Wisconsin Right Now

  Lawmakers plan to interrogate the head of Eco Health Alliance, the group accused of conducting dangerous coronavirus research in Wuhan, China just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will hold a public hearing May 1 where Dr. Peter Daszak is expected to testify. Daszak is the president of Eco Health Alliance, a U.S. nonprofit health research company that used taxpayer-funded grants to conduct coronavirus research. The lawmakers on the committee also allege that newly obtained documents show Daszak’s previous testimony misled the committee or misrepresented the facts. “These revelations undermine your credibility as well as every factual assertion you made during your transcribed interview,” the letter said. “The Committees have a right and an obligation to protect the integrity of their investigations, including the accuracy of testimony during a transcribed interview. We invite you to correct the record.” One of those obt...

Wisconsin Republicans are pushing a plan to let voters weigh in on the state’s abortion law. A group of lawmakers introduced a plan they hope will put a 14-week abortion ban on the spring ballot. “While I am personally pro-life, I know not everyone is,” Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, said, “It’s time we let the people of Wisconsin decide our laws regarding abortion and not leave it up to the whims of a judge.” Wisconsin currently allows abortions until 20 weeks of pregnancy. Kitchens said that a 14-week ban would still allow for most abortions. “ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 93% of abortions in the United States occur in the first trimester. However, many Democrats support abortion up to birth. Rep. Kitchens says that extreme position isn’t shared by most voters,” Kitchens said. In order to get the 14-week ban on the ballot, Republican lawmakers would have to approve it in both the State Assembly and State Senate. Gov. Tony Evers woul...

There is a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol to create a new statewide Office of Violence Prevention. Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, wants to set up the new office in the state’s Department of Health Services. “Violence is a public health issue, one that has haunted our communities for years with senseless tragedy. Too frequently, the lives of our neighbors are claimed or permanently altered by a preventable act of violence. In order to create and sustain safe communities where all can grow and thrive, we must stop interpersonal violence at its source,” Stubbs said in a statement. The Republican-controlled legislature has tried to address the spike in violence in Wisconsin by adding new punishments for reckless driving and some gun charges. Many of those plans, however, have been vetoed by Gov. Evers. Milwaukee and Madison are both seeing increases in crime, including violent crime. Milwaukee set records for homicides in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Police in Madison say crime stats are ...

The plan would essentially make Wisconsin’s COVID-era telehealth program permanent. The plan to change Wisconsin’s telehealth rules for mental health treatment is coming together at the State Capitol. The Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families held a hearing Tuesday on Senate Bill 515 which would allow out-of-state mental health providers to take patients in Wisconsin without having to get a license to practice in Wisconsin. “Overall, this breaks down barriers. It allows other providers to provide other services. And it allows people to get the help that they need,” Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, said. The plan would essentially make Wisconsin’s COVID-era telehealth program permanent. Supporters say it will also help battle Wisconsin’s “crisis level” shortage of mental health providers. In a press release, IRG Action Fund CEO, CJ Szafir said, “It’s no secret that Wisconsin is facing a mental health crisis which has b...

“The Brewers’ stadium action today in a Senate committee provides the clearest proof yet that the uniparty system that has corrupted Washington D.C. is now decaying the halls of the Wisconsin Capitol.” -Sen. Steve Nass The plan to spend taxpayer dollars on the Milwaukee Brewers’ ballpark may still be short of votes at the Wisconsin Capitol. A number of Republican senators on Wednesday criticized the latest version of the plan. "While the amendment makes some improvements to the bill, it does not meet the expectations of my constituents. The Brewers' contribution falls short of their equity stake, and the burden on taxpayers is too high for me to support it,” Sen Julian Bradley, R-Franklin, said after a hearing on the proposal. The improvement Bradley noted includes a new $2 non-Brewer game ticket tax that is expected to raise up to $500,000 a year and lower Wisconsin’s contributions to $377 million over the life of the deal. Originally, the state was expected to kic...

The plan to spend $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium may look different once it gets through the Wisconsin Senate. A Senate panel held a hearing on the stadium funding proposal Wednesday and immediately hit supporters with questions. “It would seem to be rushed,” Sen Julian Bradley, R-Franklin, said at Wednesday’s hearing. “It was intentionally half-baked. And it was just dropped. I don’t think any of us planned to take this up this session.” Bradley said he wants the Brewers to stay in Milwaukee, but he wants to get “the right deal” to make it happen. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said before the hearing that there are not enough Republican votes to get the ballpark package through the Senate. “I think, ultimately, people are looking for maybe a little larger contribution from the Brewers and a little less contribution from the state,” LeMahieu said. “I know that the avenue that some of the members have looked for is a ticket tax.” S...

The Wisconsin Senate has scheduled a vote on the stadium package for Wednesday. The plan to spend $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium is heading for its next vote, despite not being a done deal. Brewer President of Business Operations Rick Schlessinger said there is talk of a ticket tax as part of the final deal, but nothing is certain, yet. “While there have been ongoing discussions on a ticket tax tied to concerts and other non-baseball events hosted at the ballpark, we’ve yet to see a formalized proposal on what that could look like from the legislature,” Schlesinger told The Center Square. “The devil is always in the details, and as bipartisan momentum for a deal continues to grow in the legislature, we’ll continue to work with stakeholders on both sides of the aisle to review any and all proposals.” The Wisconsin Senate has scheduled a vote on the stadium package for Wednesday. One thing is almost certain, however. Schlesinger said the Bre...

The plan to spend more than $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium is headed for a vote next week, even though there continues to be opposition at the Wisconsin Capitol. An assembly panel approved the framework for the public funding of American Family Field. The latest plan has a lower price tag. Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will now have to pay $67 million over the next 27 years, as opposed to the $200 million that was originally proposed. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said that's a price tag he can afford. “The Milwaukee Brewers are an important asset for our community. That’s why I’m pleased to see the progress that has been reached thus far to keep the organization in Wisconsin,” Crowley said in a statement. “While we’ve secured a positive agreement in the Wisconsin State Assembly, I now look ahead to engaging with members of the state senate on a path forward. My main priority has not changed: to deliver a bipartisan solution tha...

This summer, a 10-year-old girl rode her bike naked during Madison's Naked Bike Ride.  A lawmaker has a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol to make sure children are away from and cannot ride in Madison's Naked Bike ride. State Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, is shepherding the proposal. He said Wisconsin needs a new state law after a 10-year-old girl rode her bike naked during Madison's Naked Bike Ride this summer. “If you agree that people shouldn't be allowed to expose their genitals in public and that minor children shouldn't be paraded naked through streets and photographed then I encourage your support on these bills,” Kapenga said. “It's kind of a joke but it's not a joke. This is a pretty serious pretty serious issue.” Dane County Commissioner Jeff Wiegand called both Madison police and the Dane County Sheriff's Office after he was told the girl's picture showed up on Facebook. Wiegand told lawmakers the authorities brushed him off. “...

A plan at the Wisconsin capital would allow people to buy the state's voter registration list for far less money. Rep Amy Binsfield, R-Sheboygan, introduced her plan that would shrink the cost of Wisconsin's voter rolls from $12,500 to $250. “More or less what, we're trying to do is make sure that the voter registration list is available to our citizens. We want to make sure that it's not out of grasp when it comes to the price,” Binsfield said. Binsfield said there's no reason for Wisconsin's voter list to cost $12,500. She said it's not like workers at the Wisconsin Elections Commission have to go and physically print the list any longer. “But when you think of the fact that we're dealing with keystrokes I think we can all agree that over time we've come a long way from the big paper press that has happened and when we're talking about keystrokes we don't want to undermine the fact that the staff working on this is pretty competen...

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...

The latest plan for Milwaukee’s American Family Field would use tax money to keep the stadium up to date, but those taxes wouldn’t come from the people of Wisconsin. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, on Wednesday, told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber they are looking at a plan to tax ballplayers to pay for the ballpark. “Remember, if a player comes one-time to Wisconsin, they file a Wisconsin income tax return. So, every single player who visits pays Wisconsin income taxes.” Vos explained. “If the Brewers leave, every dollar of that income tax would never be here.” Vos said Republican lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol are considering a plan that would find the $400 million that American Family Field needs for maintenance and repairs from those income tax dollars. “We’re focusing on using a sizable chunk of the income taxes that players pay, nothing that you and I pay, and using that to help keep the team here,” Vos added. He hopes to release the details after Labor ...

'Some of the changes would require people on unemployment in Wisconsin to look for work, actually go on interviews, and accept jobs that they’re offered in order to qualify for benefits.' The plan from Wisconsin Republicans to get people back to work took its first step forward at the Capitol Thursday. The Wisconsin Assembly approved new rules for people receiving Medicaid & unemployment benefits. “We are looking to build a stronger workforce,” Rep. Bob Petryk, R-Town of Washington, said Thursday, “It is the number one issue among employers in our state.” Petryk’s proposal, AB 883 , would make a series of changes to how unemployment benefits are managed in the state. “Instead of looking at an entitlement, what we want the Department [of Workforce Development] to do is change their focus to helping people get back to work,” Petryk said. Some of the changes would require people on unemployment in Wisconsin to look for work, actually go on interviews, and accept jo...

Many schools in Wisconsin already teach personal finance. Rep. Alex Dallman wants to make it a required class worth one class credit. The plan to require high school students in Wisconsin to learn about money and how to manage it in order to graduate from high school is running into opposition from the state’s education leaders. The Department of Public Instruction is in opposition to AB 899 , which would require all high schools in the state to teach financial literacy. “We need to find a way to bring our education into the 21st Century, and teach our students stuff they need to learn to be successful in our economy,” Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, explained to The Center Square on Tuesday. DPI is open to teaching financial literacy but has concerns about making it a graduation requirement. Rep. Alex Dallman said he is not really surprised that DPI and other education bureaucrats are opposed to his plan. “School districts often complain about the money they don’t have, ...