Primary elections are administered by the state, and changing how we vote there would require a new law. Many cities and a couple states already use it, but opposition to a change is significant.
Two Democrats and three Republicans round out the top five. Senators who live outside Dane County can claim $140 per day they are in Madison on official business.
The youngest Republican legislator in the state claimed the most per diem in 2025. Two DSA members also finished in the top five. Per diems are paid on the honor system, as no checks exist to ensure legislators are working in the Capitol on those days.
The March donation from the Beloit billionaire was the biggest the young super PAC has ever received. Many ultrawealthy people got access to the president after making major donations to MAGA Inc.
In what projects to be a good year for Democrats, their leading gubernatorial candidate is scaring some in the party who fear she can’t beat a fierce Trump ally, who has his own weaknesses.
The Johnson Creek Police Department stopped employing Peter Chin in June, about a month after his drunk driving arrest. The Waukesha County District Attorney is investigating him for potential, related criminal charges.
Former Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Mertzig was investigated in 2022 amid accusations from his landlords that he threatened to have code violations enforced against their properties. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office hired him in 2025.
Alcohol is a common factor in the rising number of off-road vehicle crashes and fatalities reported in Wisconsin. Legislators from both sides want to beef up state OWI laws, arguing that will make the vehicles safer.
State Rep. Darrin Madison, a two-term Democrat from Milwaukee favored to win reelection this fall, has not paid the $1,600 bill from October 2023, leading to a lien being placed on his property.
The wife of Detective John White called 911, accusing him of drunken, threatening behavior. A charge was later expunged, and White is back in policing. His chief says the incident was the only “hiccup” in his background.
An investigation into Officer Jadon Stone’s conduct concluded the accusations were “credible,” but the Hayward Police chief “found nothing to disqualify him.”
In the final years of the Coloma Police Department, two high-ranking Waushara County Sheriff’s Department officials made nearly $75,000 total for their part-time work running the village’s law enforcement agency.
The man gathered hundreds of signatures to help Cindy Werner, a Republican from Milwaukee, get on the August primary ballot. People serving a felony sentence are ineligible to vote, and anyone gathering signatures must be an eligible voter.
A collection agency is suing state Rep. Kalan Haywood II for $5,600 of unpaid credit card debt. His spokesman said the legislator denies having any such debt in collections.
Daniel Matuszak has worked for the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office since 2022. Last month, he was pulled over by a fellow deputy and charged for drinking and driving. Now he’s on administrative leave.