Wisconsin’s historic political year featured a first-ever recount in a Supreme Court election.The race between state Supreme Court challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg and incumbent Justice David Prosser appeared too close to call April 6th, hours after the polls closed, with Prosser holding a razor thin lead. “We look at the margin at the present moment, 585 votes as I understand it, and I think we feel pretty good about that margin,” he told supporters that night.
Democrats critical of Family Care move
December 29, 2011 By
Democrats say a proposal to expand Family Care is just Governor Walker trying to claim credit for something he had no control over.
The governor on Wednesday offered a plan to lift an enrollment cap and to make the program providing long-term care assistance for the elderly and disabled available in every county. State Representative Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) says federal officials actually deserve credit for the decision, based on a letter sent to the state earlier this month that informed the administration that program enrollment could not be capped under the waiver agreement with the state.
The December 13th letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ordered the state to remove the cap, and to admit anyone who had applied after it was put in place July 1st as part of the state budget. Richards says Walker taking credit for something he is being forced to do by the Obama administration is “despicable.”
Richards and several other Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to federal officials earlier this year, asking them to reject Wisconsin’s request for a cap on the program.
The Walker administration maintains Wednesday’s press conference, which made no mention of the letter, was part of an ongoing commitment to lift the cap on Family Care enrollment. A spokesman for the governor says the cap was always intended to be temporary.
In a statement released Thursday, state Department of Health Services Secretary Dennis Smith adds that the plan to expand the program to all 72 counties goes beyond any ongoing discussions with federal officials.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:08)
Drunk drives to police complex
December 29, 2011 By
Usually it’s law enforcement seeking out suspected drunken drivers away from the station house, but not always.
Police in the Racine County Village of Mount Pleasant got a complaint about an intoxicated male at the Village Hall attempting to pay his taxes. Being just on the other side of their brand new complex, a couple of officers walked right over.
The complaints from other citizens in line waiting to pay their taxes and from village employees led to a discussion with the 55-year-old man, who admitted driving there — alone, to get the taxes paid. The strong odor of intoxicants on his breath led to the man being arrested for Operating While Intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of .15 – after he got to pay his taxes.
Tom Karkow, WRJN, Racine
Treasurer tops 2010 returns
December 29, 2011 By
(PHOTO: State treasurer's office)
It was a good year for returning lost property.
The treasurer’s office exceeded its previous record of returning $32.8 million in unclaimed property. Wisconsin State Treasurer Kurt Schuller continues to dole out misplaced or forgotten property to happy recipients in the state. No matter how much money he returns to the rightful owners, Schuller says, he just keeps finding more. “I started out the year with $405 million; I gave back $33.5 million and I still have $411 million to give back.”
Schuller says more than 26,000 Wisconsinites got a check from his office this year, that’s money they didn’t know they had. So, where is the money coming from; what exactly is unclaimed property? “We’re talking about stocks that were bought long ago in the family name, bank accounts, safety deposit boxes, insurance policies that demutualized, bank accounts that you forgot about — you moved, utility deposits.”
Schuller says there are many ways people lose track of money, but relocation is a big reason. He says when people move, businesses or old employers might not know how to contact them. Schuller says he used facebook to track down a woman who had $225,000 coming to her. The treasurer’s office is currently working with the state Veterans Department to get a hold of over 4,000 Wisconsin veterans who are unaware of their unclaimed property.
Schuller’s office returned $33,891,714 this year, over $1 million more than last year’s record of $32,836,258. Begin your search immediately by accessing the unclaimed property database 24/7/365 or call 877-699-9211 to speak with a claims examiner.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:46
GAB lawsuit in court
December 29, 2011 By
A court hearing will be held in Waukesha today on a lawsuit filed against the state elections’ agency over the review of recall petitions. Governor Scott Walker’s campaign and the head of the state GOP want to force the Government Accountability Board to eliminate false and duplicate signatures from recall petitions, without making a complaining party point them out first.
Circuit Judge Mac Davis is not expected to make an immediate ruling. But he could decide today whether to let other groups join the lawsuit.
A petition drive to recall the Republican governor ends next month, and Walker’s campaign says it should not be up to them to find improper petition signatures.
Board director Kevin Kennedy has said the law presumes the signatures are valid if they’re dated and have a Wisconsin address. Kennedy says a more detailed review would require a change in the law and a lot more resources.
