Tag: Wisconsin state politics
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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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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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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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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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Bipartisan bill to aid recruiting at small police depts stalls after state budget snub
With the total number of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin sitting near record lows, the bill aims to ease staffing shortages with grants to help pay for the training of new hires. But it faces an uphill climb.
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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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IRS cuts cost much more than they save, further growing the deficit, experts say
Local governments and nonprofits in Wisconsin could also suffer if federal revenue shrinks.
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EMS staffing in Wisconsin is at a ‘crisis point.’ That could be very bad for you.
Three bills working through the Legislature would help EMS agencies fund themselves, subsidize coursework and increase reimbursements for some 911 calls, experts say.
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Bipartisan bill to end daylight saving in Wisconsin introduced in state Legislature
A majority of the U.S. populace favors ending daylight saving. Wisconsin began the practice in 1957 after a statewide referendum.
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Hands-free driving laws save lives, research says. So where is Wisconsin’s?
At least 29 states prohibit holding a phone while driving, but not us. Distracted driving killed nearly 3,300 Americans in 2023.
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Bipartisan bill would require restaurants offering maple syrup serve the real thing
Wisconsin already bans public eating places from serving another imitation food product.
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Dueling bills aim to simplify ballot questions for Wisconsin voters
Legislative Republicans are increasingly governing through constitutional amendments, bypassing the Democratic governor’s veto.
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Disturbed by huge political spending in Wisconsin? Here’s one thing you can do.
Voters are not powerless to curb the power of billionaires in Wisconsin politics. But it will take action from a lot of us.
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Wisconsin still has highest % of female state Supreme Court justices in U.S.
The state just experienced another record-smashing race in terms of political spending. Some research suggests gender is a cause for all that campaign cash flooding into the state to try and influence the election.
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Wisconsin prohibits auto makers from selling directly to the public. Here’s why.
Electric vehicle maker Tesla is challenging state laws that ban auto companies from selling to consumers in Wisconsin.