The call is going out for blood donors in Wisconsin and Minnesota. American Red Cross spokesperson Katie Gaynor says there is a great need for O-negative blood and more donors are urgently needed Gaynor says a combination of cold weather, vacations and the flu season has led to a decrease in donations. The need for O-negative is particularly critical because it’s a universal blood type that can be used in […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin state Assembly plans to start debate of the right-to-work bill at 9 a.m. Thursday and end no later than 9 a.m. Friday. Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Tuesday that the 24 hours of debate time was negotiated with Democrats. He says Democrats wanted 48 hours of debate. Republicans also agreed to have the Labor Committee hold an executive session on Wednesday to […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kitty Rhoades says no one will get kicked off the state's popular prescription drug program SeniorCare under Gov. Scott Walker's budget. Walker's proposal requires that SeniorCare enrollees first sign up for the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and use state benefits under SeniorCare as a supplement. Rhoades told the Legislature's budget committee on Tuesday that whether costs will go […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he will sign into law a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Walker on Tuesday issued what he called an "open letter on life" in which he stated his support for the ban, saying he expects the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass such a bill. Walker, a likely presidential candidate, also says he supports a federal ban. Putting a ban […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's schools superintendent is warning the Legislature's budget committee that Gov. Scott Walker's K-12 education budget plan continues an unsustainable downward trend in funding. Walker's two-year spending plan calls for holding public schools' money essentially flat. It also would do away with a $150-per-student payment schools in the first year of the budget and wipe out a cap on private voucher school enrollment. Superintendent Tony Evers […]
Central Wisconsin Christian School in Waupun is one of 36 schools applying for the first time to be a voucher school. Director of Advancement Gregg Zonnefeld says the board made the decision to apply after talking with schools that participated in the program in its first year. "Our initial motivation is how do you help families who are currently in your school for whom the tuition is a very large […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is asking the Legislature's budget committee to scale back Gov. Scott Walker's plan to cut $300 million from the system. Cross told the Joint Finance Committee during a hearing on Tuesday that the cut is serious. He thanked committee members who have said they believe the cut is too deep. He also implored the committee to adopt Walker's proposal […]
University of Wisconsin student leaders say the governor’s proposed cuts to the UW system would hurt students in the pocketbook and classroom. Governor Walker is proposing to cut $300 million from the UW system. President of the United Council of UW students, Amanda McGovern, is a student at UW-Stevens Point. "My initial reaction was honestly a little worried," McGovern told AM 1170 WFDL's Between the Lines program. "I already see […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A bill that would increase speed limits on some Wisconsin highways and freeways has coasted through another green light at the Capitol. The state Assembly Transportation Committee voted 12-1 in favor of the measure Tuesday. The full Assembly is expected to vote on it this month. The bill allows the Department of Transportation to increase speed limits to 70 mph in approved areas, up from the […]