The effort to end school choice in Wisconsin through the state’s supreme court has failed to convince Gov. Tony Evers. The Evers Administration late Friday submitted a brief with the high court, explaining there is no emergency basis for the Supreme Court to take the case. Progressive activist and often-candidate Kirk Bangstad filed the lawsuit last month, claiming school choice and Wisconsin’s voucher programs are both unconstitutional and hurt traditional public schools by sending money to pri...
Nov 22, 2023•9 min•Ep. 161
The top Republican in the Wisconsin Assembly says he is encouraged by the University of Wisconsin’s plan to focus on in-demand degrees, but it's not enough to move him off his block of the university's pay raises. Speaker Robin Vos told reporters at the Capitol that without an agreement to pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion spending there won’t be any movement on raises for university workers. Republican lawmakers put a hold on those raises last month. That came after Vos ordered a $32...
Nov 18, 2023•9 min•Ep. 160
Despite test scores that show nearly 60% of students in Wisconsin schools cannot read or do math at grade level, more than 90% of school districts in the state meet the state’s expectations. The Department of Public Instruction recently released its school and school district report cards. Of the 378 public school districts in the state that received a report card this year, 357 met or exceeded expectations. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Nov 17, 2023•8 min•Ep. 159
It looks like taxpayers in Wisconsin will continue to pay for the Brewers’ baseball stadium. The Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday morning approved the plan to spend about $500 million on future renovations and maintenance at American Family Field. To make it happen, the Republican sponsor of the plan had to work a few changes. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Nov 16, 2023•9 min•Ep. 158
Tuesday was a day for Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol to show their frustrations with the University of Wisconsin. The State Assembly was scheduled to vote on a series of plans that would force changes upon the Universities of Wisconsin. The biggest proposed change would create a punishment for UW campuses that do not respect the free speech rights of students – particularly conservative students, according to Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie. Support this podcast: https://podcaster...
Nov 11, 2023•10 min•Ep. 157
Democratic lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol are framing free school lunches for all students as a way to get more farm fresh vegetables into schools, as a way to hire more school workers and as a way to make sure no children go hungry. They are not, however, saying it will be cheap. The Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin Coalition and several Democratic lawmakers Monday pitched a plan to maximize the federal free and reduced school lunch program to cover all children in the state. Support ...
Nov 10, 2023•8 min•Ep. 156
The latest poll shows President Joe Biden winning Wisconsin in 2024, but only if his opponent is Donald Trump. A new Marquette Law School poll gives the current president a 2-point lead over the former president, 50-48, in Wisconsin. President Biden trails, according to the poll, both Ron DeSantis and Nickey Haley. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support
Nov 09, 2023•9 min•Ep. 155
A new report says Wisconsin is outpacing the rest of the country when it comes to smaller families. The Wisconsin Policy Forum is out with a new report that says Wisconsin families have shrunk faster than other states for about the last 50 years. The report says longer lives and a shift away from larger families both contribute to the change. Wisconsin is not alone in the shift to smaller families. The Policy Forum report notes many other states are seeing declines as well. Support this podcast:...
Nov 04, 2023•8 min•Ep. 154
Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol say students need free speech protections on University of Wisconsin campuses. The Assembly Committee on Colleges and University held a public hearing on a pair of plans Republicans say will not only make sure the Universities of Wisconsin are respecting the First Amendment but will also open the campus to more students. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Nov 03, 2023•9 min•Ep. 153
Wisconsin’s governor is accusing Republican lawmakers of hijacking power at the State Capitol. Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday filed a lawsuit that challenges the Republican-controlled legislature’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations, Joint Finance Committee and Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules for thwarting his power by refusing to approve pay raises for University of Wisconsin employees and for blocking a handful of conservation projects in the state. Support this podcast: ht...
Nov 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 152
There is traditional support for and opposition against a series of constitutional amendments that deal with voting in Wisconsin. The Joint Senate Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection and Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committees held a public hearing Tuesday on three amendments. Senate Joint Resolution 71 / Assembly Joint Resolution 76 sets the voting age at 18, and limits voting in Wisconsin to only US citizens, Senate Joint Resolution 73 / Assembly Joint Resolution 78 enshrines...
Oct 27, 2023•9 min•Ep. 151
The plan to spend $500 million in taxpayer money on the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium may look different once it gets through the Wisconsin Senate. A Senate panel held a hearing on the stadium funding proposal Wednesday and immediately hit supporters with questions. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said before the hearing that there are not enough Republican votes to get the ballpark package through the Senate. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/supp...
Oct 26, 2023•9 min•Ep. 150
Republicans at the Wisconsin Capital are moving forward with their child care agenda that doesn't include new money. A senate panel heard testimony on six different pieces of legislation that would change regulations or rules for child care providers in the state. Sen. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, said the idea is to make it easier for daycare providers to open up, or expand, and provide parents with more spots in daycares across the state as opposed to spending more money. Support this podcast: ht...
Oct 21, 2023•8 min•Ep. 149
Few at the Wisconsin capital are happy about the University of Wisconsin's decision to end in-person classes at two regional campuses, though they are not shocked. University president Jay Rothman announced the university will end face-to-face classes at UW-Milwaukee Washington County and UW Oshkosh Fond du Lac. Rothman also announced the UW Platteville Richland campus will close permanently. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 20, 2023•9 min•Ep. 148
Several groups promised to fight a new lawsuit that challenges school choice in Wisconsin. Kirk Bangstad, the owner of the Minocqua Brewing, last week filed a lawsuit that accuses Wisconsin's voucher programs of harming public schools in the state. Bangstad is challenging school choice based on Wisconsin's Constitution Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 19, 2023•9 min•Ep. 147
A lawmaker has a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol to make sure children are away from and cannot ride in Madison's Naked Bike ride. State Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, is shepherding the proposal. He said Wisconsin needs a new state law after a 10-year-old-girl rode her bike naked during Madison's Naked Bike Ride this summer. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 14, 2023•8 min•Ep. 146
Nearly 60% of students in Wisconsin's Public Schools continue to be unable to read, write or do math at grade level. The State's Department of Public Instruction released the latest standardized test scores Tuesday, and they show 39.2% of public school students are proficient or better in reading, while 41.1% are proficient or better in math. But those are the statewide averages. Individual schools saw differing results, and the numbers show low-income students did worse across the board. Suppor...
Oct 13, 2023•8 min•Ep. 145
Republican lawmakers are not being shy with their criticism of the plan for Milwaukee's mayor to raise salaries at city hall. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson recently proposed a sweeping pay raise policy that would boost his salary from $147,000 to $169,000 a year. The proposal would also mean pay raises for Milwaukee's police chief, fire chief city treasurer, city council president and aldermen. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 12, 2023•9 min•Ep. 144
The woman in charge of Wisconsin's Department of Health Services said public health managers in the state made mistakes in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. DHS Secretary Nominee Kirsten Johnson on Thursday defended the decisions she and other public health department leaders made during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020. “We certainly made mistakes. Part of this is it was a novel virus, we didn't know what we didn't know, and we were making the best decision we could out...
Oct 07, 2023•8 min•Ep. 143
Supporters of the plan to use taxpayer money to pay for renovations and upkeep at American Family Field are out with a new poll they say shows most people in Wisconsin agree. Milwaukee’s tourism office, Visit Milwaukee, and the city’s Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce released the poll Wednesday morning. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 06, 2023•9 min•Ep. 142
Opponents of two plans at the Wisconsin Capital to declare girls and women's sports for biological girls and women only are painting a dire picture of what would happen if they became law. Two assembly committees held hearings on the plans. One would ban trans athletes from sports in the University of Wisconsin system, and the other would ban trans athletes from sports in Wisconsin public schools. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Oct 05, 2023•9 min•Ep. 141
Wisconsin's other baseball teams are on board with the latest plan to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee. The nine members of the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate baseball league, all signed a letter as part of the Home Crew coalition that encourages lawmakers at the Wisconsin Capitol to come to an agreement to pay for updates and renovations at American Family Field. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 30, 2023•10 min•Ep. 140
There is immediate pushback to a proposal at the Wisconsin Capitol that would ban sex change surgeries and gender-affirming care for children. The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus condemned the plan from a handful of Republicans, calling it “cruel.” Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support
Sep 29, 2023•9 min•Ep. 139
Republican lawmakers want to use the state's Constitution to do what they cannot do at the Wisconsin Capital. Four Republicans have introduced a pair of constitutional amendments they say will close loopholes in or protect the state's electoral process. Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Rep. Patrick Snyder, R-Schofield, are pushing a constitutional amendment they say would protect voter ID. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 28, 2023•9 min•Ep. 138
Two Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol want to make it clear people have the right to grow vegetables and flowers in their yard. State Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, and State Sen. Andre Jacque, R-DePere, appeared before an Assembly committee to pitch their plan that would guarantee a right to garden in Wisconsin. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 23, 2023•5 min•Ep. 137
Milwaukee Brewers President Rick Schlesinger understands $600 million is a lot of money. He also understands American Family Field is running out of money, quickly. Schlesinger didn’t downplay the cost to taxpayers after Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol introduced a plan to spend $600 million over the next 25-plus years to maintain and upgrade the Brewers’ ballpark. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 22, 2023•5 min•Ep. 136
Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol may be trying to roll back school choice in the state after presenting a package of legislation they say would reinvest in public schools and bring transparency to voucher school spending. “This is about public dollars, public schools and public oversight,” Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, told reporters. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 16, 2023•8 min•Ep. 135
Wisconsin Republican lawmakers continue to say their $3 billion tax cut is pretty much what Gov. Evers wanted. Assembly Republicans said their plan, which cuts taxes for most people in Wisconsin and makes retirement essentially tax-free in the state, is in line with the governor’s campaign promise of a middle class tax cut. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 15, 2023•7 min•Ep. 134
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is asking former members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for guidance on the possible impeachment of Justice Janet Protasiewicz. Vos told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber on Wednesday he is not “foaming at the mouth” to impeach Protasiewicz. He said he’d rather not impeach her at all. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 14, 2023•8 min•Ep. 133
School choice supporters in Wisconsin say the latest look at school finances show their schools are a better bargain than their public school counterparts. Public school leaders, however, want to make sure all financial aspects for both public and private schools are shown. School Choice Wisconsin recently released its analysis of the latest financial data from the state’s Department of Public Instruction. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisconsininfocus/support...
Sep 09, 2023•8 min•Ep. 132
