State Rep. Kind: Helps secure broadband expansion grants for Western Wisconsin

La Crosse, WI – Today, Rep. Ron Kind announced that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has approved grants to help expand access to broadband in the towns of Menomonie and Red Cedar in Dunn County and Drammen in Eau Claire County. Rep. Kind sent letters in support of applications for this funding, which totals over $2.5 million.      “Far too many communities across Wisconsin have limited access to high-speed internet,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further highlighted the need to ensure universal access to broadband as more and more families rely on the internet for learning, conducting business,

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The Wisconsin Restaurant Association chief says now is not the time to raise wages in restaurants

Today’s Midday podcast covers Association President and CEO Kristine Hillmer speaking as a panelist on the latest WisBusiness.com virtual luncheon “Hospitality industry stirs after year of COVID.” The lunch hour event featured Wisconsin’s eatery and alehouse leaders a year after the economy shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. wispolitics · The Wisconsin Restaurant Association chief says now is not the time to raise wages in restaurants

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State Sen. Ballweg, State Rep. Rodriguez: Commend Gov. Evers for updating family law

MADISON – Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) commend Governor Tony Evers for signing 2021 Senate Bill 116 (SB 116) into law as 2021 Act 20. Under current law, child custody and placement agreements cannot be modified within two years of final judgement, even if both parents and the court anticipate a change would be necessary. A child could reach school age, a parent could begin a new job or there could be an improvement in a parent’s or child’s health; all situations which could necessitate a change in their placement schedule. Act 20 remedies this by allowing

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Distilled Spirits Council: Wisconsin Governor makes cocktails to-go permanent

MADISON, Wisc. – Today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed AB32 making cocktails to-go permanent from restaurants and taverns which will increase consumer convenience and support local hospitality businesses devastated by COVID-19. “Cocktails to-go have been a source of support for restaurants, bars and distilleries all across the U.S.,” said Kristi Brown, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Senior Director of State Government Relations. “Cocktails to-go provide a much-needed lifeline for struggling on-premise locations and have prevented the permanent closure of many of these businesses. Now that this measure is permanent in Wisconsin, hospitality businesses in the state will enjoy those same benefits as

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U.S. Rep. Gallagher: Introduces Safe Routes Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today introduced the Safe Routes Act of 2021, a bill that would allow logging trucks that meet state-determined legal requirements to travel up to 150 air miles on the Federal Interstate Highway System. Current law prohibits trucks that meet these requirements from using the federal interstate, forcing them to use state and local roads that … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options. Username or E-mail Password * Remember Me     Forgot Password

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Gov. Evers: Signs fourteen more bills

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, in addition to signing Senate Bill 3, now Wisconsin Act 9, this morning in Wausau, signed fourteen more bills, including Assembly 148, which continues licensure processes adopted during the COVID-19 health emergency for healthcare providers who hold licenses in other states to serve Wisconsinites until their permanent license is instated. “Wisconsin’s healthcare providers have done extraordinary work over the past year and it’s been all hands on deck,” said Gov. Evers. “Communities across Wisconsin are experiencing a healthcare workforce shortage, and this bill will help us expand that workforce during this critical time.” Assembly Bill 148,

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State Sen. Felzkowski: Governor signs two Felzkowski bills into law

Madison, WI – On Friday, Governor Evers signed into law two bills championed by Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk). The first will put parameters in place for Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Wisconsin. The second will allow the sale of cocktails with carry-out food orders. Both bills had overwhelming bi-partisan support and will benefit Wisconsinites and businesses in northern and rural Wisconsin. … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

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U.S. Sen. Baldwin: Joins colleagues to introduce bill to expand emergency broadband benefit access

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today joined more than a dozen of her Senate Democratic colleagues, led by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), to introduce new legislation building on the Emergency Broadband Connections Act to ensure working families can stay online through the current economic and health crisis.   “Reliable high-speed broadband is necessary for our small businesses and rural communities to get through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Baldwin. “This legislation will help ensure that working families and students across Wisconsin have access to broadband no matter where they live and are not left behind as we work to build

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Task Force on Racial Disparities: Congratulates Damond Boatwright

Madison – Legislative leaders on the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities released the following statement regarding Damond Boatwright, a member of the Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development, leaving his position with SSM in Madison for a new role as president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System in Illinois: “Damond was asked to be a part of this task force because of his commitment to both healthcare and the Wisconsin communities that SSM serves, and we as a group have benefited from his experience, knowledge, and leadership. While working together since last fall, we have come to know Damond

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Elections Commission: Absentee voting deadlines quickly approaching for 2021 spring election

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin voters who are voting absentee by mail must act soon, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. “More than 390,000 Wisconsin voters have requested absentee ballots by mail, but less than 96,000 have been recorded as returned,” said Meagan Wolfe, administrator for the Wisconsin Elections Commission. “Your ballot must arrive by Election Day to be counted and the US Postal Service says it can take up to seven days for a letter to arrive. If you’re planning to mail your ballot back, you should mail it back as soon as possible.” Voters who still need to request

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Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools: Madison Metropolitan School District delivers on community promise with full-day 4K pilot program

Madison, Wis. – Today the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools released the following statement after the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Board of Education approved a motion to provide an increase of $1,300,000 to both 2021-22 elementary and Early Childhood Program staffing budgets and non-personnel budget. Melinda Heinritz, Executive Director of the Foundation and its affiliate, Schools Make Madison Advocates: “The district is delivering on their promise to our community with this historic action that will enable the launch of a pilot to evaluate the effectiveness of the district’s first full-day 4K program. Full day-4K was a critical element of the successful fall referenda and is an essential component of the district’s

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People’s Maps Commission: Hears from more than 1,000 Wisconsinites in less than six months

MADISON—The People’s Maps Commission announced today that it has heard from over 1,000 Wisconsinites representing 65 counties and 245 municipalities since their first virtual hearing on October 1, 2020.   “Over the last six months, we’ve learned a great deal as a commission on redistricting and considerations involved in the process,” said Dr. Christopher Ford, Chairman of the People’s Maps Commission. “Most of our lessons have come from the people of Wisconsin,  who have consistently spoken out about the need for a non-partisan, objective, and transparent approach to the creation of our state’s legislative maps. It is only under these circumstances maps can be drawn that best represent citizens and their communities.”   Committed to transparency throughout the map development process, the hearings held

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Rewind: Your Week in Review for March 26

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and the Capital Times’ Briana Reilly discuss the Legislature approving a slate of COVID-19 measures; the estimate Wisconsin governments and schools will receive $8.7 billion in the latest COVID package; and the Assembly clearing the way for a committee to subpoena witnesses as part of a review of elections.

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FRI REPORT: Legal tab for private attorneys in election lawsuits approaches $3M

Quotes of the Week All across the country, we see more and more power going to the executive branch, at the federal level. And as I said before, it was wrong under President Trump. I don’t support executive orders. It’s wrong if you have a Republican governor, it’s wrong if you have a Democrat governor. – Assembly Majority Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, arguing it would be hypocritical for Dems t… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

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Distilled Spirits Council: Wisconsin Governor makes cocktails to-go permanent

MADISON, Wisc. – Today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed AB32 making cocktails to-go permanent from restaurants and taverns which will increase consumer convenience and support local hospitality businesses devastated by COVID-19. “Cocktails to-go have been a source of support for restaurants, bars and distilleries all across the U.S.,” said Kristi Brown, Distilled Spirits Council

Read More »

U.S. Rep. Gallagher: Introduces Safe Routes Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today introduced the Safe Routes Act of 2021, a bill that would allow logging trucks that meet state-determined legal requirements to travel up to 150 air miles on the Federal Interstate Highway System. Current law prohibits trucks that meet these requirements from using the federal

Read More »

Gov. Evers: Signs fourteen more bills

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, in addition to signing Senate Bill 3, now Wisconsin Act 9, this morning in Wausau, signed fourteen more bills, including Assembly 148, which continues licensure processes adopted during the COVID-19 health emergency for healthcare providers who hold licenses in other states to serve Wisconsinites until their

Read More »

State Sen. Felzkowski: Governor signs two Felzkowski bills into law

Madison, WI – On Friday, Governor Evers signed into law two bills championed by Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk). The first will put parameters in place for Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Wisconsin. The second will allow the sale of cocktails with carry-out food orders. Both bills had overwhelming bi-partisan support and will

Read More »

Task Force on Racial Disparities: Congratulates Damond Boatwright

Madison – Legislative leaders on the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities released the following statement regarding Damond Boatwright, a member of the Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development, leaving his position with SSM in Madison for a new role as president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System in Illinois:

Read More »

Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools: Madison Metropolitan School District delivers on community promise with full-day 4K pilot program

Madison, Wis. – Today the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools released the following statement after the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Board of Education approved a motion to provide an increase of $1,300,000 to both 2021-22 elementary and Early Childhood Program staffing budgets and non-personnel budget. Melinda Heinritz, Executive Director of the Foundation and its affiliate,

Read More »

Rewind: Your Week in Review for March 26

On this week’s episode of “Rewind,” WisPolitics.com’s JR Ross and the Capital Times’ Briana Reilly discuss the Legislature approving a slate of COVID-19 measures; the estimate Wisconsin governments and schools will receive $8.7 billion in the latest COVID package; and the Assembly clearing the way for a committee to subpoena witnesses as part of a review of elections.

Read More »