Voters in northeast Wisconsin will likely be seeing more political ads in the next few months. Current Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher on Saturday shocked the state and announced he is stepping down at the end of his current term. His decision not to run touched off a weekend scramble to jump into the race to replace him. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfoc...
Feb 15, 2024•8 min•Ep. 191
Western Wisconsin’s congressman wants the governor to help with the planned hospital closures in the Chippewa Valley. Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden asked Gov. Tony Evers to use any state or federal resources that can be tapped to make sure the people who use HSHS’ hospitals or Prevea’s clinics in and around Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls are not left without medical care. The two hospitals announced last month they will be closing their hospitals and clinics by mid-April. Support this ...
Feb 10, 2024•10 min•Ep. 190
Wisconsin’s new liberal-majority Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could limit the state legislature and give Gov. Tony Evers a more leeway to accomplish his priorities. The Supreme Court agreed to hear part of his challenge to legislative vetoes. The governor sued the Republican-controlled legislature in October over its use of statehouse committees to stop a massive conservation project expansion and to block pay raises for University of Wisconsin workers. Join Skillshare: skills...
Feb 09, 2024•7 min•Ep. 189
Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher is not backing away from being one of the decisive votes against the impeachment of the nation’s Homeland Security secretary. Late Tuesday, Gallagher joined two other Republicans to stop the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Gallagher argued impeaching Mayorkas wouldn’t stop the crisis at the southern border. In fact, Gallagher argued impeaching Mayorkas could lead to more problems in the future. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Asso...
Feb 08, 2024•7 min•Ep. 188
Wisconsin’s open enrollment period begins next week, and again thousands of parents are getting ready to send their children to a different school. The state’s Department of Public Instruction this week said open enrollment begins Monday. Open enrollment allows parents to send children to different public schools. In Wisconsin that meant more than 70,000 students for the current school year. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support thi...
Feb 03, 2024•9 min•Ep. 187
As expected, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the political maps that he mostly drew. Evers on Tuesday said he scuttled the so-called 99% maps because they were too favorable to Republicans. The maps the governor drew moved dozens of incumbent Republicans into new districts. Republicans moved some of those lawmakers back but largely left the governor’s maps unchanged. Join Skillshare: skillshare.eqcm.net/ATN Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Feb 02, 2024•8 min•Ep. 186
Act 10, the law that fundamentally weakened Wisconsin’s public school teachers’ unions, is headed back to court. And again there is an effort to save it. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on Monday filed a motion to join the new case that seeks to end Act 10. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Feb 01, 2024•8 min•Ep. 185
The latest report on school choice in Wisconsin again shows choice schools outperform public schools in Milwaukee’s biggest cities and rural areas. The Apples to Apples report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty compares proficiency rates in math and English language arts in public schools, charter schools and private schools part of Wisconsin’s voucher program. The report says the idea is to put “schools on a level playing field to fairly assess education.” Support this podcast: ht...
Jan 27, 2024•8 min•Ep. 184
Wisconsin Republicans continue to try and make their point about politics, gerrymandering and compromise over the state’s new political maps. The State Assembly on Wednesday approved the maps drawn almost entirely by Gov. Tony Evers. Assembly Democratic Leader Great Neubauer said the effort to adopt Evers’ map is a Republican effort to continue to gerrymander the state and an effort to rush a decision on redistricting. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocu...
Jan 26, 2024•9 min•Ep. 183
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ sixth State of the State speech was not all that different from his previous five. The governor late Tuesday night again asked lawmakers to spend more on cleaning the state’s lakes and rivers, to focus more on LGBTWQ mental health and to expand the state’s Medicaid program. Again, Republicans said no. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Jan 25, 2024•9 min•Ep. 182
The former head of Wisconsin’s Republican Party and the man in charge of this summer’s Republican National Convention says he doesn’t see anyone but Donald Trump getting the nomination. Reince Priebus told News Talk 1130’s WISN that after the former president’s resounding win in the Iowa Caucuses, Trump is the presumptive nominee. Trump doubled the vote totals of both Ron DeSantis and Nikki Halley in Monday night’s caucuses. Priebus said that kind of victory will make it tough for either challen...
Jan 22, 2024•8 min•Ep. 181
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is now being asked to overturn the state’s other political maps after asking for new legislative maps. The Elias Law Firm, headed by lawyer Mark Elias, asked the state’s high court to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps. Elias has ties to the Hillary Clinton campaign network and has filed several election-related lawsuits across the country. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Jan 19, 2024•8 min•Ep. 180
The people in charge of hiring in Wisconsin are souring on the state’s economy. Just 22% of employers in Wisconsin think the state’s economy is strong, according to the latest Employer Survey from Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce released Thursday morning. The vast majority of employers, 70%, think the state’s economy is moderate, and 9% think its weak. The 22% strong number is near historic lows. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Jan 18, 2024•8 min•Ep. 179
Wisconsin’s powerful Assembly speaker doesn’t appear worried about the effort from a Racine County voter to oust him from office before the November election. Matthew Snorek, of Burlington, filed a petition with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to begin a recall campaign against Speaker Robin Vos. Vos said he’s not afraid to face voters in June. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod...
Jan 13, 2024•9 min•Ep. 178
A pair of conservative senators at the Wisconsin Capitol don’t like that the state’s Department of Transportation wants to get into the business of regulating office cubicles. Both Sens. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, and Steve Nass, R-Whiterwater, are speaking out against a new plan that would force more regulations on auto wholesalers in the state. The plan, AB 625 , quickly cleared an Assembly Committee on Tuesday without much debate. Join Skillshare today: skillshare.eqcm.net/ATN Support this p...
Jan 12, 2024•8 min•Ep. 177
The latest plan to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin isn’t making either side happy. A group of Republicans on Monday introduced the outline for a new, medical marijuana program in the state. It would be limited to just severely or chronically ill patients, like people with cancer or multiple sclerosis, and the program would limit what kind of medical marijuana people can use. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https:...
Jan 11, 2024•8 min•Ep. 176
A judge in Dane County says absentee ballots in Wisconsin don’t need a full address to be counted this year. Judge Ryan Nilsestuen ruled local election managers need not reject absentee ballots if the absentee witness’ address is incomplete. The ruling comes after a judge in Waukesha County ruled last year local election clerks could not count ballots with missing address information. The Waukesha County ruling also forbade clerks from “curing” those ballots by adding the missing information. Ni...
Jan 06, 2024•8 min•Ep. 175
One of the men in charge of the legislature’s audit committee says he’d been forced to use the audit process to get the answers the Evers administration is reluctant to provide. Rep. Bob Wittke, R-Racine, told The Center Square that agency directors under Gov. Tony Evers have made a habit out of ignoring questions from lawmakers. Wittke has specific questions about two recent audits – the audit into Wisconsin’s broadband spending, and the audit into empty offices and the number of people working...
Jan 05, 2024•9 min•Ep. 174
A letter from Whitewater’s police chief is getting new attention as two of Wisconsin's congressmen are again focusing on illegal immigration. Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany shared the letter with a warning about the flood of illegal immigrants who’ve come into the U.S. during President Biden’s three years in office. Tiffany included a link to a story published about the 1,000 immigrants from Nicaragua and Venezuela who’ve come to Whitewater over the past few months. Support this podcast: htt...
Jan 04, 2024•9 min•Ep. 173
Wisconsin's State Assembly speaker, on a Tuesday radio show, said he doesn't think drawing new political maps will change things. Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told Jessica McBride on the Dan O’Donnell Show that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is likely to veto any maps drawn and only wants "lap dogs" to do his bidding. The conversation comes in the wake of Friday's state Supreme Court ruling calling for a redraw. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/suppor...
Dec 28, 2023•10 min•Ep. 172
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. Milwaukee and Madison are both seeing increases in crime, including violent crime. Milwaukee set records for homicides in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Dec 22, 2023•10 min•Ep. 171
A pair of Republican lawmakers are promising to hold hearings into why so many state and University of Wisconsin workers aren’t in their offices. A pair of audits from the Legislative Audit Bureau looked at telework and office space trends. Auditors found that nearly 20% of state employees are allowed to work from home, some as many as five days a week. That number jumps to more than 30% of UW workers who do not have to come into an office each day. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spoti...
Dec 21, 2023•10 min•Ep. 170
Not everyone is on board with the plan to start counting absentee ballots before election day in Wisconsin. Critics lined up Tuesday to press lawmakers not to approve the so-called Monday count legislation. Another election reform proposal came up this week before the Senate Committee on Elections. They heard a plan to introduce ranked choice voting in the state, which was criticized by many Republicans. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Dec 15, 2023•10 min•Ep. 169
Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol are furious with Republican lawmakers after Universities of Wisconsin regents voted to accept the deal that will roll back some diversity, equity and inclusion jobs. Regents voted Wednesday night to accept the deal that repurposes a little more than 40 DEI administrators in exchange for $800 million for UW pay raises, a new engineering building on the Madison campus and millions more in other university needs. Gov. Tony Evers said regents were essentially force...
Dec 14, 2023•11 min•Ep. 168
A judge says Wisconsin’s near total ban on abortions does not apply to consensual abortions. Dane County Judge Diane Schlipper last week ruled the 1849 law that bans almost all abortions in the state only applies to people who intentionally kill a baby, what she called feticide. Schlipper said the law does not apply when a woman agrees to end her pregnancy. The Sheboygan County district attorney is promising a quick appeal, saying the state’s 1849 abortion law is perfectly clear. Support this po...
Dec 12, 2023•9 min•Ep. 167
Wisconsin taxpayers are officially on the hook for $500 million for the Milwaukee Brewers’ ballpark. Gov. Tony Evers last week signed the ballpark funding plan. Evers high-fived the Brewers’ racing sausages after he signed the deal. The public funding package means $366 million from state taxpayers and $135 million from taxpayers in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County will be earmarked for American Family Field over the next 27 years. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisc...
Dec 10, 2023•9 min•Ep. 166
The man who signed Act 10 into law is predicting an expensive turnaround if the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns it. Former Gov. Scott Walker was a guest on Madison television over the weekend. He told Channel 3000’s For the Record that ending Act 10 would weaken voters, parents and communities, and give more power to Wisconsin’s public sector unions. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Dec 07, 2023•9 min•Ep. 165
A Wisconsin congressman is warning about possible Chinese spying at the nation’s ports. Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher, who leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said his committee is looking into whether the Chinese are using giant port cranes to spy. Gallagher said the Department of Homeland Security is looking into possible vulnerabilities at the nation’s seaports, including whether the CCP is monitoring activity. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spot...
Dec 02, 2023•7 min•Ep. 164
Many children in Wisconsin schools have not returned to class since the COVID outbreak. A new report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty looks at the spike in chronic absenteeism, particularly since the start of the 2020 school year. The report shows truancy rates in Wisconsin public schools have more than doubled since 2012. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Dec 01, 2023•10 min•Ep. 163
Wisconsin’s governor might have to make his secret email account, and the 17,000 emails he sent through it, public. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on Tuesday filed a formal request to see the Gov. Tony Evers’ warren.spahn@wisconsin.gov emails. Evers’ office has defended the email account as an “email alias,” that was necessary for “enhanced security.” Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Nov 30, 2023•10 min•Ep. 162
