Evers taking different approach to transition than Walker

By SCOTT BAUERNovember 16, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker is leaving office just like he came in — with a flourish.

Walker killed high speed rail in Wisconsin days after his election win in 2010 and unveiled his anti-union Act 10 proposal within weeks of actually taking office, sparking massive protests, ...

Scott Walker

Legislators approve Evers transition budget

November 13, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Legislature’s finance committee has approved Gov.-elect Tony Evers’ transition budget.

Evers has asked the state for $94,600 to cover salaries for seven positions, equipment, supplies, travel and legal services.

State law requires the Joint Finance Committee ...

Scott Walker

Ex-Wisconsin DOT secretary criticizes Walker over roads

September 9, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A former Wisconsin transportation secretary is criticizing Gov. Scott Walker for suggesting the state could save money by declining to add lanes when it rebuilds roads.

Republican Mark Gottlieb says Walker has been “increasingly inaccurate” in describing Wisconsin’s ...

Scott Walker

Walker’s use of state airplane increased since 2015

By SCOTT BAUERAugust 20, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker’s use of the state airplane has increased since he ended his presidential bid in 2015, public records obtained by a liberal attack group released on Monday show.

The uptick in using the taxpayer-funded plane came as Walker refocused on Wisconsin amid ...

Wisconsin

Conservative Hagedorn joins Wisconsin Supreme Court race

By SCOTT BAUERAugust 16, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Conservative state appeals court Judge Brian Hagedorn, the former chief legal counsel for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, launched his candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday, setting up a contest with liberal-backed chief Appeals Court Judge Lisa ...

Jim Doyle

Turnout in Wisconsin primary highest since 2002

August 15, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Turnout in Wisconsin’s primary that saw hotly contested races among both Democrats and Republicans is the highest since 2002.

Based on official results, turnout in Tuesday’s election was nearly 22.1 percent. That is the highest since 22.5 percent in 2002. That year ...

Wisconsin

Neubauer announces candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court

By SCOTT BAUERJuly 12, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Lisa Neubauer, the chief judge on the state appeals court, announced Thursday she is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a bid to replace retiring liberal Justice Shirley Abrahamson next year.

Neubauer, who was appointed to the appeals court in 2007 by ...

Wisconsin

The Latest: Neubauer rejects partisan label in court race

July 12, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on Wisconsin Supreme Court race (all times local):

3:05 p.m.

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Lisa Neubauer is rejecting labeling her as the Democratic Party choice in the officially nonpartisan race.

Neubauer is the first candidate to announce ...

Wisconsin

Waukesha County Judge Lazar considering Supreme Court run

June 12, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Add Waukesha County Circuit Judge Maria Lazar to the ever-growing list of those considering a run for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The former assistant attorney general says she’s considering running for a spot on the court. A seat will open next year due to the ...

Wisconsin

The Latest: 2 appeals court judges eyeing Supreme Court bid

May 30, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson deciding against seeking re-election (all times local):

4:55 p.m.

Two Wisconsin appeals court judges are considering running for the state Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Shirley ...

Wisconsin State Journal

Susan Crawford best for Dane County judge -- Cari Anne, Verona

Staff WriterMarch 31, 2018

I encourage voters to support Susan Crawford for Branch 1 judge in the Dane County Circuit Court on April 3.

Crawford has the work ethic, temperament and intellect to best serve the citizens of Dane County as a judge.

Crawford has spent the last 20 years serving the public interest, ...

Wisconsin State Journal

Editorial: Build new history museum to tell Wisconsin’s story

Wisconsin State Journal editorial boardMarch 5, 2018

On his final night as Wisconsin governor 17 years ago, Tommy Thompson danced the polka in front of a packed Assembly chamber and proposed a $75 million “world-class history center” to be built in Downtown Madison.

His dance moves made the nightly news and appeared in the State Journal the ...

Portage Daily Register

Chamber of Commerce honors 5 Portage businesses

Noah VernauFebruary 1, 2018

Good times might only get better for Portage businesses, let alone for the five that were honored Wednesday morning at the local Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet.

“The Wisconsin economy is seeing its best overall performance in at least 18 years, possibly a generation, and ...

Jim Doyle

Assembly OKs bill resurrecting conservation corps program

January 23, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Assembly has passed a bill that would re-establish the Wisconsin Conservation Corps.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and GOP lawmakers eliminated the corps in 2003. Republican Rep. Jeff Mursau’s bill calls for the state Department of Administration to shift ...

Jim Doyle

Assembly to vote on resurrecting conservation corps program

January 22, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Assembly is set to vote on a bill that would re-establish the Wisconsin Conservation Corps.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and GOP lawmakers eliminated the corps in 2003. Republican Rep. Jeff Mursau’s bill calls for the state Department of Administration to shift ...

AP's Member Network:

Wisconsin State Journal Partisan hypocrisy needs to end -- Jim KramerDecember 14, 2018
Wisconsin State Journal Scott Walker, Forest County Potawatomi submit new amendment to gaming compactNovember 28, 2018
Wisconsin State Journal Legislature approves Tony Evers transition budgetNovember 14, 2018
Wisconsin State Journal Capital Times hosting its second Idea Fest this weekendSeptember 27, 2018
Portage Daily Register FLOOD OF 2008: State and federal assistance help Columbia County rebuildJune 14, 2018

Wisconsin State Journal

One judicial post in Dane County Circuit Court to be contested

Logan Wroge | Wisconsin State JournalJanuary 3, 2018

A municipal judge and a Madison attorney are vying for an open judicial seat in the Dane County Circuit Court in the April 3 election.

Marilyn Townsend, a municipal judge for Shorewood Hills, and Susan M. Crawford, a partner at the Madison law firm Pines Bach, are seeking the Branch 1 ...

Legislature

Wisconsin lawmaker proposes conservation corps program

By TODD RICHMONDJanuary 2, 2018

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Students would be able to earn money for college by building trails, shoring up stream banks and restoring prairies under a bipartisan bill winding its way through the Wisconsin Legislature.

Republican Rep. Jeff Mursau’s proposal would re-establish the Wisconsin ...

Baraboo News Republic

Flooding closes roads in western Sauk County

Heather Stanek | Times-PressJuly 24, 2017

High water levels closed off some roads around Sauk County over the weekend.

Heavy rain throughout the week resulted in flooding reports around Reedsburg, Rock Springs and La Valle. The Baraboo River in Rock Springs crested at 21.6 feet as of July 24, according to the National Weather ...

Wisconsin State Journal

Could Tony Evers shake up the 2018 governor’s race?

Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State JournalJuly 10, 2017

The 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary got a jolt last week when Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers said he was contemplating a potential run.

The 65-year-old Plymouth native recently won his third statewide race to lead the state’s public schools, winning 70 percent of the ...

Wisconsin State Journal

Don’t blame Walker for road problems -- Dick Greffin

Staff WriterJune 12, 2017

The State Journal’s editorial June 7 blaming Gov. Scott Walker for Wisconsin’s transportation problems is wrong.

Wisconsin would not have a transportation budget problem if former Gov. Jim Doyle had not removed more than $1 billion from the transportation fund to finance his pet projects. ...

The News-Times

Stephan Lesher: My Donald déjà vu

Stephan LesherMay 15, 2017

In October, 1973, during my coverage for Newsweek of the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Special Prosecutor’s office in connection with the growing Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon and Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox were at loggerheads over the release of the so-called Watergate ...

Hackensack

Prosecution presents shoes as evidence in murder case

May 3, 2017

HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — Authorities in New Jersey presented shoes as evidence in a murder trial, citing the size of the shoes and a match to a footprint found near a woman’s body.

NorthJersey.com reports (https://njersy.co/2pW0kFj ) that prosecutors ...

Jim Doyle

State health agency settles with federal government for $7M

April 13, 2017

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State health officials have agreed to pay the federal government nearly $7 million to settle allegations that they artificially decreased food stamp error rates to collect bonuses.

Federal prosecutors issued a news release Thursday saying the state Department of Health ...

Climate

PSC removed climate change language from website

January 13, 2017

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin utility regulators removed references to climate change from their website months before state environmental officials altered global warming language on their own site.

the Public Service Commission eliminated a web page about global warming sometime after May 1 ...

Houston Chronicle

Residents file MUD voter complaint; court upholds Heath’s conviction

Jay R. JordanDecember 20, 2016

A handful of Montgomery County residents hope government officials will investigate municipal utility district voters, especially with a host of recent MUD bonds totaling a few billion dollars in the county being passed by a small number of temporary voters in those areas.

With no ...

Scott Walker

Report: DNR positions down 18 percent since 1995

October 27, 2016

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new report shows Department of Natural Resources staffing levels have dropped 18 percent over the last two decades.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau report examined staffing levels in the last year of each two-year budget dating back ...

Wisconsin

Supreme Court justice announces re-election committee

September 20, 2016

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler is starting to put together her re-election campaign.

Ziegler is nearing the end of her first 10-year term on the court. She faces re-election in the spring of 2017.

She announced Tuesday that she has formed an ...

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Wisconsin needs a higher gas tax

George MitchellJuly 31, 2016

In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker and the state Legislature inherited two fiscal time bombs from former Gov. Jim Doyle. They’ve largely defused one. The other has become more volatile.

The positive news involves the state’s general fund. The 2011-’13 budget — and Act 10 — put the ...

Wisconsin State Journal

Doyle and roundabouts are to blame for bad roads -- Roger Johnson

Staff WriterJuly 10, 2016

Maybe, just maybe, if the Department of Transportation hadn’t insisted on putting in roundabouts at virtually every intersection (try going to Mount Horeb, for example) they’d have money to maintain the state’s highways.

And it was under former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle that the motor ...