State - The Daily Cardinal

STATE NEWS

Walker announces UW Credit Union eligibility expansion to fight student loan debt

By Andy Goldstein | Sep. 27, 2016

Amid record levels of student debt in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday alterations to UW Credit Union’s membership eligibility, with the intention of providing a greater level of access to loan refinancing opportunities for students of the state. Walker announced the changes at a press conference in Madison and was joined by officials of both the credit union and the Department of Financial Institutions, the relevant state regulatory agency, when announcing the alterations. Under the previous criteria, UW Credit Union membership was offered exclusively to students and alumni of the UW System.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump traded barbs and policy proposals in the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York.

STATE NEWS

Clinton, Trump square off in first presidential debate

By Emily Curtis and Jack Tancill | Sep. 26, 2016

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump faced off in a heated debate Monday discussing issues ranging from racial divisions to job growth to trade deals.

A federal judge upheld Wisconsin’s right-to-work law Monday, which has previously been heavily protested at the state Capitol.

STATE NEWS

Federal judge denies union’s appeal to block right-to-work law

Sep. 26, 2016

A federal judge announced Monday his decision to deny a union plea to repeal “right-to-work” law, after opponents claimed it violated the Fifth Amendment. Three unions challenging the bill allege it is unconstitutional on the grounds that it results in an unlawful seizure of private property without fair compensation.

Democratic Senate candidate Russ Feingold led Wisconsin Democrats in encouraging Madison residents to vote early in a rally Monday.

STATE NEWS

Feingold, Baldwin rally in Madison as early voting begins

By Andrew Bahl | Sep. 26, 2016

Early voting kicked off Monday in much of the state, with Hillary Clinton’s campaign bringing some liberal heavyweights to Madison to encourage residents to cast their ballots.

STATE NEWS

Wisconsin Elections Commission unveils National Voter Registration Day effort

By Tenley Sanduski | Sep. 26, 2016

The Wisconsin Elections Commission held a press conference Monday ahead of National Voter Registration Day, to discuss the measures they have in place to increase voter registration. For some, the November election is already over.

Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday a new task force designed to curb opioid abuse in Wisconsin.

STATE NEWS

Walker announces creation of task force to combat opioid addiction

By Annie Schoenfeldt | Sep. 22, 2016

Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday the creation of the Governor’s Task Force on Opioid Abuse, a panel to battle opioid addiction in the state. Walker also announced the positions on the panel, spanning law enforcement officials, public health officials, medical groups and members of the public.

STATE NEWS

Bipartisan UW System players address community concerns during panel

By Andrew Bahl and Madeline Heim | Sep. 21, 2016

UW System officials, policymakers, experts and students gathered Wednesday at James Madison Memorial High School to discuss the upcoming state budget and what it might mean for higher education in the state. As the university and the state look to the upcoming biennial budget, concerns exist that the UW System could again be on the chopping block for public funding.

State Attorney General Brad Schimel is joining a coalition of 20 other states in challenging recent changes to federal overtime rules.

STATE NEWS

Wisconsin Attorney General, 20 states joins force to end labor protecting ruling

By Hannah J. Olson | Sep. 21, 2016

State Attorney General Brad Schimel joined a coalition of 20 states Tuesday in an attempt to halt a new overtime protection rule by the U.S.

State legislators voted to approve an audit investigating allegations of substandard care and financial mismanagement at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King.

STATE NEWS

State to review veterans home after allegations of misconduct

By Andrew Bahl | Sep. 21, 2016

State legislators voted Wednesday to authorize an audit of a troubled veteran’s home in central Wisconsin after reports of negligent care, funding issues and infrastructure shortcomings.

Democrat Russ Feingold has a 6-point lead over Republican incumbent Ron Johnson in Wednesday’s Marquette University Law School poll.

STATE NEWS

Clinton holds 2-point lead in tightening Wisconsin presidential race

By Ningyuan Ma | Sep. 21, 2016

Hillary Clinton is clinging to a 2-point lead over Donald Trump in Wisconsin, according to the Marquette University Law School Poll announced Wednesday. The poll shows 44 percent of statewide likely voters supported Clinton, while 42 percent of them chose Trump.

STATE NEWS

Pro-Trump PAC attacks Hillary Clinton’s health in latest ad

By Tenley Sanduski | Sep. 20, 2016

A pro-Donald Trump organization launched a new ad in the state Monday, taking on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her recent diagnosis with pneumonia. The Reform America Fund launched the seven-figure ad this week.

STATE NEWS

Democrats rally students at State Street office opening

By Emily Curtis | Sep. 19, 2016

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and Badgers for Hillary opened an office on State Street Monday as part of a statewide effort to boost support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

STATE NEWS

Walker denies wrongdoing after campaign finance records dump

By Gina Heeb | Sep. 15, 2016

Gov. Scott Walker dodged questions on his campaign finance record Thursday at a press conference, following the release of documents shedding light on his activities during the 2011 recall election. The question was raised following the release of 1,500 documents by The Guardian Wednesday which include evidence toward alleged campaign finance violations in a case against Walker beginning in 2012.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., says Senate Democrats will continue to push for student debt relief in the next session.

STATE NEWS

Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin push for vote on student loan refinancing bill

By Andrew Bahl | Sep. 15, 2016

As Congress goes back to Washington for a brief fall session and students head back to college for the fall semester, U.S.

STATE NEWS

John Doe documents link Walker to ‘questionable’ donations

By Ningyuan Ma | Sep. 14, 2016

Scott Walker personally solicited millions of dollars for a conservative group throughout his election campaigns in 2011 and 2012, according to over 1,500 pages of leaked documents obtained by The Guardian. These documents contain hundreds of emails and bank records obtained under subpoena by prosecutors in a 2015 investigation.

In a fact sheet released Tuesday, Gov. Scott Walker said he would limit the amount of borrowing to pay for transportation projects across the state.

STATE NEWS

Walker pledges to avoid unnecessary borrowing ahead of transportation funding fight

By Andrew Bahl | Sep. 14, 2016

Gov. Scott Walker released a fact sheet Tuesday outlining how his administration will deal with funding transportation projects across the state, one of the key pieces of next year’s budget. The memo affirms Walker’s commitment to minimizing the amount of borrowing for infrastructure projects, even at the expense of delaying construction. “Governor Walker will keep borrowing low in the next transportation budget,” the fact sheet said.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is the subject of an ethics complaint alleging a $10 million payment he received in 2010 violated campaign finance law.

STATE NEWS

Wisconsin Democrats file Senate ethics complaint against Sen. Ron Johnson

By Emily Curtis | Sep. 12, 2016

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a request Monday to investigate the legality of the campaign finances of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

STATE NEWS

Planned Parenthood to receive $1.6 million settlement from legal fight

By Annie Schoenfeldt | Sep. 9, 2016

The state of Wisconsin announced Wednesday it would pay $1.6 million to Planned Parenthood after a legal fight over a law intended to improve safety regulations, but which was struck down because it would make it harder to have a legal abortion. The settlement follows an almost three-year-long court proceeding after the passage of Act 37, which was eventually declared unconstitutional on the grounds that it puts unreasonable obstacles in the path of women seeking abortions.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, and other Democrats are criticizing Republicans for not adequately funding rural school districts.

STATE NEWS

Democrats call on legislature to better support rural schools

By Andrew Bahl | Sep. 8, 2016

A state report released Thursday showed that state support for rural school districts has declined in the past five years, leading to outcry from Democrats that the legislature has not done enough to support those areas. State aid to rural school districts throughout Wisconsin dropped 13.5 percent in the past five years, according to a memo released by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Gov. Scott Walker unveiled a plan Wednesday to include a sales tax holiday in the next state budget.

STATE NEWS

Scott Walker to push for new sales tax holiday

By Emily Curtis | Sep. 7, 2016

Gov. Scott Walker announced Wednesday his plan to include a “Back to School” sales tax holiday in Wisconsin’s 2017-19 biennial budget.