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Ryan voices regrets on debt and immigration

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Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan is winding down his career as a congressman and House Speaker. He spoke on the House floor for the final time on Wednesday and said he was “immensely grateful to the people of southern Wisconsin.” The Janesville Republican was first elected to represent the 1st Congressional District in 1998, and was reelected until announcing earlier this year that he would not run again.

“I’ve always had this thing about calling the people I represent my not my constituents but my employers. It’s the way I’ve always thought of this,” Ryan said. “I think it’s important that we as members understand that we work for the people and not the other way around.”

Ryan also gave an interview to the Washington Post, in which he said his two biggest regrets as he prepares to leave office are not successfully dealing with immigration and the national debt.

Fitzgerald says changing primary date benefits Supreme Court Justice Kelly (AUDIO)

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Sen. Fitzgerald WRN photo

A “lame duck” extraordinary legislative session could be on as early as next week. Changing the power of the governor to make appointments and changing the date of the 2020 presidential primary in Wisconsin are just two of the items Republicans are expected to act on.

It’s a “heavy lift,” according to state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. “There’s going to have to be a lot of drafting that’s done, and both the fiscal bureau and legislative council are going to be very busy I think, trying to pull all the pieces together here, because of some of the late decisions we’re making.”

Fitzgerald spoke to reporters after caucusing with his members Tuesday, and was candid about why Republicans would act to change the date of the primary. “There’s many people that think that Justice Kelly would have a better chance if there’s not really this competitive Democrat primary for president. That’s the concern I think.” Fitzgerald said.

AUDIO: Senator Scott Fitzgerald (1:25)

If the date remain as is in April, conservative state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly could be swamped by high Democratic turnout in a 2020 presidential primary. Kelly was appointed by Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2016. Fitzgerald said lawmakers could move the primary to April or even June, despite the costs and over the objections of many county and municipal clerks.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, I think the campaign would be just as concerned that that’s a criticism that could be used against Kelly” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald also said that “the votes are not there” in his Republican caucus, for passing a tax incentives package for Kimberly Clark. “In my caucus I think there’s many 10 or 11 votes for this. So it’s going to take a significant amount of Democrat votes to get this through.”

Hundreds of jobs at Kimberly Clark’s Neenah Cold Spring plant are in jeopardy if the $70 million package fails to pass.

Reps. Moore and Pocan condemn use of tear gas by Border Patrol

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There was little reaction from Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, to the Trump administration’s use of tear gas against migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border over the weekend.

Two House Democrats, 2nd District congressman Mark Pocan and 4th District congresswoman Gwen Moore, tweeted in response to media images of Border Patrol agents firing tear gas over the border at migrants, including women and young children.

Moore’s tweet said that she was “appalled and ashamed” by what she called “the latest offense in a long history of disgusting and inhumane actions by the Trump Administration” at the border.

Pocan’s tweet called the incident “a new low,” and called for “a fair and compassionate immigration system.”

President Donald Trump defended the Border Patrol’s use of tear gas on the migrants, saying the group at the San Ysidro border crossing included “some very tough people.”


The administration said “projectiles” were thrown at agents.

Aaron Rodgers donates $1 million to California fire relief

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Roders is stepping up, to help with wildfire relief in his native California. Rodgers tweeted a video on Wednesday, in which he requested others to contribute. “Raising money for both immediate needs and the long term recovery is what’s needed now,” Rodgers said.

Dozens of people have died and hundreds remain unaccounted for in the Camp Fire, the most destructive in the state’s history.

“In northern California where I was born and raised, the city of Paradise burned to the ground and many of the residents who got out are now displaced in my hometown of Chico and across the north state,” Rodgers said in the tweet.

GOP leadership committed to moving date of presidential primary

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Speaker Robin Vos (WRN file photo)

Republican legislative leaders have plans to move the date of the state’s presidential primary to March, to separate it from nonpartisan state and local elections. Under current law, that primary occurs in April. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is advocating for the change in 2020.

“We used to have a separate presidential primary. Vos told WFAW. “We made a decision to put it together. I think that was a mistake for a number of reasons.”

If the dates remain as is, conservative state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who will be on the ballot, could be swamped by high Democratic turnout in a 2020 presidential primary. Kelly was appointed by Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2016, to serve the unexpired term of conservative Justice David Prosser.

“That’s the issue the Democrats are bringing up,” Vos said “It’s about everybody running for every office. Either we believe in having a non-partisan system where on that ballot people do not run as a Republican or a Democrat, or we believe in having a partisan system 24-7.” State Supreme Court elections are officially non-partisan.

Vos’ talking points were similar to those offered Sunday by state Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) on WISN’s “UpFront with Mike Gousha.” Darling said Republicans “don’t think it’s appropriate,” for the presidential primary to be on the same ballot as local races.

Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills)

“A lot of people would agree with that,” Darling said, although she did not elaborate on who those people might be.

Along with Democrats, county and municipal clerks, who are tasked with running the state’s elections, don’t seem particularly keen on the idea.

“Having an additional election scheduled for March 2020 would have a big impact on all Municipal and County Clerks in the state of Wisconsin,” said Brookfield City Clerk Kelly Michaels, who heads the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. Micheals estimated the cost in Brookfield would be between $18,000 and $23,000.

“Apply that cost to every municipality in Wisconsin and you can imagine the financial impact. There would be no good reason for it when there is already an election scheduled in February and another in April.”

The election date would be one of the issues Republican leaders want to take up in a lame duck legislative session, prior to Governor-elect Tony Evers taking office. A date for that session has not been set.

As for Vos, he also told WFAW that’s he’s thinking good thoughts about the incoming governor. “You know when I’m in church on Sunday, I pray that Tony Evers will be a successful governor, because I want to make sure that see our state succeeds. But I also know that an awful lot of the policies that he believes in are going to cause our state serious financial harm, and roll our state backwards.”

Study suggests drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants

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A new report suggests Wisconsin’s undocumented migrants should be allowed to get drivers licenses. The report from Kids Forward claims Wisconsin will be safer for everyone if lawmakers allow that.

“All immigrants deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their documentation status,” said Tamerine Cornelius, an analyst for the Wisconsin Budget Project. “Allowing them to get drivers licenses would be an important step towards that.”

AUDIO: Tamerine Cornelius :30 

Cornelius noted that there’s an interest here, for the state’s signature industry. “Anybody who’s concerned about the well-being of dairy farms in Wisconsin also needs to be concerned about the well-being of dairy farm workers.”

According to the study, lawmakers in 12 other states have allowed licences for undocumented immigrants.
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Freedom From Religion Foundation sues over DOJ chaplain program

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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing, to end the Wisconsin Justice Department’s chaplaincy program. Annie Laurie Gaylor with FFRF said the six white male Christian ministers tapped to serve have no requirements to have experience in mental health or substance abuse counseling.

“It’s religious counseling, under the guise of employee counseling,” she said.

AUDIO: FFRF’s Annie Laurie Gaylor :22

FFRF filed the lawsuit in Dane County court last week. The program was introduced by Attorney General Brad Schimel during his reelection campaign. “We wanted to nip this in the bud, because the outgoing attorney general is encouraging all the other state agencies to start their own chaplaincy programs.”

Schimel lost to Democrat Josh Kaul. DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.

Walker breaks post election silence (AUDIO)

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WRN photo

What happened on Election Day? Governor Scott Walker was asked that as he met with reporters Thursday for the first time since his loss to Democrat Tony Evers. “I guess I’ll leave that more to the pundits,” Walker said. “More than 30,000 more people voted for me, than they did in 2014.”

But Walker noted that record-breaking turnout in a mid-term election in Wisconsin left him on the short end of vote totals. “It just was a bigger turnout election than we’ve historically seen in the state of Wisconsin.”

Walker said reform is his legacy after two terms in office He noted that Republicans retain control of the legislature. “We’re not going to retreat. The state of Wisconsin is not going to go backwards.”

Walker’s comments came on the same day the state posted an unemployment rate of just three percent, for a third straight month. “There’s no other state in America that passed more common sense, conservative reforms in the past eight years,” Walker said. “We didn’t just pass them, they actually worked.”

Walker says the state Senate will need to pass a tax incentive package for Kimberly Clark by the end of this month, in order to keep the Neenah Cold Springs plant open. “If it’s not done by the end of the month, then they’re (jobs at the plant) just going to be gone,”

Republicans hold a 18-15 majority in the Senate, but three GOP members have indicated they won’t support the $70 million dollar package. Walker said the employee union could have the most leverage with Senate Democrats. “If they can’t convince Senate Democrats to vote, I certainly am not going to be able to convince them.”

AUDIO: Governor Walker press conference 22:50 

Governor Scott Walker is downplaying Democrats’ concerns, that the Republican legislature may try to drastically restrict the powers of the office before governor-elect Tony Evers is sworn in. “There are things about affirming open, transparent government. codifying practices that have been in place in the past. Those things seem to be pretty reasonable. You’re certainly not going to see things that limit the ability of the governor to veto things.”

Republicans are also considering using the lame duck session to change the date of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential preference primary. They’re concerned that a heavy Democratic turnout could hurt the reelection changes of state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly. Walker appointed the conservative Justice in 2016, and he’ll be up for reelection in 2020.

Walker said he was he open to changing the date of the presidential primary. “I always thought (while serving as Milwaukee County Executive) it was odd that those of us who were in nonpartisan office were on the ballot the same time as there were partisan elections.”

Walker was also asked his thoughts on the Baraboo High School senior boys who were caught giving a Nazi salute in a photo taken earlier this year. The image went viral this week. The governor was unequivocal. “I think they’re idiots,” Walker said. “Some try to brush it of as youthful indiscretion, but still they’re idiots.”

Senate passage problematic for Kimberly Clark package

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A Joint Finance Committee hearing at the Capitol could determine the future of hundreds of paper workers in the Fox Valley. A $70 million tax incentive package aims to keep Kimberly Clark’s Cold Spring plant open. “I’m asking that you folks send a message, don’t turn you backs on these jobs.” said Neenah Mayor and former Finance Committee co-chair Dean Kaufert.

The plant makes adult incontinence products and employs more than 400 people. Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Mark Hogan said those jobs can go elsewhere. “There are other states that are willing to provide incentives, and that’s the free market that we live,” Hogan said.

John Deitrich, vice president of global manufacturing for Kimberly-Clark, said a decision on closing the plant hinges on Senate passage of the package. “AB 963 came to us from the state, and it caused us to pause the public announcement we made, about closing the Neenah Cold Spring facility. And with the opportunity to arrive at a new collective bargaining agreement, that with AB 963 will keep Cold Spring open.”

Republicans will need some Democrats’ support for that to happen. “I am not convinced that this is the right thing for the state to do,” GOP state Senator Luther Olsen, a finance committee member, said during Wednesday’s hearing. There are also three Senate Republicans – Senators Stave Nass of Whitewater, Chris Kapenga of Delafield and David Craig of the Town of Vernon – who are on record as opposing the deal, which passed the Assembly earlier this year.

Assembly Democrats reelect leadership

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Minority Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly have reelected their leadership. Democrats picked up just one seat in last week’s election, and Minority Leader Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh said Tuesday that their role and their job remains clear. “As we experienced over the last decade, no one is going to hand us anything. Our job remains the same in good times and bad times, and people are counting on us.”

“We have a younger caucus, we have a more diverse caucus,” Hintz said. “Now we have the opportunity to create an agenda that harnesses the energy of these new members and reflects the changing demographics of our state.”

The Democratic caucus includes a member who may be the youngest state legislator in the nation. Representative Kalan Haywood of Milwaukee is 19-years-old. “I’m super stoked and excited to be a part of such a great body,” Haywood said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Milwaukee Representative David Crowley unsuccessfully challenged Madison’s Representative Dianne Hesselbein for Assistant Minority Leader. “I want to make sure that we know, and that we tell people of color in the city of Milwaukee that they have skin in the game,” Crowley said, noting that Milwaukee Democrats were crucial in the victory of Governor-elect Tony Evers.

On Monday, Assembly Republicans reelected Speaker Robin Vos, and Majority Leader, Representative Jim Steinke.