Category: Politics
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Wisconsin joins 35 other states to ban phones in classrooms starting next year
Despite his concerns, Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill requiring public schools to limit the use of cell phones in classrooms.
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‘Huge step forward’ – Wisconsin gov signs bills bolstering EMS workforce, funding
Experts say the new laws will strengthen emergency response across the state by funding more educational costs and increasing the payment EMS services get for treating but not transporting patients.
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Waushara County Sheriff must repay $22k plus interest in K9 stipends, board votes
An investigation from The Badger Project found that Sheriff Walter Zuehlke had continued taking a monthly stipend for years after quitting trainings for his law enforcement dog Argo.
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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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An Uber driver, a dairy farmer and a therapist walk into the Capitol: Many Wisconsin lawmakers have side gigs
It’s common for legislators, who make about $61,000 a year, to have a second job. The state Senate and Assembly each meet for only part of the year, allowing elected members to seek additional work.
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Waushara Co Board launches probe into sheriff’s K9 stipends
An investigation from The Badger Project found Sheriff Walter Zuehlke received more than $25,000 in care payments for his K9 since quitting the law enforcement trainings after he was elected in 2018.
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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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Waushara Co Sheriff repays $1,200 in county K9 funds he got after dog died
An investigation by The Badger Project found Sheriff Walter Zuehlke continued taking care payments for the dog after it died last year. The Waushara County administrator said it was an oversight.
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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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Waushara Co Sheriff took over $20k for K9 partner after quitting trainings
Sheriff Walter Zuehlke stopped training ‘Argo’ in 2019 after his election, but continued taking $400 monthly care checks from the county, even after the dog died, an investigation by The Badger Project found.
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From one circus to another: Professional clown serving in Wisconsin Legislature
Freshman state Rep. Karen DeSanto spent years traveling the world with the Ringling Brothers. Now she’s representing a rural Wisconsin district in the state Assembly. The two jobs are very different, she says.
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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.
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Bolstered by more competitive districts, Dems traded votes for a few budget wins
A rarity in recent years, the state budget received significant support from legislative Democrats. In exchange, they got modest investments in the UW System, public schools and child care.
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Wisconsin elections, already flooded with cash, could get even more expensive
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a GOP-backed challenge to a decades-old campaign finance law that limits how much parties can spend in coordination with candidates for federal office.
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Political challenger accuses Waupaca Co Sheriff, local GOP chapter, of blacklisting
More than a year before the GOP primary, a rural Wisconsin sheriff’s race is heating up, with the former and current DAs taking sides.