toney said on Wednesday during a press conference that the top law enforcer in Wisconsin must enforce the state’s laws. Wisconsin’s attorney general says he wouldn’t enforce Wisconsin’s abortion laws if Roe v. Wade is overturned . Attorney General Josh Kaul on Tuesday said he would not use his office to prosecute doctors if abortion is made illegal in the state. “As long as I am AG, the [state’s Department of Justice] will not be using its resources to investigate or prosecute alleged violations of the 170-plus-year-old abortion ban on the books," Kaul said in an interview. Wisconsin is one of several states that would automatically outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe. Kaul said it would be up to local prosecutors to make any decisions about cases. "I believe that our investigative and prosecutorial resources in Wisconsin should investigate and prosecute things like violent crime and drug trafficking...

Wisconsin’s attorney general said his investigation into clergy sex abuse across the state has resulted in 1,000 calls to his tipline, 204 reports, and one criminal case. But there are some questions the AG is not answering. Kaul launched his investigation into the Catholic Church in Wisconsin one year ago. On Tuesday, he provided an update on his progress. “As of April 18, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Clergy and Faith Leader Initiative has received a total of 204 completed reports to the toll-free tip line and the online reporting tool accusing more than 150 individuals of abuse. Over 1,000 calls have been made to or from the tip line, including repeat calls from survivors who remember additional information or are looking for follow-up information,” Kaul said in a statement. Kaul said his office also received what he calls a “significant number of reports from those who had not previously reported to anyone.” But he is not saying just how many reports are included in t...

"Attorney General Garland is weaponizing the DOJ by using the FBI to pursue concerned parents and silence them through intimidation,” - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis A new FBI focus on parents accused of harassing school officials around the country over curriculum and COVID-19 policies is being criticized by Republican lawmakers as government overreach by targeting outspoken parents and an attempt to curb speech rights. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday night that he has directed the FBI to look into parents who have protested at local school board meetings around the country, calling it a "disturbing trend." Garland said in his memorandum that the debates have led to threats of violence against school officials. Debates over critical race theory, COVID-19 mandates, transgender policies, and other issues have embroiled many local districts in controversy. The tension has led to many raucous school board meetings nationwide. “Now Joe Biden is de...