State News

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STATE NEWS

DOC seeks media coverage of home visits to registered sex offenders’ on Halloween

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 31, 2019

“Would you normally let your six-year old walk outside by themselves in the dark?” Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registration Program Director Grace Knutson asked. “No, so let’s use this as an opportunity. When we can all as adults keep kids safe, that lessens the opportunity of a sex offender having an opportunity to reoffend.” 

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STATE NEWS

Bill package proposes increased funding, consolidation to support small school districts

By Annabella Rosciglione | Oct. 29, 2019

Representatives from the Assembly Committee on Education unveiled a bill package from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Funding during an executive session aiming to consolidate small school districts and increase efficiency.

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STATE NEWS

Wisconsin holds national “Drug Take Back Day” to tackle opioid crisis

By Dominic LeRose | Oct. 28, 2019

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced 277 local law enforcement officials participated in Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 26 — a day dedicated to supporting Wisconsinites dispose of excess opioid medications at various locations. 

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STATE NEWS

Evers receives open letter from legal experts supporting Dassey’s clemency

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 25, 2019

Two hundred fifty legal experts, state and federal prosecutors, exonerees, government officials and others affiliated with juvenile justice signed an open letter to Gov. Tony Evers Monday petitioning on behalf of Brendan Dassey’s request for clemency and pardon. 

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STATE NEWS

Legislators propose bill, straining child-care providers amid statewide deficit

By Kylie Ver Kuilen | Oct. 23, 2019

When looking for daycare options, parents across the state reported trouble finding options close to their home — or at all.  “Everywhere we called had a two year waiting list."

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STATE NEWS

Bill aims to combat gun violence by providing resources to firearm retailers

By Djamal Lylecyrus | Oct. 23, 2019

Between the years 2000 and 2017, the Wisconsin suicide rate spiked by 40 percent — 50 percent of which are committed by firearm.  These statistics influenced legislators to create Assembly Bill 527, which aims to combat suicide by firearm by supporting gun retailers in intervening with at-risk customers. 

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STATE NEWS

Evers furthers primary policy agendas through environmental, gun control action

By Max Schaefer | Oct. 21, 2019

Addressing gun control and environmental issues, Gov. Tony Evers signed executive orders Monday, pushing his fundamental policy platforms over the course of a week. Evers, along with Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, announced the latest executive order, which initiates a special session to discuss gun control and focus on universal background checks Monday in Milwaukee, Wausau and Eau Claire. 

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STATE NEWS

Voucher programs expand, creating debates about public school funding

By Hope Karnopp | Oct. 21, 2019

Democrats expressed concerns regarding Republican efforts to expand K-12 school voucher programs rather than investing money toward Gov. Tony Evers’ budget plan to fully fund two-thirds of public schools. 

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STATE NEWS

Legislators aim to curb dangerous driving in Milwaukee via traffic cameras

By Jack Murphy | Oct. 18, 2019

Although DUIs in the state have fallen by 44.5 percent since 2007, a third of all traffic fatalities today include a drunk driver, according to data from safehome.org. 

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STATE NEWS

Fights at Lincoln Hills involve 26 inmates

By Kylie Thomasen | Oct. 16, 2019

A report from the Lincoln Hills School for Boys detailed the events of five altercations involving 26 inmates which occurred over a two-day period at the end of September.  The report shows evidence a guard was choked by one of the inmates, who is now facing charges for the incident, and other guards sustained knee, shoulder and nose injuries. At one point, five inmates climbed into the ceiling area and broke lights. 

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STATE NEWS

Milwaukee mayor talks sales tax increase, police department cuts

By Annabella Rosciglione | Oct. 16, 2019

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett threatened to cut police positions if the sales tax increase for the city does not get passed within his budget at an Intergovernmental Cooperation Council meeting Monday.

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STATE NEWS

Pocan travels to Madison, provides updates about current Congressional rifts

By Alexa Chatham | Oct. 15, 2019

Complaining that the actions of the White House are “embarrassing and not representative of this country,” U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., held a press conference at his Madison district office Monday to give updates on recent events in Washington.

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STATE NEWS

The hunt for 'Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin' ends with Big Boy Rifle on top

By Kylie Ver Kuilen | Oct. 11, 2019

The fourth annual “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin,” competition presented its grand prize trophy to Henry Repeating Arm’s ‘Big Boy All Weather Rifle’ Tuesday in front of 500 of the state’s leading business influencers.  With over 240,000 votes cast on over 160 products initially nominated, the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce alongside Johnson Financial Group awarded the Rice Lake-based company the title after over two months of campaigning across the state. 

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STATE NEWS

Evers reinstates pardons following Dassey’s request

By Michael Parsky | Oct. 10, 2019

Gov. Tony Evers granted pardons to four ex-convicted felons Monday, issuing Wisconsin’s first executive pardons in more than nine years. This action came less than a week after a convicted felon featured on a popular Netflix docu-series petitioned for clemency.  After an eight-year drought under former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, Evers reinstated the pardon process in June and created a body that reviews clemency applications and makes recommendations at the governor’s instruction. 

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STATE NEWS

Harmful chemicals discovered in Monroe and Dane County creeks

By Jack Murphy | Oct. 9, 2019

High levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination (PFAS) were found Monday in Starkweather Creek in Madison and Silver Creek in Monroe County.  The Department of Natural Resources’ findings showed significant amounts of the widely used chemical — often found in non-stick cookware and firefighting foam — in those areas as well as lower levels in three other water bodies across the state. 

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STATE NEWS

Democrats concerned with GOP’s proposed disability accommodations

By Hope Karnopp | Oct. 8, 2019

GOP leaders proposed rule changes to allow members of the Assembly to call into committee meetings based on disability accommodations during a press conference Tuesday at the Capitol.  This change comes after a complaint from Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchberg, who requested to digitally attend meetings he could not physically appear at this past January. 

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STATE NEWS

“Forward Together:” Democrats discuss legislative session priorities, emphasize increased action

By Max Schaefer | Oct. 8, 2019

Democratic representatives outlined their priorities for the upcoming Fall session in a press conference, “Forward Together,” at the Senate Parlor Monday focusing on values that put “families, workers and communities first.”  The 20-minute meeting led by Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, Rep. Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison, and Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, carried a frustrated tone on the lack of legislative action occurring, which representatives linked to the state of Wisconsin’s tense, split government.

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STATE NEWS

2020 electability: Why Biden leads polls among black voters

By Ashley Obuljen | Oct. 7, 2019

Why has former Vice President Joe Biden polled highest among black voters for the 2020 presidential election following multiple racial controversies?  It’s not solely due to his ties to former President Barack Obama, according to FiveThirtyEight senior political writer Clare Malone.

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STATE NEWS

Wisconsin lawmakers want a seat at the table for legal sports gambling

By Bremen Keasey | Oct. 3, 2019

States can now decide to legalize sports gambling after a 2018 Supreme Court decision — and some Wisconsin lawmakers want to get in on the action. 

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STATE NEWS

Evers and Kaul continue pushing to alter gun control legislation

By Emma Grenzebach | Oct. 2, 2019

“I’m convinced at the end of the day we will have a special session and we’ll be making that announcement within a week, maybe two weeks,” Gov. Tony Evers said when asked when he expects the state legislature to address gun control on WTMJ Tuesday.