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Committee approves concealed carry

May 25, 2011 By

Legislation that would allow anyone who can legally own a firearm to carry it concealed is headed to the Senate floor, after a committee approved the bill Wednesday on a party line vote. Democrats raised numerous concerns about the lack of training requirements or permits in the bill legalizing what’s called constitutional carry.

State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) worries not requiring training could put the public at risk. He predicts there will be a case where someone is carrying a weapon just because they can, and end up using it improperly and injuring an innocent bystander. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With:

Walker signs voter ID (AUDIO)

May 25, 2011 By

Governor Scott Walker (PHOTO:WRN)

Governor Scott Walker has signed legislation requiring photo ID at Wisconsin polling places. Something to consider as the new photo ID requirement takes effect: Walker cited numbers he obtained from the DOT and Government Accountability Board. “As of right now there are just under four and a half-million state issued drives licenses or state issued ID cards,” said the governor. “You know how many registered voters there are in the state of Wisconsin? Just under three and a half-million.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Elections, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Bill to ban abortion coverage in health exchanges

May 25, 2011 By

A bill in the state Senate Public Health Committee aims to ensure taxpayers will not foot-the-bill for abortions within the upcoming health care exchanges.

Legislation from Senator Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) would bar insurers – within the subsidized networks – from offering abortion coverage. He says the bill is an assurance those exchanges will not violate existing law, which bans tax dollars from being used for the procedure.

Zipperer says a number of states have already taken advantage of federal law which allows such an abortion opt-out.

Stacey Harbaugh with ACLU of Wisconsin testified against the bill. She says [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Legislature

Call to restore transit cuts (AUDIO)

May 25, 2011 By

Milwaukee Co. Exec. Chris Abele PHOTO: WRN

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin says riding the bus doesn’t just benefit riders. “Every time a bus goes by, that could be another 40 or 60 automobiles slowing up yours. That could be the difficulty and the challenge that we face, finding a parking space,” said Soglin. The mayor spoke at a Capitol press conference on Tuesday. With the budget writing Joint Finance Committee expected to approve ten percent cuts in funding for local transit, local officials like Soglin are hoping cooler heads prevail. “It’s hard to believe after Wisconsin’s been a leader for so many decades, that the partnership between the state and its local communities in insuring accessible transportation is in jeopardy,” he said. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, Transportation

Committee votes to end tuition reciprocity

May 25, 2011 By

Funding for a tuition reciprocity agreement between Wisconsin and Minnesota will be phased out, under a plan approved Tuesday by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

The program allows Wisconsin college students attending schools in Minnesota to pay in-state tuition rates. State Senator Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) was behind a motion that will phase out reciprocity starting in the fall of 2012, but keeps the supplement for students starting this fall. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, Education
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