January 29, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for October 2009

Lawton out of governor’s race

October 26, 2009 By

Citing “very personal” reasons, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton today announced that she’s withdrawing from the race for governor. Lawton’s decision comes less than a week after Governor Jim Doyle delivered a less than enthusiastic assessment of Lawton’s accomplishments during the last eight years, and leaves their Democratic Party without a candidate.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who has said that he is considering a run for governor, was in Madison today for a press conference with Doyle on an unrelated matter. Barrett indicated that he is still considering his options, and will advance the timetable for reaching a decision, but did not specify when that might be.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate said he was “very surprised” by Lawton’s decision. “Lieutenant Governor Lawton had been very enthusiastic about running for governor, but she’s indicated that it’s a very private and personal decision, and I think we should respect that.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:

Doyle considering campaign fund refunds

October 26, 2009 By

If you’re a Jim Doyle campaign contribute who’d like your money back, you may be in luck. With a reelection campaign no longer in the cards, Governor Jim Doyle now has decisions to make about what to do with the roughly two million dollars in his campaign fund. “We have made it clear to any donor who wants to have it returned that we will return a portion of it, because obviously some of it has already been spent,” said Doyle, adding that thus far, there hasn’t been a lot of call for refunds.

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:55 MP3)

That leaves the governor, who announced in August that he won’t be seeking a third term, some discretion on how to use the money. “I intend to use what funds I have in my campaign account to really push forward on things that I care a lot about,” Doyle said. “I want to make sure that we get candidates elected that are really supportive of agenda that I’ve laid out.”

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Asthma and H1N1 under scrutiny

October 26, 2009 By

Those with asthma are four-times more likely than those without the respiratory disease to end up hospitalized if they contract H1N1, and Dr. William Busse of the UW School of Medicine says that’s raising concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine among that population.

Researchers at the UW School of Medicine are now looking for possible interactions between asthma sufferers and the H1N1 vaccine. They’re conducting clinical trials to determine how much of the vaccine needs to be given to people with asthma, along with what impact any medication they’re taking could have on its effectiveness.

Dr. Busse says it’s vital to determine what will be a safe dosage for asthmatics, since nearly 25-percent of those hospitalized with H1N1 also have the disease.

Researchers hope to have results by the end of the year.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:07)

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

7-days until the Vikings

October 25, 2009 By

The Green Bay Packers (3-2) will line it up today against the 1-5 Cleveland Browns and for the second straight week, should have little trouble against a bad football team.  Afterall, if there’s one thing we’ve learned so far this season is the Packers know what to do when they face a cupcake.  They dominated St. Louis and then last week, shutout the Lions.

Players wouldn’t admit to it this week, but the rematch with the Vikings is on their minds.  And it could play out well for the Packers.  They get a soft matchup against the Browns and the Vikings have a physical matchup against the bruising Pittsburgh Steelers today. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sports, Titletown Report Tagged With:

Doyle really doesn’t want beer tax hike

October 24, 2009 By

Governor Doyle makes it perfectly clear – again – where he stands on the beer tax. And where that is, is with the status quo. Doyle says the state beer tax would have to be increased substantially to make a significant difference in the state’s finances, and he’t not in favor of that.

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:55 MP3)

A bill from Doyle’s fellow Madison Democrat, state Representative Terese Berceau, recently was the subject of a standing room only public hearing at the Capitol. Doyle remains unconvinced. “The two states with the lowest beer taxes, it isn’t a coincidence that it is Missouri and Wisconsin,” Doyle said this week. “Other states don’t go after one of their leading industries.”

It appears extremely unlikely that the beer tax bill will end up on Doyle’s desk, but if it does, he says he’ll have to weigh the positives and negatives, and make a decision.

Filed Under: Business, Taxes
« Previous Page
Next Page »