Month: June 2020

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin System students would have to play more in fees and for room-and-board this year under a plan regents are considering. The regents are scheduled to vote Thursday on a 2020-21 operating budget that calls for increasing student fees an average of $30 across the system's four-year schools. Room-and-board costs would go up an average of nearly $130 across the institutions.  UW-Oshkosh would see […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case seeking to purge about 129,000 voter registrations from the rolls ahead of the November presidential election after previously deadlocking on whether to get involved. Democrats oppose the voter purge, arguing it is intended to make it more difficult for their voters to cast ballots. Conservatives who brought the lawsuit argue that the integrity of the vote […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Randy Romanski as secretary of the state agriculture department. Romanski has held the position on an interim basis since November when his predecessor was fired by the state Senate. Evers promoted Romanski from the deputy position at the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection after Brad Pfaff’s firing. Pfaff is now running for the state Senate and, if he […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling is joining Dairyland Power Cooperative to work as a lobbyist. The La Crosse-based utility announced her hiring Monday. Shilling resigned last month after 20 years in the Legislature. She spent the last five years as leader of Democrats in the Senate. In her new job as government relations manager she will help develop the utility’s legislative, regulatory and member […]

The executive director of the government watchdog group Common Cause in Wisconsin is asking legislators and governor Tony Evers to sign the End  Gerrymandering Pledge.     Common Cause director Jay Heck says the pledge reads that redistricting should be fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and politically impartial.   Heck says signing the pledge demonstrates support for bills that would empower nonpartisan staff to draw districts that legislators must approve.   Earlier this year governor Tony Evers signed an […]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Key races are coming into clearer focus, with candidates for office in Wisconsin meeting a Monday deadline to submit nomination papers. Republicans are looking to maintain their majorities in both the state Senate and Assembly heading into 2021 where the Legislature will be charged with the once-a-decade job of redistricting. There will be seven open seats in the Senate due mostly to retirements. Republicans hold a […]