Wisconsin Right Now

The former Milwaukee election manager who sent three fake military ballots to a state lawmaker back in 2022 is claiming to be a whistleblower, but the lawmaker who got those ballots isn’t sure. Kimberly Zapata’s trial began this week. She’s the former Milwaukee Election Commission supervisor charged with official misconduct after she mailed three military ballots to state Rep. Janel Brandtjen ahead of the 2022 election. Zapata’s lawyers said she is “political whistleblower” who simply wanted to ensure a “fair and secure” election. “I had never met or known Kim Zapata. Her case makes it abundantly clear that the online WISvote system allows anyone, under indefinitely-confined, overseas or military ballots to request and receive a ballot, without security. In addition, the system allows ballot requests with a VPN, meaning the persons who request a ballot may never be known,” Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, told The Center Square. “If Ms. Zapata had wanted to point out a concern in ...

“As it stands, MPS has nearly $19,000 per student. This doesn't even take into account the increases Gov. [Tony] Evers has set the district up for the next 400 years with his partial veto last year.  Milwaukee taxpayers should carefully evaluate whether a district achieving less than 20% proficiency in reading and math should be rewarded with even more funding” -Will Flanders of Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Milwaukee Public Schools are going back to taxpayers for a quarter-billion dollars. The city’s school board voted Thursday night to put a $259 million tax hike request on the April ballot. MPS leaders say they need more money to maintain operations and keep up with rising costs. "We can’t let our public school system fail," MPS Board vice president Jilly Gokalgandhi told the board. "How many years are we supposed to keep getting kicked in the face?" board president Marva Herndon asked. The tax hike request comes after state lawmakers...

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...

  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 latest plan would tax the ballplayers, both from the Brewers and other teams, to pay for about $400 million in repairs. Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is getting criticized in Wisconsin for his reported plans to boost his investment in an English soccer club. The BBC reported that Attanasio is looking to increase his stake in the Norwich City club to 40%. Attanasio bought a 16% stake in the club last year. Attanasio didn’t comment in the BBC piece, or in a follow-up in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His decision to spend more on Norwich City comes as he is asking Wisconsin taxpayers for hundreds of millions of dollars to repair the Brewers’ ballpark, American Family Field. https://twitter.com/meganjnovak/status/1699115214757659120 “And at the same time begging Wisconsin taxpayers to bail him out for lavish stadium upgrades...? Weird,” Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin Director Megan Novak said on social media Tuesday. “Also – the Brewers paid half a million...

Milwaukee Public Schools are now requiring students to apply for college financial aid before they can graduate from high school, but critics say the city’s schools should worry about basic reading and writing before leaders worry about college. MPS made Free Application for Federal Student Aid applications mandatory this month, and Milwaukee leaders celebrated the policy with news conferences this week. "I want every single young person in Milwaukee to be ambitious, to have big dreams," Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. "I want them to take the steps that can lead to success. And filling out the FAFSA is an important part of that." MPS says about 50% of Milwaukee students applied for federal financial aid last year. Only about a third of 2020 graduates enrolled in college. Heather Smith, a policy director at the MacIver Institute told The Center Square that MPS’ numbers are worse than that. “[Newly released] numbers show that in MPS, 84% of students ...

A source tells Wisconsin Right Now that Curtis Schmitt mentioned Evers to authorities after being arrested. Curtis Schmitt, a Tony Evers' appointee, is in the Milwaukee County Jail, records show, and a source tells Wisconsin Right Now he was arrested on an accusation of possessing child pornography. [caption id="attachment_46894" align="alignleft" width="300"] Curtis Schmitt[/caption] Curtis Schmitt was appointed by Evers to the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs in May 2019, according to his LinkedIn page , which says he's the chairman. Our source told Wisconsin Right Now that Schmitt brought his association with Evers up to authorities after his arrest, saying he'd met with the governor recently. The state Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation was involved in the arrest. A page about the governor appointing Schmitt has been removed from the website of the Wisconsin Veteran...

Dennis Kurasz, who is accused of a domestic violence homicide, was on Milwaukee County's electronic monitoring waiting list for a previous domestic violence and felony case involving the same victim, Wisconsin Right Now has exclusively learned. He was released in the pending case on just $250 bail, but the county couldn't come up with a GPS device to better monitor him. We previously wrote about Milwaukee County's waiting list for electronic monitoring bracelets. It's left some violent offenders without tracking devices, endangering the community. A source gave us the information about Dennis Kurasz and the chief judge, Mary Triggiano, confirmed in an email that she believes Kurasz was on the waiting list. "I believe he is/was," she wrote WRN in an email on Dec. 28, 2021. The open case was filed in May 2021 and charged Kurasz with possession of a firearm as a felon, domestic-violence battery and disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments. On M...

It's unprecedented to resurrect a police shooting case in which the officer was repeatedly cleared years ago. Yet that's what Judge Glenn Yamahiro has done despite his ex-wife's close ties to the case. Milwaukee County Judge Glenn Yamahiro, a former public defender, has revealed that he did not want only a "career prosecutor" to review the 2016 Joseph Mensah shooting case that Yamahiro has resurrected despite multiple past reviews that cleared the officer. Instead, he picked two lawyers with strong Democratic ties who have both donated money to liberal candidates. One is a business lawyer. The Mensah Special Prosecutors [caption id="attachment_45518" align="alignleft" width="179"] Scott Hansen[/caption] The Mensah special prosecutors are Scott Hansen , who works primarily in business law for the Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren law firm, and La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke. Gruenke is a Democrat who has donated to...

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes proposed legislation to eliminate cash bail when he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. This comes as Barnes is already under fire for his “defund the police” ties after he called Socialist Squad member Ilhan Omar “brilliant” and celebrated his birthday alongside far-left activists who have compared law enforcement to Nazis and supported rioters. In light of the horrific tragedy in Waukesha, where the alleged attacker was a violent repeat offender released on just $1,000 bail, does Barnes still stand by this dangerous policy proposal that would allow more criminals on the streets and endanger Wisconsin families? Read more from the Washington Free Beacon below: Wisconsin Dem Frontrunner Sponsored Bill To Eliminate Cash Bail Washington Free Beacon Collin Anderson December 6, 2021 The Democratic frontrunner in Wisconsin’s Senate race sponsored a bill that would have ended cash bail and barred courts from...

Gableman has said he’s not looking to overturn the 2020 election. He’s said he simply wants to find out what happened, and whether anything went wrong. The "Wisconsin five" mayors of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha on Wednesday criticized the subpoenas from former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Mike Galbeman. But all said they would testify and produce at least some of the documents he’s requesting. None of the "Wisconsin five" mayors who’ve received subpoenas as part of the investigation into Wisconsin’s 2020 elections have said they will ignore them. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the investigation is “corrosive to our democracy,” but she pledged to testify for Galbeman in two weeks. “Our poll workers and clerk do an incredible job and they should be thanked, not harassed,” Rhodes-Conway said. "We’re very very proud of the work we did here in the city of Milwaukee,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “I am happy to discuss what we di...

Milwaukee Ald. Robert Bauman, whose district covers part of Water Street , wrote a constituent that "it appears no one wants to see strong enforcement" to stop the violence and chaos in the key entertainment district, even though he admitted its "viability" is "at risk." In the messages obtained by Wisconsin Right Now , Bauman blamed Mayor Tom Barrett, saying that Barrett is "calling the shots" and his plan is "not working." Bauman passed the buck and said there are "few options" and his own input was not requested. We asked for a sit-down interview with Barrett about the Water Street violence, but he declined an interview. His spokesman Jeff Fleming gave us this statement instead, "Multiple city departments are adapting their strategies to address unruly crowds downtown and elsewhere in Milwaukee.  Public works, the health department and the police department have coordinated new approaches aimed at maintaining safet...

Milwaukee firefighter Nyles Wray grabbed the hand of a suicidal man who was threatening to jump off a bridge, helping save his life. "The man climbed over the guard rail and lower himself over the side," the Fire Department wrote in a news release. "Firefighter Wray was able to get to him and quickly reach out holding his hand as he let go of the guard rail. Firefighter Wray was quickly assisted by Firefighter Rita Muzia, Heavy Equipment Operator Joshua Ladue and Lieutenant Colin Thomas. Putting their own lives at risk as all of their feet came off the ground, they were able to bring the man over the guard rail to safety and continue providing medical assistance to him until members of the Milwaukee Police Department arrived to assist." Milwaukee Firefighters Save Man The Fire Department released this video. "The Milwaukee Fire Department  strives to provide excellent service to our constituents every time we are called. We know every call is uni...

Milwaukee County Sheriff inmates word change: The term inmates does "not accurately describe who we are, what we do, or reflect the message we wish to convey,” - Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department is now calling "inmates" in the county jail "person in our care" and "occupants," according to an internal memo obtained by Wisconsin Right Now. The August 20, 2021, memo is directive No. 002-21. It’s labeled “Agencywide Changes in Terminology,” and it was signed by Denita R. Ball, chief deputy, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office . It says, “to be read at all roll calls and posted. Members to read and understand.” On the question of inmates, it says, “The phrase ‘inmate’ will be changed to Person in our Care or Occupant except in certain legal or policy contexts.” The change is coming at a time of skyrocketing violent crime in Milwaukee. There used to be a time where the goal of jail and pris...

The Franklin suspect had two pending felony cases while he was goofing around on TikTok, showing off his electronic monitoring bracelet. David Marshall , the suspect in what authorities described as a series of carjackings and a kidnapping that culminated in a Franklin, Wisconsin, police shooting, touted his felon status on TikTok, posting videos showing off his electronic monitoring bracelet and singing to lyrics about murder, Wisconsin Right Now has learned. He didn't have much of a following, accruing only 37 followers and 41 likes for his videos. He also didn't get much accountability from the system throughout his life, and leading up to the crime spree. Marshall, 31, of Milwaukee, who was shot and killed by law enforcement after a chaotic and dangerous crime spree, had two open felony cases with six serious charges between them pending in Milwaukee County court, but he was released after posting $500 bail just days before the Franklin crime spree - despite racking up...

Milwaukee County Sheriff inmates word change: The term inmates does "not accurately describe who we are, what we do, or reflect the message we wish to convey,” - Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department is now calling "inmates" in the county jail "person in our care" and "occupants," according to an internal memo obtained by Wisconsin Right Now. The August 20, 2021, memo is directive No. 002-21. It’s labeled “Agencywide Changes in Terminology,” and it was signed by Denita R. Ball, chief deputy, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office . It says, “to be read at all roll calls and posted. Members to read and understand.” On the question of inmates, it says, “The phrase ‘inmate’ will be changed to Person in our Care or Occupant except in certain legal or policy contexts.” The change is coming at a time of skyrocketing violent crime in Milwaukee. There used to be a time where the goal of jail and pris...