state-news - The Daily Cardinal

The Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform had a public hearing for two bills aimed to provide food stamp recipients with healthier food.

STATE NEWS

Lawmakers take up bills to provide food stamp recipients with healthy options

By Dylan Ayer | Oct. 17, 2017

A state Assembly committee met Tuesday for a hearing on two bills that emphasize a greater focus on health-orientated consumables for food stamp recipients and standardizes the quality of nutrition that must be covered for the use of food stamps. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Rohrkaste, R-Neenah, and Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, the Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform held a public hearing on the proposed bills. One provides a 50 percent discount towards healthy foods for FoodShare members and the other initiates a pilot program that places restrictions on certain foods deemed insufficiently nutritional by the Department of Health Services.

Lawmakers have proposed a bill to legalize hemp crops in Wisconsin for industrial products.

STATE NEWS

Industrial hemp can’t get you high, but it's still outlawed. Lawmakers think legalizing it could help farmers.

By Nina Bertelsen | Oct. 16, 2017

State lawmakers are circulating a proposal to legalize industrial hemp in the state. While previously outlawed, supporters say legalizing the crop could create opportunities for farmers.

Gov. Scott Walker sent a letter to the NFL Monday urging players to “stop their protests during the anthem and move on from what has become a divisive political sideshow.”

STATE NEWS

Scott Walker to NFL players: Stop protesting national anthem, address domestic violence problem

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 16, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker thinks NFL players should stop their “divisive” protesting and focus on speaking out against domestic violence.

Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, spoke to UW-Madison students Friday.

STATE NEWS

DNC chair to UW-Madison students: ‘We win Wisconsin if we start working now’

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 13, 2017

Almost a year after the 2016 election, UW-Madison students heard Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez’s take on how to win Wisconsin back.

Hundred of people in opposition to a bill that would prohibit so-called sanctuary cities attend a state Senate Committee on Regulatory and Labor Reform public hearing.

STATE NEWS

Committee hearing on immigration bill draws hundreds in opposition

By Allyson Duffy | Oct. 12, 2017

A state Senate committee held a public hearing Thursday on a bill that would ensure so-called sanctuary cities follow federal immigration enforcement laws, specifically when it comes to questioning the immigration status of an individual arrested for committing a crime. The state Senate Committee on Regulatory and Labor Reform met to discuss Senate Bill 275 generated a crowd of over a hundred people. The bill prohibits federal and state authorities from allowing certain cities and towns to enact policies that would protect undocumented immigrants from potential deportation.

State Rep. John Nygren’s daughter and a former executive director of Wisconsin’s Democrat Party face legal punishment for connection to two separate overdose deaths.

STATE NEWS

Drug overdoses separately affect the lives of two prominent state politicians

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 11, 2017

The daughter of a leader in the state Assembly, as well as a former state Democratic Party chair, are separately facing legal trouble surrounding their relationship to victims of fatal opioid overdoses. Cassandra Nygren, daughter of John Nygren, R-Marinette, and a leader on policy solutions to the state’s opioid crisis, was held in the Brown County Jail Wednesday. The younger Nygren and her fiance were arrested in relation to an unnamed person who died from overdosing.

A provision in the 2017-’19 state budget that would oversee the transfer of funds from one veteran organization to another was eliminated before the budget was signed into law last month.

STATE NEWS

Walker’s veto for King Veteran’s Home faces bipartisan criticism

By Marissa Beaty | Oct. 11, 2017

Officials at King’s Veteran Home and lawmakers from both parties are speaking out against one of Gov.

Walker visited schools across Wisconsin Tuesday to promote legislation to increase state aid for rural schools.

STATE NEWS

Walker visits schools to promote legislation to boost aid for rural districts

By Dylan Ayer | Oct. 10, 2017

In a series of visits to Wisconsin schools, Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday his plan to increase aid for education in rural areas. Resurrecting efforts previously rejected in his state budget, Walker backed a bill proposed by state Sen.

Foxconn Technology Group may hold recruiting events at UW-Madison soon.

STATE NEWS

Foxconn actively recruiting at Marquette — and UW-Madison is likely next

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 9, 2017

Foxconn Technology Group plans to bring at least 13,000 new jobs to Wisconsin — and it’s looking to the state’s college campuses to do so.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit that sought to prove that partisan redistricting had disenfranchised voters, instead forcing the plaintiffs to prove their case first to a lower court before being heard again.

STATE NEWS

As redistricting battle heats up, impact of UW students’ votes at stake

By Andy Goldstein | Oct. 9, 2017

In November 2012, Wisconsinites went to the polls in the first election since the state Legislature redrew boundaries for the state’s voting districts. In that election, Republicans received only 47 percent of the vote in state Assembly races but won more than 60 percent of the chamber’s seats.

Public access to police body camera footage would be limited under a bill under consideration in the state Assembly.

STATE NEWS

Police body camera footage would be limited under new bill

By Benita Mathew | Oct. 5, 2017

Wisconsinites would have highly limited access to police body camera videos in a new proposal making its way through the state Legislature.

STATE NEWS

Madison state legislators implore colleagues to tackle gun violence

By Leah Kramer | Oct. 4, 2017

After a shooting at a concert in Las Vegas Sunday night left nearly 60 dead and over 500 injured, state legislators from Madison teamed up to introduce legislation regarding gun violence and held a press conference to discuss specific gun safety policy steps.

State Assembly Rep. Bob Gannon passed away Tuesday night.

STATE NEWS

Bob Gannon, spirited state Assemblyman, dies of natural causes

By Marissa Beaty | Oct. 4, 2017

Rep. Bob Gannon, R-West Bend, passed away from natural causes Tuesday night at the age of 58. The Allenton Fire and Rescue responded to a 911 call around 9 p.m.

Foxconn’s technology campus will officially be built in Mount Pleasant in Racine County.

CAMPUS NEWS

Foxconn campus will be built in Mount Pleasant, Racine

By Will Husted | Oct. 4, 2017

The electronic display manufacturing plant that will be larger than 11 Lambeau fields will be located in Mount Pleasant in Racine County, Foxconn Technology Group announced Wednesday. The $10 billion plant will be located off of Interstate 94 between Highway 11 and Highway KR. Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave expressed his optimism of the Taiwanese technology plant coming to the southeastern county, stating the campus “will establish the foundation for unparalleled economic development, job growth and enhanced quality of life for current and future County residents.” This sentiment was echoed by Village President Dave DeGroot who said he believes Foxconn will create thousands of new jobs for Racine County. Mount Pleasant won the location in part for its “talented and hard-working workforce” said Louis Woo, special assistant to the chairman and CEO of Foxconn. The decision to place the plant in southeast Wisconsin stems from the easy access to Interstate 94 to transport Foxconn products to consumers.

A bill circulating the Assembly for sponsors would roll back environmental regulations for wetlands.

STATE NEWS

Legislation would limit regulations of wetland

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 3, 2017

Republican lawmakers are looking for co-sponsors on a bill that would overturn previous wetland environmental protections across Wisconsin that they say hinder economic growth. The bill precedes the arrival of Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics industry company that is currently constructing a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin that is expected to create 13,000 jobs. One of the bill’s sponsors, state Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, says the legislation is unrelated to Foxconn’s new manufacturing campus. Part of the state’s $3 billion incentive package to bring the company to Wisconsin included environment exceptions for the construction of Foxconn’s facilities.

U.S. Supreme Court began considering a case Tuesday to determine if Wisconsin’s district lines are constitutional.

STATE NEWS

Supreme Court considers Wisconsin redistricting case ahead of 2018 election

By Dylan Ayer | Oct. 3, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court began deliberating Tuesday to decide whether the engaged in unconstitutional gerrymandering when they created new legislative districts after the 2011 election. Republicans took control of both houses in the state Legislature in 2011 and redrew district lines shortly after.

Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, will serve on the Joint Finance Committee.

STATE NEWS

Campus-area lawmaker named to state budget-writing committee

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 2, 2017

A state lawmaker who represents much of the UW-Madison campus area has been named to the Joint Finance Committee, the committee tasked with writing and editing the state’s budget.

Foxconn is partnering with Gateway Technical College to provide internships to about 10 students.

STATE NEWS

UW report: Foxconn jobs likely won’t go to robots

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 2, 2017

After news that Foxconn Technology Group eliminated thousands of jobs at Chinese factories in favor of robots and automated technology, some are concerned that the 13,000 jobs Foxconn promises to bring to Wisconsin will meet the same fate.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., called for a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

STATE NEWS

Wisconsin’s congressional delegation addresses Las Vegas shooting

By Megan Finkbeiner | Oct. 2, 2017

Members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation were among those who expressed condolences to the 58 people killed and more than 500 injured in the massacre in Las Vegas Sunday.

Under Gov. Scott Walker’s partial vetoes to the state budget, the UW Flexible Option program will have to double the amount of courses they offer by December 2019.

STATE NEWS

UW Flexible Option program expected to expand with little new state funding

By Emily Curtis | Oct. 2, 2017

Although Gov. Walker signed the two-year state budget into law over a week ago, the UW System is still figuring out how the budget affects one of its programs targeted at non-traditional students.

State News