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Wisconsin Examiner
Senate committee hears bills that address WI National Guard’s handling of sexual assault
A Senate committee considered a package of bills to increase oversight over the Wisconsin National Guard’s handling of sexual assault cases and a bipartisan bill that seeks to regulate food delivery services on Tuesday. The Senate Labor, Regulatory Reform, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard testimony from Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) and Rep. Tony […] The post Senate committee hears bills that address WI National Guard’s handling of sexual assault appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds.
Thousands of college students will get hundreds of dollars in compensation as colleges and universities move this summer to settle multimillion-dollar lawsuits stemming from canceled classes and activities during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. While some of the class-action suits against the colleges and universities are still in litigation, and still others dismissed, several major cases have […] The post Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds. appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Evers issues special session call to ‘finish your work’ on the state budget
This report has been updated Amid mounting concern about rising child care tuition, shortages of child care workers and providers announcing their centers are closing, Gov. Tony Evers issued a call Tuesday for the Legislature to come back into a special session and “finish your work on the 2023-25 biennial budget, and pass a comprehensive […] The post Evers issues special session call to ‘finish your work’ on the state budget appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Judge rules discovery can start later this month in lawsuit against public defender shortage
A Brown County judge ruled Monday that the current and former jail inmates suing Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Defender Board over a shortage of attorneys for indigent defendants can begin requesting discovery from the state as early as Aug. 22. The lawsuit was filed last year by eight people who alleged that the […] The post Judge rules discovery can start later this month in lawsuit against public defender shortage appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants
WASHINGTON — As a former bartender and current tipped worker, Trupti Patel knows that customers tend to get grabby when there is alcohol involved. After working in the food service industry for more than a decade, she is accustomed to dealing with drunk customers who get out of hand, especially if they become belligerent or […] The post States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Don’t delay on police records
Last week, I received some records from the Madison Police Department that I had requested about four months earlier. They concerned the one and only instance in which an MPD officer or employee was disciplined during the entire first three months of this year. The request, which I wrote about in the May issue of […] The post Don’t delay on police records appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Bullied by own party, election official’s GOP roots mean nothing in volatile new climate
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Margaret Rose Bostelmann’s ideals are clear from one glance at her well-kept ranch-style house in central Wisconsin. A large American flag is mounted near the front door, and a “We Back the Badge” sign on her front lawn announces her support for law enforcement. Bostelmann, a Wisconsin elections […] The post Bullied by own party, election official’s GOP roots mean nothing in volatile new climate appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Child care providers ‘are reeling’ as they wait for state to try again for financial support
It’s been a month since Wisconsin’s state budget took effect, without more than $300 million that providers and families had counted on to help sustain child care services over the next two years. With the prospect of that continued support uncertain, “child care programs right now are reeling,” said Ruth Schmidt, executive director of the […] The post Child care providers ‘are reeling’ as they wait for state to try again for financial support appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Shift in majority leads to bitter fighting on Wisconsin Supreme Court
In the first week of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s new liberal majority, the body erupted into public fighting over policy changes and accusations of partisanship after the four liberal members voted to weaken the power of conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. The court’s four liberals voted Friday to put some of the chief justice’s powers […] The post Shift in majority leads to bitter fighting on Wisconsin Supreme Court appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Evers signs school bus driver law, vetoes bills on energy, unemployment, occupational licensing
Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law at the New Glarus Elementary School Friday that adds school bus driver to the list of volunteer positions a school board member may hold. Board members who take the uncompensated position will need to receive a school bus endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, hold a […] The post Evers signs school bus driver law, vetoes bills on energy, unemployment, occupational licensing appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Lawsuit over Texas abortion ban could be a model in other states
AUSTIN, Texas — A lawsuit in Texas asserting that the state’s abortion ban imperils women by dissuading doctors from ending dangerous pregnancies could provide a template for similar challenges across the country. Texas is one of 14 states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The Texas ban includes […] The post Lawsuit over Texas abortion ban could be a model in other states appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Court allows Biden rule limiting asylum at the border to be kept in place for now
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Thursday decided to allow the Biden administration to keep in place a temporary two-year rule that restricts asylum at the U.S. border, while the legal challenges to a lower court’s ruling play out. The decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals aids the Biden administration, which […] The post Court allows Biden rule limiting asylum at the border to be kept in place for now appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Veterans exposed to burn pits, toxins urged to apply for retroactive benefits
WASHINGTON — A deadline for a year’s worth of backdated benefits is fast approaching for U.S. veterans suffering illnesses after exposure to open burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxins. Nearly a year ago, President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act, a law supporters describe as the largest expansion of veteran benefits in U.S. history. […] The post Veterans exposed to burn pits, toxins urged to apply for retroactive benefits appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Minocqua Brewing Co. shut down by Oneida County committee
An Oneida County Board committee voted on Wednesday to revoke the operating permit of Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company — known widely for its progressive-themed beer and activism. Bangstad has been ordered to shut his business for the time being. The decision is the result of a disagreement over parking requirements, plans to […] The post Minocqua Brewing Co. shut down by Oneida County committee appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Study cited by Texas judge in abortion-pill case under investigation
Pharmaceutical sciences professor Chris Adkins was perusing news on his computer in December when he came across an item that fascinated him: Anti-abortion groups had sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to force a recall on a commonly used abortion drug. Adkins teaches future pharmacists at South University School of Pharmacy in Savannah, Georgia. […] The post Study cited by Texas judge in abortion-pill case under investigation appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
V.P. Harris, Tammy Baldwin tout high speed internet project in Wisconsin
Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Wisconsin Thursday to announce a new project she and the Finnish telecom company Nokia say will create up to 200 new jobs at a Kenosha County manufacturing plant making fiber optic products to be used in a nationwide expansion of high-speed internet. Speaking from a podium inside the Sanmira […] The post V.P. Harris, Tammy Baldwin tout high speed internet project in Wisconsin appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Trump pleads not guilty to charges he sought to subvert 2020 election
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony charges Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., after a federal grand jury handed up an indictment against the former chief executive. Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, was released under the conditions that he must not violate federal, […] The post Trump pleads not guilty to charges he sought to subvert 2020 election appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
More than 100 advocacy groups urge Congress to denounce anti-immigrant rhetoric
WASHINGTON — On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas in which 23 people were murdered, more than 160 religious, civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups called on congressional leaders to denounce lawmakers who use white supremacist, anti-immigrant rhetoric, arguing that it can lead to violence for marginalized […] The post More than 100 advocacy groups urge Congress to denounce anti-immigrant rhetoric appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Ohio voters are deciding if it’s too easy to pass ballot measures. Other states are watching.
CLEVELAND — Ohioans over the last century have used the state’s ballot initiative process to pass constitutional amendments that raised the minimum wage, integrated the National Guard and removed the phrase “white male” from the constitution’s list of voter eligibility requirements. Now, lawmakers want to make it much tougher for an initiative to be approved. […] The post Ohio voters are deciding if it’s too easy to pass ballot measures. Other states are watching. appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Split in U.S. House GOP raises potential for government shutdown this fall
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress jetted off for the August recess without a plan in place to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1 — and the lawmakers who write spending bills acknowledge that it’s a real possibility, given deep divisions. The stalemate stems from a split among House […] The post Split in U.S. House GOP raises potential for government shutdown this fall appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
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