MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Assembly have voted to call an extraordinary session next week to deal with the state budget and bills to repeal the state's prevailing wage for construction workers and prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. A spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Friday that lawmakers voted by paper ballot to hold the special session. The Assembly's rules committee voted 5-3 […]
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public to be safe during this July 4th weekend. Sheriff Dale Schmidt says every year there are reports across the country of individuals who are injured due to careless use of fireworks. Schmidt says many people do not realize that fireworks are regulated and that any fireworks are illegal to possess and or use without a permit. The general rule of […]
Sister Mary Mollison, CSA, vice president of Spirituality at Agnesian HealthCare, has been honored with the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Catholic Health Association. The 68 year old Mollison received the award during the Catholic Health Assembly in Washington, DC. She was being honored for a lifetime of contributions to the Catholic health ministry. Sister Mollison was instrumental in the creation of Agnesian HealthCare with the partnership of St. […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers are proposing to limit the public's access to information on a popular court database and records held by the Legislature. The surprise changes were part of a 24-page motion to the state budget, the last to be voted on Thursday by the panel before advancing the spending plan for debate. The proposal would remove all records from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access site, […]
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is entering the crowded Republican race for president. Walker launched his long-expected run by filing the necessary paperwork Thursday with the Federal Elections Commission. Walker wrote in a Thursday letter to the FEC "Should I formally announce, I will seek the Republican nomination for the office of President of the United States in the 2016 election." Walker's official kickoff is expected July 13 in Waukesha, […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Highly criticized teacher licensure changes that would have allowed some people without high school degrees to be licensed to teach in Wisconsin are slated to be removed from the state budget. Republicans on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee approved the changes in a late-night session last month. But they were calling for their removal from the budget on Thursday. The committee had previously approved allowing anyone […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An expansion of who can play sports and participate in extracurricular activities in public schools in Wisconsin is being scaled back. The Legislature's budget committee previously voted to allow home-schooled students, and those attending private, virtual or charter schools, to participate. But on Thursday the committee proposed limiting participation only to students in home schools. The original proposal drew widespread opposition, including from advocates for home […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who run the Legislature's finance committee are planning to add language to the state budget that would allow factor and retail employees to work seven straight days without a day of rest. Under current state law, employers who own factories and retail stores must allow their workers at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every seven consecutive days. The requirement doesn't apply to janitors, […]
LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — President Barack Obama says that despite unemployment falling to a seven-year low, there is more work to do to increase Americans' wages. Obama is in Wisconsin touting a proposed Labor Department rule that would make more workers eligible for overtime. The move is backed by organized labor, which has been at odds with the president over his push for an Asia-Pacific free trade pact. Despite […]