MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Assembly Republicans are once again delaying action on a bill imposing sanctions on failing public schools in the hopes of reaching a compromise with the state Senate. The bill that could lead to converting public schools into charter schools and firing teachers was scheduled for a committee vote Thursday with the full Assembly taking it up next week. But Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Wednesday […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats and their allies are pushing back against a Republican bill that would constrain so-called John Doe investigations. John Does are similar to grand jury probes in which information is gathered in secret. The bill would prohibit using John Does to investigate political wrongdoing, limit probes to six months — although a majority of the state's chief judges could grant extensions — and allow witnesses to […]
Fond du Lac Festivals, Inc. has announced Terry Davis as the new junior co-chair for Walleye Weekend 2015. Davis will be working alongside senior co-chair Kelly Twohig. Davis, president of Radio Plus Multi Media Center and Record Entertainment DJ Service, holds an abundance of experience with community events. Davis, alongside his wife Jennifer, has chaired for community events like the Heritage Festival of the Arts and St. Mary’s Springs Annual […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin state AFL-CIO and two local unions have filed a lawsuit seeking to at least temporarily stop implementation of Wisconsin's new right-to-work law. The lawsuit arguing that the law is unconstitutional was filed Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court comes one day after Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed it into law. Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick and Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel both say they are […]
The Fond du lac County executive says he wants the county to re-bid a student housing project. Al Buechel says the county and UW Fond du Lac are re-evaluating the decision to hire Iowa-based Bluffstone after the developer asked for a delay on the Fond du lac project following problems at similar projects in Marshfield and Baraboo. "Bluffstone has invested several hundred thousand dollars in Fond du Lac designing, getting […]
The Natural Resources Board has approved new deer population objectives for a three year period. DNR big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang says the objectives are the result of collaboration between the DNR and newly formed County Deer Advisory Councils. Wallenfang says the deer population numbers are based more on what people are willing to tolerate rather than targeting a specific number. Wallenfang says not surprisingly hunters want to see more […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Assembly could vote as early as next week on a bill that would impose sanctions on failing Wisconsin public schools. Assembly Education Committee Chairman Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt released the latest proposal Tuesday and planned to vote on it Thursday. The full Assembly could take it up March 17. The latest proposal would impose sanctions on public schools that receive a failing grade for at […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says President Barack Obama should look to his state as an example of how to improve the economy, rather than criticize his signing of a right-to-work bill into law. Obama issued a statement Monday night after Walker signed the bill, saying right-to-work "will weaken, rather than strengthen workers." Obama says Walker, a likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate, should do more to help […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is acknowledging that a whistleblower's complaints about problems at Tomah's Veterans Affairs medical center never got to an oversight committee as promised. Johnson, an Oshkosh Republican, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that a staffer in his Oshkosh staffer received emails from Ryan Honl in September. He told Honl he would send the complaints on to Johnson's staff attached to the Senate […]