Month: January 2020

APPLETON, Wis. (AP) — The City of Appleton has banned license medical and mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy on minors. The resolution passed by the Common Council Wednesday night defines conversion therapy as the practice of trying to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The 14-1 vote came after several hours of testimony at an overcrowded meeting. WLUK-TV reports anyone found to be practicing conversion therapy […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin tax collections are expected to come in more than $818 million above projections made last summer, an increase that will fuel the push to cut taxes in an election year. Republicans who control the Legislature are discussing a tax cut, while Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has been more cautious and voiced concerns about meeting other priorities and warding against a future economic downturn. Any tax […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker is accusing Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul of bullying him into passing a bill designed to prevent backlogs of untested rape kits. Kaul has been pressing Assembly Health Committee Chairman Joe Sanfelippo to follow through on a pledge to hold a hearing on the proposal. He accused the lawmaker Thursday of spreading misinformation about the bill. Sanfelippo responded that the bill doesn't address […]

Nobody was injured in a fire that destroyed a house in Fond du Lac  County.  Firefighters from several departments were called to the scene Thursday afternoon on Silica Road between Highway 151 and Lakeview Road.  Mount Calvary Fire Chief Greg Mueller told WFDL news the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross says regents are planning to ask legislators to increase tuition in the next state budget. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Cross told the state Senate's universities committee Wednesday that the regents biennial budget request will include a tuition increase roughly in keeping with inflation. Republicans have kept tuition frozen at the system's four-year schools since 2013. The freeze is popular with student […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials will gauge reaction to a host of potential changes to the state's deer seasons in an attempt to rekindle waning interest in hunting. The Department of Natural Resources board on Wednesday approved six questions for the Wisconsin Conservation Congress' April hearings. The questions ask if people would support extending the nine-day gun season to 19 days; eliminating the December antlerless-only season; prohibit hunting […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources board has authorized the agency to start drafting new water quality standards for a range of pollutants. The DNR wants to create groundwater standards for 16 currently unregulated substances and create limits on chemicals known as PFAS in drinking and surface water. PFAS are man-made chemicals found in a host of products, including firefighting foam. The changes would mark the […]