Wisconsin News and Sports
Students who sign the Wisconsin Covenant could qualify for some extra money to help pay for college.
Students who get good grades and graduate high school would be able to apply for a $1,500 grant, under a plan announced by Governor Jim Doyle Friday. The grants come from the Wisconsin Covenant Foundation. [Read more...]
The chair of a committee named to consider the fate of state Representative Jeff Wood promises a deliberative process. While one member of the state Assembly was expelled during World War One, this marks the first time a Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct has been formed, under a rule first adopted in 1989. Committee chair, Rice Like Democrat Mary Hubler, says that rule spells out the process.
“All due process requires him to be able to have the opportunity to be at this committee,” says Hubler. “We will begin next Wednesday, but it will be some time, I think, before we get to the actual charges, and Representative Wood ever appearing before that committee.”
Following years of mayhem including riots, downtown Madison’s Halloween party is on its fourth year as a ticketed, city sponsored event
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz says the modern version, Freakfest, has really changed in recent years.
“We have not had a serious incident at Freakfest for over four years,” says Mayor Dave.
With popular 90′s act, Third Eye Blind headlining, Cieslewicz says Freakfest is basically a music festival with costumes.
Although the State Street gathering is geared toward a college aged crowd. Mayor Dave expects the crowd to include more alum this year as it coincides with a Badger football home game.
At least 200 police officers will be on hand Saturday which 80 fewer than last year. The mayor says they actually started the scaling cops back in 2008, after the initial bump in security.
Legislation which requires consistency and accuracy when sex education is taught around the state received a public hearing at the Capitol on Thursday. Senate Education Committee member, Waunakee Democrat Jon Erpenbach, believes the measure is needed. “There is a real crisis in this state, when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases,” said Erpenbach. “So kids need to know about. I talk to my kids about it, but they need to hear it from someone other than me, and they need to hear it over and over again. That’s the only way they’re going to get this.”
AUDIO: Senator Jon Erpenbach (2:15 MP3)
There was plenty of opposition to the bill. Anne Franczyk of Milwaukee testified against the legislation. “The Bible says woe to those who lead little ones astray,” said Francyk. “It warns against teaching people into sexual immorality, and these comprehensive programs are in essence teaching kids how to engage in sexual immorality.” Franczyk said there’s too little focus on abstinence in the bill, which is known the Healthy Youth Act. One of the bill’s stated goals is a reduction in teen pregnancy and STDs, but Franzck said the legislation would undermine parental authority and local control. “It’s a very dangerous bill,” she said. [Read more...]
Wisconsin Senate Democrats have scrapped the idea of raising the state’s liquor tax to pay for a crackdown on drunk driving. Instead, they’re considering a higher fee to reinstate driver’s licenses after they’re suspended and revoked. A Senate committee endorsed a 50-cent tax hike on a bottle of booze. But Assembly leaders balked at the increase and it’s held up action on several drunk driving measures the Assembly unanimously passed a few weeks ago.
The Joint Finance Committee delayed the package this week because of the disagreement over the liquor tax. The panel will take it up again on Tuesday this time with a higher license reinstatement fee.
Senate Democrat Jim Sullivan of Wauwatosa is not sure if all drivers would be subject to the increase, or just those convicted of OWI. Right now, it costs 60-dollars to reinstate a suspended or revoked license. Joe Volk of the Community Advocates group in Milwaukee said an increase would unfairly hurt the poor. Meanwhile, Sullivan says it will cost only half as much as expected to adopt the proposed drunk driving reforms. That’s because some people will avoid driving drunk so they won’t have to breathe into ignition interlocks to start their cars.
Among other things, the bill requires interlocks for all repeat offenders, and first-timers with blood alcohol levels of point-15 or higher. The bill also makes first-time OWI a criminal misdemeanor if kids are in the vehicle.
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