Category: News Blog
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GOP bill aiming to protect free speech rights from frivolous lawsuits advances
As the Wisconsin State Legislature is scheduled to close for campaign season, the Assembly passed a Republican bill targeting lawsuits that try to stifle free speech. The Senate must now act for it to become law.
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Bipartisan push for legislator-to-lobbyist cool-off period fails again, may return
A bill that would require retiring legislators wait a year before they can work as lobbyists died again. Its sponsors plan to introduce it again next year.
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Wisconsin bill would automatically register eligible citizens to vote at DMV
The bill, which has little chance of passage this year, may preview strategy from Democrats should they take full control of state government in the fall elections.
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GOP lawmaker leads bipartisan push to supercharge nuclear power in Wisconsin
A bill in the state Legislature aims to bolster nuclear power in Wisconsin. State Rep. Shae Sortwell, a Republican from Two Rivers, wants the state to become an energy “powerhouse.”
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Amtrak might open a station in Madison, but not until 2032. What’s taking so long?
The railroad company got a lot of federal funding for the station in 2021. But even with rail lines already in place, it could take more than a decade before passenger trains come to Wisconsin’s capital.
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MAGA brawler Van Orden moderating (slightly) as he faces tough reelection
Normally synchronized with the president, Rep. Derrick Van Orden has moved to the center on a couple of major issues. Is he worried about his chances in Wisconsin’s most competitive district?
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The rock ‘n’ roll congressman priest from Green Bay who was benched by the pope
St. Norbert College political science professor Father Robert Cornell hobnobbed with famous musicians, then befriended – and frustrated – powerful politicians from both sides of the aisle in Washington.
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Waushara County deputy quits sheriff’s office after The Badger Project’s reporting
Scott Schaut first quit a leadership position at the sheriff’s office after The Badger Project requested documents on his job performance. He resigned from the department entirely last week.
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Pass the butter: State legislators want to tighten Wisconsin’s margarine laws
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is pushing to strengthen limits on margarine. The effort is a reminder of a centuries-old squabble between the butter substitute and the state’s ensconced dairy industry.
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The Badger Project asks judge to award lawyer fees after St. Croix County refuses
After initially denying requests, St. Croix County released records regarding a former deputy after The Badger Project sued. But the county has refused to pay the journalism organization’s attorney fees.
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Bill to increase penalty for impersonating cops advances in Wisconsin Legislature
A bipartisan bill seeks to change the crime of impersonating a police officer from a misdemeanor to a felony. The move comes after several instances in Wisconsin and the killing of a lawmaker in Minnesota.
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Banned statewide, bill allowing traffic cameras in Milwaukee creeps forward
A bipartisan bill in the Wisconsin State Legislature would let the city install traffic cameras to ticket speeders and red light runners. Milwaukee’s top brass has begged lawmakers for the exception.
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GOP lawmakers want to include state police in law enforcement bill of rights
Wisconsin is one of many states to protect cops through a bill of rights, but it excludes state-employed police. Some lawmakers want to change that, while critics worry they are receiving special treatment.
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Musk’s satellite internet company contests Wisconsin’s rural installation plans
The Trump Administration is pushing states to put more federal funding into slower, but cheaper-to-install, satellite internet. Critics fear a giveaway to the companies of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
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Dem legislators reintroduce bill to protect free speech rights from frivolous lawsuits
The “anti-SLAPP” bill would make it harder in Wisconsin to use costly lawsuits against people for exercising their free speech rights. A similar bill died in 2024 without any Republican support.
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UW-Madison study: Partisan news sours consumers on political compromise
Right-leaning media users are less likely to support political compromise, a new study suggests. And in general, partisan media consumers tend to see political disagreements as right or wrong.
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WisDOT releases records, pays legal fees after lawsuit from The Badger Project
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation twice refused to release records pertaining to a former State Patrol officer, so The Badger Project sued. Less than two weeks later, the department agreed to release them.
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Wisconsin lawmakers seek to expand immunity protections for 911 dispatchers
A bipartisan bill in the state Legislature would provide legal immunity to 911 dispatchers who transfer calls to the suicide hotline. Critics say the bill is unnecessary and could impede justice for the injured.