Home » Press Releases » TUE News Summary: Michels, Vos want to resurrect election bills Evers vetoed; Kaul sues over ad, Toney debates jurisdictional authority

Evers, Michels agree: Evers’ veto pen is the only obstacle for 100+ GOP bills Evers has vetoed a historic number of bills. GOP leaders have pledged to pass them all if Michels wins. … Evers vetoed 126 bills during the last two-year session of the Legislature, eclipsing the old record of 90 vetoes set in 1927 … During a campaign rally last month in Union Grove, Michels riled up the crowd .. “We are going to take those bills — those bills that Tony Evers vetoed,” Michels said. “We’re going to get them right. I’m going to sign them.” At that same event, [Speaker Vos] went a step further. “I promise you when we are here in one year with Gov. Michels, every single thing that Gov. Evers has vetoed is going to be considered by the Legislature,” Vos said. “And hopefully all of it becomes law.” UW-Madison CD’s Mukherjee, Petroff, Hall comment at Sept. 27 Evers booster. * Evers: “The vast majority of them are gonna come back as quickly as possible. And (Michels) will sign them. Absolutely. That’s a statement of his value system that I think is the reason that people should be voting for me,” touted 453 signed bills in his term, “There are times when people make believe that we don’t agree on anything. But at the end of the day, we actually do accomplish some things.” * UWM emeritus Lee: “It’s almost like they live in different worlds. They don’t talk. They don’t meet. They don’t compromise. They don’t try to work things out. … the two candidates running for governor, they’re trying to find those sort of secret hidden voters, and they’re trying to talk to them.” * GOP strategist McCoshen, who supports Michels, noted TGT’s legislative nickname, ‘Dr. NO,’ “It shows the strength of the office and why the office is important. So highlighting that — there’s no downside to that.” By Johnson, WPR https://www.wpr.org/tony-evers-tim-michels-agree-evers-veto-pen-only-obstacle-more-100-gop-bills

Barnes outraises Johnson by $8M, per July 21 – Oct. 30 FEC reports * Barnes raised $19.5M, spent $17M+, had about $3.5M on hand. * Johnson raised $11.6M, spent $9.1M+, had $4.5M+ on hand. McDaniel for Barnes said “the momentum and grassroots energy is on Mandela’s side heading into the most critical weeks of the election.” Johnson’s campaign did not respond. * OpenSecrets reports outside spending so far at nearly $88M — around $35.1M against Barnes, around $27.4M against Johnson. AdImpact estimates $150M+ by election. * Johnson ads mostly focused on attacking Barnes as soft on crime, past statements about police funding, cutting prison population in half, his support of liberal policies like GND, Medicare For All. * Barnes ads most focused on describing his union, middle-class upbringing while pushing back against Johnson, GOP attacks, first attacked Johnson on Oct. 3 re: abortion on controversial Senate statements. * UWL Prof. LaPlant said ad spending usually peaks near end of tight race, to motivate the base and ideological allies, emphasize the stakes involved, noted Barnes ads have recently turned to using fear, anger and resentment over Dobbs ruling. * UWL prof. Chergosky noted “a very small number of persuadable voters” at this stage, “And it might be the case that Johnson already has enough of an edge to carry him through to victory.” By Kremer, WPR https://www.wpr.org/mandela-barnes-outraises-ron-johnson-8m-latest-us-senate-campaign-finance-reports

Kaul asks Milwaukee stations not to air AG race attack ad … [RAGA-affiliated Wisconsin Freedom PAC ad] parody of the popular show “Law & Order” … says Kaul cut funding for the state’s crime lab and officer training and hollowed out the state prosecutor’s office. … ad’s source: a press release from the Milwaukee Police Association … claims Kaul “doesn’t care about” police and prosecutors. … [Kaul atty. Meuler] on Friday sent letters to five Milwaukee-area television stations asking them not to air the ad [Meuler contended] “contains multiple assertions that are demonstrably not true.” … noted that MPA did not provide a citation in the press release for its [crime lab] claim … “Nor could it,” Meuler wrote. “Attorney General Kaul requested increased funding for the State Crime Lab in each budget during his tenure.” … also rejected the ad’s claim that the attorney general cut funding for officer training [also increased in both budgets] … also contended that the ad’s claim that the attorney general “gutted (the) state prosecutors office” during his first term is false. [asst. DA’s added in both budgets] … “the assertions in the ad at issue aren’t even arguably true.” … Representatives from the five TV stations did not respond … official for RAGA did not respond By Kelly, CAPITAL TIMES https://captimes.com/52e9c173-bb6a-50d2-8042-c8b76854a629.html

Toney says district attorneys should cross county lines to prosecute abortion cases … “We need to give our attorney general the authority to prosecute. They already would have the technical authority to investigate it,” Toney said during an interview conducted in July and broadcast Friday on PBS. “And I think another approach would be allowing for adjoining counties to be able to investigate and enforce that abortion ban in Wisconsin.” … “The Wisconsin Department of Justice has about 100 investigators, as well as a number of prosecutors,” Kaul said during the same PBS interview. “Putting those resources towards going after doctors or nurses or spouses or parents for violating that 19th century abortion ban first is wrong, but on top of that, would be shifting resources from protecting public safety.” Oslund [for Kaul] added Monday: “Eric Toney’s suggestion that we turn the AG and DAs into roving abortion ban enforcers should be deeply concerning to all Wisconsinites.” Reviews MU Law poll. By Hess, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/17/eric-toney-says-das-should-cross-county-lines-prosecute-abortion/10523454002/

WHITE HOUSE ^top^ – You can now apply for Biden’s student loan relief plan. Here’s how https://www.wpr.org/you-can-now-apply-bidens-student-loan-relief-plan-heres-how

GOVERNOR’S RACE ^top^ – Michels pledges support for Line 5 at Superior event, The 645-mile long pipeline has been under scrutiny in recent years. … “We need to make sure that Line 5 gets built, we keep the price of fuel down, the price of heating your home down, the price for farmers to dry their corn down, and we need to make sure that the family-supporting jobs that are up here continue to have the ability to thrive,” Michels said in the parking lot of Stack Bros. on Oct. 9, according to a news release sent by his campaign. Senate candidate Quinn accompanied Michels. https://www.superiortelegram.com/news/local/michels-pledges-support-for-line-5-at-superior-event

– Paul Farrow & Kelda Roys after the 2022 gubernatorial debate, Here’s what guests on the October 14, 2022 episode said about a debate between Evers and Michels. https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/here-now-highlights-paul-farrow-kelda-roys-after

– PolitiFact: Evers campaign off-base with claim about what Michels wants for public ed funding … latter part of [Evers’] statement misconstrues Michels’ quote … But as a proponent of expanding school choice, Michels could oversee cuts to public schools … Mostly False https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/oct/17/tony-evers/evers-campaign-base-claim-about-what-michels-wants/

US SENATE RACE ^top^ – Johnson campaign paid $20K to law firm of attorney tied to Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election … paid the Troupis Law Office [who organized fake electors in WI] $7,000 on Aug. 18 … for “Recount: Legal Consulting” … over $13,000 … on July 15 for “Legal Consulting.” … [news] comes after Johnson refused to unconditionally commit to accepting the certified results in his upcoming Nov. 8 election … [Voelkel for Johnson noted close elections are common in WI,] “It would be reckless to be unprepared for any possible circumstance – and this campaign has been preparing for months for just that.” … Sounds like they’re gearing up to try to destroy our democratic processes again,” Barnes said on Twitter. “We can’t let them get away with it.” … [defended $90K paid to] Elias Law Group as “standard practice … in case of a possible recount, but … not … a lawyer involved in efforts to overturn the results of a free and fair election,” Barnes’ campaign said in a statement. NYT reported Elias involvement in “rigging the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries to thwart Bernie Sanders and facilitating a deluge of big money into politics.” Troupis also represented Trump’s bid to invalidate enough ballots to overturn the 2020 election result in WI, which WI Supreme Court rejected and US Supreme refused to hear. Recaps Troupis/Johnson office coordination to deliver WI fake electors to Pence, Dem suit against 10 GOP fake elector, attys. Troupis and Cheesebro to link them to Jan. 6 insurrection. Troupis did not respond. https://madison.com/21b79f40-88e1-59d6-98fb-2a924fad4f44.html

– Johnson campaign hires Troupis firm that represented Trump in 2020 WI decert effort * McDaniel for Barnes: “Ron Johnson is hell-bent on holding onto power through any means possible so that he can continue delivering tax breaks to his wealthiest donors, follow through on his plan to put Social Security on the chopping block, and rip away women’s reproductive rights.” * Voelkel for Johnson: “As anyone who works on campaigns in this state knows, close elections in Wisconsin are the rule, not the exception. It would be reckless to be unprepared for any possible circumstance — and this campaign has been preparing for months for just that.” Recaps filings, past Troupis actions and Johnson statements. Troupis did not respond. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/17/ron-johnson-campaign-hires-donald-trump-2020-election-attorney-troupis/10526040002/

– Ad wars: While Ron Johnson went negative, Mandela Barnes made peanut butter sandwiches … [recaps ads] … “The trouble is running those positive ads, even if they have kept his image a bit more positive than it might have been, is that they do very little to change people’s perceptions of his opponent,” [MU Law pollster] Franklin said. Some Democrats are questioning the substance of Barnes’ positive ads. * Nelson campaign mgr. Lin: “From what I hear from voters, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches don’t seem to have been a strong enough response to the GOP racist smear campaign. … It’s been a collective Democratic failure that we have not managed to drive up the negatives of the second most unpopular senator in America.” * Dem strategist Zepecki defended self-defining ads for undefined statewide candidate, “This is an incumbent senator. Most Wisconsinites have made up their mind. … in the choice between reminding people that they dislike Ron Johnson or making the case for why they should hire Mandela … I think they made exactly the right decision in terms of trying to define Mandela. … If they had not done that, no one else was going to do it for them. … [GOP groups] were going to clobber Barnes no matter what, and I don’t think there’s anything the Barnes campaign could have done that would change that.” … AdImpact found as of Sept. 19, GOP had outspent Dem $49M to $40M, with $10M from Hendricks/Uihleins to WI Truth PAC. Recaps latest FEC filings. * McDaniel predicted the “early groundwork and aggressive campaign” will be enough to win Nov. 8. https://madison.com/9846608a-46fb-51f2-917a-d6b545523ee4.html

AG RACE ^top^ – Kaul, Toney and WI’s 2022 AG race, Protecting the rule of law is central to the state attorney general election, but the Democratic incumbent and Republican challenger seeking the office offer distinct visions about what that means. https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/josh-kaul-eric-toney-and-wisconsins-2022-ag-race/

CONGRESSIONAL RACES ^top^ – Congress braces for new members who were at Capitol on Jan. 6 … Driving the news: The Pelosi-aligned House Majority PAC plans to cancel its ad reservations in Wisconsin’s 3rd District … potentially ceding the race to Republican Derrick Van Orden. … a retired Navy SEAL, has acknowledged being at the Capitol but claims he left when it was “clear that a protest had become a mob.” But the Daily Beast reports he was behind police barricades after the violence began. … None of the three [Van Orden, Majewski, Smith] has been charged … Van Orden has called Jan. 6 “one of the most tragic incidents” in American history and said The Daily Beast report is “inaccurate.” … “It’s terrifying, personally, because these were people who were with violent insurrectionists,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “It’s also terrifying from the perspective of our country … to have [members of Congress] who are so actively part of denying the elections .” … Van Orden and Smith’s campaigns did not respond https://www.axios.com/2022/10/17/congress-january-6-riot-candidates

OTHER STATE RACES ^top^ – Candidate Q&A: SD27 – Sen. Hesselbein-D and Robert Relph-R answer Why are you the best candidate for this office? … What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it? … What changes, if any, would you make to the state’s election system? … What are your priorities for the state’s $5 billion surplus? … Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain. … How should the state improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement? … How should the state address its workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors? … Was the Michael Gableman investigation of the 2020 election a good use of taxpayer resources? What follow-up should there be? https://madison.com/d122c670-e5ff-548c-90e6-b61fb01244f1.html

– Report: Write-in foe of Rep. Robin Vos recorded calling own supporters ‘stupid,’ making misogynistic comments … WisconsinRightNow … reported for the first time Monday on what it says were secretly recorded phone calls between Steen and “top Republicans.” … making misogynistic comments, calling some of his own supporters “stupid,” openly considering breaking election law for a stunt, and agreeing with a statement that his own volunteers “are legitimately barbaric.” … In a statement, Steen did not deny any allegations … said: “I recently learned that someone I believed to be a trusted friend and volunteer campaign staff member made an unauthorized disclosure of archival data from both my campaign and private business. … a desperate and blatantly political attack intended to derail my campaign just weeks before the election,” and called … Vos, a “weak and corrupt … lying coward.” [vowed to campaign “undeterred … for the values we hold dear.”] … [on Sat.] Steen expressed confidence that he would defeat Vos in the general election [but also predicted 20-point win in primary, which Vos won by 2.6 points, his smallest margin ever.] … Steen and Vos did not respond, Jacobsen declined comment. Recaps WRN’s report on Steen calls re: staff, Gableman, Lindell, Schmaling, Vos. https://madison.com/6a0335c7-5e75-5e70-bf3f-d0347b35268b.html

– Rep. Moses-R, Johnson-D face off in 29th … “I am one of the very few representatives that got bipartisan support and got a bill passed by Gov. Evers,” [Moses] said. … “Like many people the presidential election of 2016 was a wake-up call for many Democrats,” Johnson said. … Based on his experience in the state Legislature, Moses said it will be up to state Republican Party leaders to order a discussion of a replacement to the state’s old abortion law through a caucus. “We’ve got to have those discussions,” he said. https://www.leadertelegram.com/faffda7a-951c-561b-8a60-9dfedaa69879.html

– Moore analysis: With mid-terms approaching, Republicans hammer away on crime while Democrats counter with abortion: Johnson ads on Barnes past statements, Michels ads on Evers’ Kenosha response. In a national poll, the memo stated, the RNC found that Republicans led Democrats by 16 points on the issue. http://www.rivernewsonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=47&ArticleID=94988

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ^top^ – Policy Forum Report Shows Sales Tax Critical to Local Government … [WPF] analysis of [Exec.] Crowley’s proposed 2023 budget … extolls the county’s sound use of federal stimulus funding compared to the City [which used one-time funds for ongoing operations] … notes the county’s stewardship of these federal funds was made possible in part by the county’s 0.5% sales tax and county departments managing spending to produce year-end budget surpluses in recent years. … inflation … has also driven up the county’s sales tax revenue. … $12M structural budget gap in 2023 was closed thanks to sound budget management by county departments in previous years. … Transit System, which faces a shortfall between $20-33M by 2025 [depending on intervening budgets] … “Unless ridership rebounds beyond expectations or additional infusions of state aid arrive in the next state budget, MCTS faces a frightening scenario when the federal funds are exhausted,” the policy forum report notes. More report highlights, analysis. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/10/17/mke-county-policy-forum-report-shows

– Milwaukee Spending $1.5M On Lawsuits, Including Two Police Conduct Cases, And another $1.5M in settlements is pending. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/10/17/city-hall-milwaukee-spending-1-5-million-on

– In budget address, Mayor Mason says city is adding new six police officer positions https://journaltimes.com/988de524-4e88-11ed-80d9-c7b099d0918c.html

– Racine County Public Health Division officially opens https://journaltimes.com/07fc73ec-4e54-11ed-8ec8-1f2464b8df11.html

– Debt service levy continues to be a concern for county budget https://www.leadertelegram.com/67867365-8739-5cce-9aa9-9868e7a47d4b.html

AGRIBUSINESS ^top^ – Avian flu identified in St. Croix County … in a backyard flock … DATCP continues to ask poultry owners and those working around poultry to use enhanced biosecurity practices, w https://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/d8d62e3e-4e5b-11ed-ab65-1361c993ac35.html

COURTS ^top^ – Wrongful death suit filed in fatal crash involving Sen. Janet Bewley, More than $10,000 in damages is sought for the death of a 5-year-old girl. … The civil suit was filed Friday, Oct. 14, by the child’s father, Brandon Fink of Pennsylvania, and seeks damages of more than $10,000. The responding parties have 45 days to respond to the complaint. Fink is requesting that the case be tried by a 12-person jury. https://www.superiortelegram.com/news/local/wrongful-death-suit-filed-in-fatal-crash-involving-sen-janet-bewley

– Day 11 of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack trial: Witnesses testify about interactions with Brooks after the parade … said they saw him south of the parade route after the incident and [Daniel Rider] who briefly offered him shelter from the cold. … testified that Brooks presented himself as “homeless and cold” before police arrived. … Two police officers who arrested Brooks also testified. … Prosecutors said it’s likely they will rest their case on Wednesday. It’s unclear how long it will take Brooks to present his own defense. … Brooks began the day by denying he had received a pretrial plea offer from the state … [DA] Opper said the offer was initially sent to Brooks and his attorneys in July, then resubmitted to him directly Thursday after he claimed he had never received one. In return for pleading guilty to counts 1-67 in the criminal complaint, prosecutors offered to strike the penalty enhancers and dismiss the remaining counts. Opper said prosecutors would recommend six consecutive life sentences for the homicide charges. Some testimony from WPD Det. Carpenter, who initially interrogated Brooks. https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/10/17/takeaways-day-11-darrell-brooks-waukesha-christmas-parade-trial/10521340002/

– Brooks trial: State to conclude its case Wednesday, Brooks to begin defense https://www.wpr.org/darrell-brooks-jr-trial-state-conclude-its-case-wednesday

CULTURE ^top^ – Even though acceptance of LGBTQ community is high, incidents of harassment, intimidation keep getting worse … According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer, hate crimes against LGBTQ people have exploded since 2015. … [Diverse & Resilient’s Flores] points out that a majority of the violence aimed at LGBTQ people goes unreported. … [GB asst. atty.] Maes, an openly trans woman, said on the campaign trail she was called by her male birth name and super PACs put side-by-side images of her before she came out and after in their mailers. … “To say I’m not qualified to be a judge or a county board supervisor because I had some hormones, it really rings hollow.” Molly Thompson, a Black intersex woman in Tomah, “I want to be treated like an ordinary woman.” Gallup’s 2022 Mood of the Nation survey, 62% of responders said they were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with the acceptance of LGBTQ — notable because on virtually every other mood measurement, the responses were negative. In a separate Gallup survey, in 2021, the number of people identifying as LGBTQ was the highest ever: 7.1% of U.S. adults. … [Fair Wisconsin’s McDonell] said recent polling and research suggests a majority of voters support LGBTQ rights, from marriage equality to nondiscrimination protections. … Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health, 73% of LGBTQ say they’ve been discriminated against for their sexual orientation and gender identity at least once in their lifetimes … Nearly 20% of LGBTQ youths who experienced bullying said they’ve attempted suicide in the last year. … Andrew Nesbitt was 46 years old when he was stabbed to death in his downtown Madison home in 2017. … six years [after] he was nearly killed in a brutal attack outside a gay bar on Christmas Eve in Oshkosh. … since being kicked out of his home by his father for being gay when he was 18. … judge dropped the hate crime enhancers and sentenced his two assailants to two years in prison. “It was the biggest slap on the wrist I’ve ever seen,” Andrew’s younger brother Jim Nesbitt said. “The explanation was, ‘Well, boys will be boys.'” [see Race Relations] https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/10/18/intimidation-harassment-wisconsin-lgbtq-community-rising/7950031001/

EDUCATION ^top^ – WI’s funding formula pushes school districts to referendum … [92] operational referendums sets a new record for Wisconsin this year; only in 2001 did the state come close, with 84 … trend prompted Dane County school district superintendents to issue an open letter to parents over the summer, explaining the need … cites a Wisconsin School Policy Forum analysis of per-pupil spending … found that Wisconsin spent $12,740 per pupil, 56% below the national average. … ranked 25th highest in the nation in 2020, down from 11th in 2002 … “I think since the Republicans have controlled the Legislature, their mindset is ‘we don’t want to spend money; we want to cut taxes,’ in particular, income taxes. The more you have to spend on schools and universities and local government, the less you can cut income taxes,” [WASB’s] Rossmiller said [noting levy caps serve to reduce property tax] … “It seems disingenuous to say, at the very least, they’re funding schools, when in fact, it’s the local taxpayers that have had the burden shifted to them,” [Mount Horeb SD Supt.] Salerno said. https://www.dailyunion.com/016fb8a1-6937-515b-99a3-13b34bacae73.html

– This new Lawrence University course was designed to help students intentionally slow down. Thanks to Twitter, it’s become national news. … Research shows that a majority of college students during the 2020-21 school year met the criteria for at least one mental health problem … So [LU prof. Kassor, colleagues] asked themselves: How can we get students to be intentional about taking “down time”? How can we get them to reflect on who they are, what they need? … Each week, a different professor or community member teaches the class about their own area of expertise, Kassor said. One week the students learned tai chi. Another week a professor from the psychology department talked about sleep hygiene and how it corresponds with higher GPAs. … “Doing Nothing” … counts for one-sixth of a normal class, is graded as either pass or fail and meets for only one hour once a week. https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/education/2022/10/18/doing-nothing-class-lawrence-university-garners-national-attention/10522328002/

ELECTIONS ^top^ – Eight checks WEC uses to deter and catch voter fraud … In the 2020 election, approximately 0.003% of the nearly 3.3 million ballots cast in Wisconsin were submitted illegally by felons not yet eligible to vote … the most common type of prohibited voting in Wisconsin, experts say. … about the same amount of illegal votes cast by felons in the 2016 election [when] Trump won … by about 23,000 votes. … [WI] one of the most decentralized election administration systems in the nation … about 1,850 municipalities. … 1. All voters are required to register. … 2. Photo ID is required to vote by mail, and absentee ballots require a witness. … 3. Felons can’t legally vote until completing their entire sentence… Probation too. … 4. Dead people can’t vote. … are removed from the voter list. 5. Potential vote fraud is investigated. … 6. Voting equipment is double-checked. … 7. People can’t vote more than once. … 8. Anyone can report suspected vote fraud. WEC’s Vetterkind, UW prof. Burden comment. https://journaltimes.com/b1ea2774-4e58-11ed-b425-f38fed097074.html

– Democratic Party of Kenosha County presents special awards during annual dinner … Leaders of Kenosha [Erica Ness, Ariel Crowder, Tanya McLean] received the Community Organization of the Year award. https://www.kenoshanews.com/cacb9ee6-4e4c-11ed-8a61-9b3f69fe8103.html

ENERGY ^top^ – Enbridge to pay $11 million for aquifer breaches during Line 3 construction, The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will receive almost $1.5 million. https://www.superiortelegram.com/news/local/enbridge-to-pay-11-million-for-aquifer-breaches-during-line-3-construction

ENVIRONMENT ^top^ – The Clean Water Act changed Wisconsin’s waters. At 50, its supporters see success but progress still to go … [ex-DNR’s] Martini believes the federal Clean Water Act [passed over Nixon’s veto] was integral to turning things around on [Wisconsin River, revitalizing Wausau] … “Every way you could measure water pollution, we had the worst of it on the Wisconsin River when I started,” Martini said. “Now, it’s a very good-quality river.” … Fox River, which flows through other historic papermaking towns into the bay of Green Bay, was described as a “flowing sewer” before the 1970s … Today, the river has completed a multi-year cleanup of toxic chemicals and swimming may be possible by next summer. Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Walling, GLIFWC’s Vanator comment. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/10/18/wisconsins-waters-improved-clean-water-acts-50th-anniversary/10469705002/

– To stay or to go: Increased flooding forces choices along the Mississippi River, As increased rainfall strains aging infrastructure, residents along the Mississippi River ask the same question: Do we pack up and move out? https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/10/to-stay-or-to-go-increased-flooding-forces-choices

– Protecting the Lower St. Croix, history and stories mark celebration of 50 years of protection https://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/ef696724-4bdb-11ed-bca7-0b83c4d754f5.html

– Hunting education important for new hunters and veterans to stay up to date … Wisconsin DNR has a program just for beginners and others who what to learn more about the outdoors. A major section of the R-3 Team deals with hunting. Many subsets are called Learn to hunt: turkeys, upland game, waterfowl and deer, as well as Learn to gather food, fish, venison, mushrooms and edible plants. DNR’s Nack comments. https://www.wiscnews.com/95c3b191-b680-5d80-a997-a003ac93b939.html

HEALTH CARE ^top^ – Froedtert not seeking merger with ThedaCare: Q&A … CEO Cathy Jacobson says her health system possesses adequate reserves to pay cash for its $55 million-plus share of new facilities in the Fox River Valley — and has no plans to merge with its joint venture partner ThedaCare. https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/10/17/cathy-jacobson-thedacare-q-a.html

LABOR ^top^ – Strike continues at Racine Case tractor factory with no clear end in sight, Union leader: UAW Local 180 and CNH Industrial disagree on wages, benefits: UAW Local 180’s Glowacki: “We have a fundamental, principle disagreement in the way they’re handling their business … I don’t know what the future holds for us. But at this point, our membership is resolute in the fact that we need to be compensated fairly.” Sept. CNHi full-page RJT ad touted offers of 18-25% wage hike and 3 different health insurance plans, “When we reach an agreement and the strike is over, we will welcome all of you back to work.” CNHi did not respond. COWS’ Dresser: “I think workers feel like they learned something about their value during the pandemic, and they don’t see that honored. And so, I think that you see workers stepping up more for that reason.” Amid the tensions between the union and CNHi, two of the company’s replacement workers were killed and four were injured when a van carrying them crashed near Milwaukee last week, “Our heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers go to the families of the victims, those workers who were injured and those who were involved in the accident,” CNHi statement read. https://www.wpr.org/strike-continues-racine-case-tractor-factory-no-clear-end-sight

LAW AND ORDER ^top^ – WDOJ investigating fatal shooting [Quantaze Campbell] by Dane County Sheriff’s Office deputy … “Quantaze’s children and loved ones have complained bitterly about the lack of transparency and answers coming from the police and Wisconsin Department of Justice,” [Freedom Inc’s Dannweih] statement says. “Quantaze is the latest victim in a long string of low-income Black and brown people murdered by police in Wisconsin and the US,” calling it an “epidemic.” … “All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation,” the DOJ said in a statement Thursday but had no additional information as of Monday. … “will turn over investigative reports to the Dane County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.” https://captimes.com/6250c982-c452-59bd-9a67-e18365bddbe5.html

– Sheboygan County sheriff candidate faced firing after investigation found he lied on minor reports: ex-deputy Jarrod Fenner-I challenging Walker-appointed Sheriff Cory Roeseler-R. Fenner was forced to resign in lieu of termination July 1. https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/18/sheboygan-county-sheriff-candidate-jarrod-fenner-faced-firing-lying-resigned/8208123001/

– Deputy running for sheriff forced to resign. Says he feels targeted by sheriff https://www.kohler.news/deputy-running-for-sheriff-forced-to-resign-says-he-feels-targeted-by-sheriff/

– Joint county, police, school System of Care program aims to keep kids out of juvenile justice system … Similar to a program used by schools and law enforcement in La Crosse, [ex-SRO] Bembnister said the SOC program offers students who have committed low-level offenses an alternative to the juvenile court. https://www.leadertelegram.com/ed45ae4b-ace6-55f8-a357-d071824da247.html

MANAGEMENT ^top^ – Activist investor Macellum tries to rally support to ‘refresh’ Kohl’s Corp. board of directors https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/10/18/activist-investor-macellum-renews-pressure-kohls-targets-board/10487385002/

MANUFACTURING ^top^ – WI’s All States Ag Parts acquires KS-based Arrow Acquisition forklift parts company https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/10/17/all-state-ag-parts-acquires-arrow-acquisition.html

Georgia-Pacific closes its Oshkosh plant and lays off 38 workers effective immediately … Employees will receive 60 days’ pay with benefits, which is in accordance with federal and state law. … [G-P’s] Ryan said [Steelworker Union] employees do not have bumping rights … cited less-cost-competitive machinery at Day Street, changing customer demand, toilet paper production upgrades and investments at other company manufacturing plants as reasons for the decision to close the Green Bay mill. https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/2022/10/17/georgia-pacific-closes-its-oshkosh-plant-and-lays-off-38-workers/10528823002/

MILITARY ^top^ – Menominee garden hosts first annual non-spooky Halloween event, The therapy garden for veterans is steering clear of Halloween displays that may trigger PTSD, anxiety or other mood disorders. https://www.ehextra.com/e465b7ae-4bec-11ed-a985-ab696192ab5b.html

PHILANTHROPY ^top^ – Imagine MKE looks for new CEO: after Lee’s departure https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/10/17/imagine-mke-looks-for-new-ceo.html

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ^top^ – DNR launches $1M program to collect firefighting foam containing toxic ‘forever chemicals’ … “It will also help prevent people from contaminating our groundwater, our rivers and our lakes,” [Sec.] Cole said Monday during an announcement at the Appleton Fire Station No. 6. … So far, fire departments in 60 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have said they want to dispose of foam through the program. WI’s North Shore Environmental Construction was selected to collect about 25K gallons of foam and ship to hazardous waste disposal site in AL, where it will be encased in cement and placed in a lined landfill. Program has no estimated end date. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/10/18/wisconsin-launches-program-collect-pfas-laden-firefighting-foam/10522509002/

RACE RELATIONS ^top^ – In Kiel, attack on ‘critical race theory’ ignores bullying of Black student, Parents urged Kiel High School to respond to racial bullying their teen faced at school. Backlash forced him to transfer — and upended life for others in town. … Unexamined until now is how documented acts of racism provided the kindling for Kiel’s political eruption. That story started in 2020 when Amy Wempner discovered racist Snapchat messages sent about her son Armond — one of five Black students at Kiel High School that year. … Shortly after Armond moved to town, he and [father] Dan said they listened in bewilderment as the teenager’s basketball teammates told racist jokes about Black people during a tournament trip. The coach did nothing to stop it, they recall. … “I still carry shame for not stopping it back then,” Dan said. “But I just thought, when you’re with the lions, you have to act like a lion.” … [ACLU’s Lambert helped Armond’s mom file DPI complaint. “People who are in that kind of anti-CRT camp will try to tar my clients or me as Marxist agitators who have got some sort of ulterior motive to corrupt kids and bring in curriculum or ways of teaching that that they think are inappropriate.” Lambert said.] … As part of a legal settlement, the school district ultimately brought on a consulting firm to conduct training about racism and harassment. But well-organized Kiel parents accused the firm of advancing critical race theory, which residents — echoing conservative pundits on TV — described as an infiltration of Marxist and anti-white ideology. That movement propelled the ousters of three school board members. … illustrates how a Republican strategy to mischaracterize discussions of race and biases as political indoctrination can prevent schools from protecting students from documented acts of racism. … conservative activist Christoper Rufo publicly outlined a strategy to usher CRT backlash into mainstream politics, Rufo did not respond. UCLA School of Law is tracking 500+ anti-CRT efforts introduced at the local, state, and federal levels since 2021, including bill Evers vetoed. Michels has frequently called for schools to teach more “ABCs and less CRT.” But misleading claims about CRT in classrooms persist, W&M prof. Donnor said, through a “calculating and concerted” political strategy to “speak it into existence.” School board processing DPI complaint, some board members comment. Armond said he’s glad to have transferred to Fond du Lac High School, where he felt more at home in class and on the football team, said the Kiel fiasco “didn’t even have anything to do with kids. It was just about the adults.” https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/10/in-kiel-wisconsin-attack-on-critical-race-theory

REAL ESTATE ^top^ – Alex Lasry sells riverfront condo for $1.57M https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/10/17/alex-lasry-sells-water-street-condo.html

TAXES ^top^ – WPF: WI’s tax burden hits another record low … State and local governments took in 10.3% of Wisconsinites’ total personal income in 2019; that fell to 10.07% in 2020 — the lowest figure on record since 1993. … ranked below the national average for the third consecutive year, when the national average was 10.12%. … “The next state budget will also be important to watch given both the state’s strong financial position and the possibility of a new governor taking over,” the report concludes. “The state is now projecting combined general and rainy day fund reserves of more than $7 billion at the close of the current budget and both (Gov. Tony) Evers and his challenger, Tim Michels, have put forward plans to use part of the surplus to cut taxes further in the 2023-25 state budget. That could potentially reduce the share of Wisconsin residents’ incomes going to both taxes and spending on state and local services going forward.” https://captimes.com/2fcff1d9-5dd5-5846-a278-302c5fe9d1b8.html

TOURISM ^top^ – WI’s first Black-owned resort community, Lake Ivanhoe, gets historic recognition https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/10/17/wisconsin-black-owned-lake-ivanhoe-community-gets-historic-designation/10509158002/

TRANSPORTATION ^top^ – Group Unveils Plans To Replace 794 With Boulevard, Rethink 794 thinks replacing elevated freeway with boulevard could lead to $1.5 billion in development, better city. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/10/17/group-unveils-plans-to-replace-794-with

EDITORIALS ^top^ – CT Editorial: Reelect Josh Kaul to defend the right to choose https://captimes.com/e53b048d-84a1-5e9d-a637-69acabeca814.html

– CT Editorial: Kalvin Barrett deserves a full four-year term as sheriff https://captimes.com/e53b4db1-776c-5f3a-81d2-0cf1b95b484c.html

COLUMNS ^top^ – John Nichols: Barnes should not hesitate to identify Johnson as a Jan. 6 co-conspirator https://captimes.com/22e5ee98-a6bd-5895-8e9a-3f2055844e21.html

– Dave Zweifel: It’s Johnson who’s ‘dangerous’ and ‘different’ https://captimes.com/d9324e5a-1298-5ed5-9139-57ebfa3a559c.html

– M.D. Kittle: Crime is a big deal for voters this election: Crime is on the minds of a lot of voters as November quickly approaches, and Evers and his fellow liberals who tied themselves to the defund the police movement just two years ago now want to talk about anything but crime and punishment. https://empowerwisconsin.org/crime-is-a-big-deal-for-voters-this-election/

– Steven Walters: The Actual Stats Behind Wisconsin’s Polarizing Crime Ads, Rhetoric and reality don’t line up statewide, but Milwaukee County is an outlier. Dane, Waukesha county homicides, assaults, robberies fell, though rapes rose. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/10/17/the-state-of-politics-the-actual-stats-behind

– Elizabeth Pierson and Nicole Safar: Who’s behind all the election administration lawsuits? Over the past few weeks, months, and even years, dozens of challenges have been mounted to Wisconsin’s election laws and how our clerks run elections. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/10/17/whos-behind-all-the-election-administration-lawsuits/

– M.D. Kittle: Despite his protests, Evers has been asleep at the switch … The calendars, obtained by Empower Wisconsin through open records requests, show Evers has often put in less than an eight-hour day over his term, much less a 40-hour week, doing the people’s business. A good portion of his schedule is redacted, apparently devoted to personal or political campaign time. https://empowerwisconsin.org/despite-his-protests-evers-has-been-asleep-at-the-switch/

– Jessica McBride & Jim Piwowarczyk: Wisconsin Republicans should stop participating in horribly biased debates … The Wisconsin media have demonstrated egregious bias during this election season, and it’s time to stop helping them pretend they’re objective. https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/2022/10/15/biased-debates/

– Richard Moore: U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on federal authority over navigable waters: Curiously, justices’ questions suggest a ruling that could open another can of worms entirely. https://richardd3d.substack.com/p/us-supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments

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