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DNR reports opening weekend deer harvest

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The numbers are in, for the opening weekend of Wisconsin’s gun deer hunt. “Things started out a little slower than we were hoping that they would, but still we had over 90,000 deer registered, with a little over half of those, 47,000 being antlered bucks,” said Kevin Wallenfang with the Department of Natural Resources.

“We are down right now, in comparison, about 30 percent, and that was not totally unexpected. When we have years where we go from the absolute earliest opener which we did in 2018 to the absolute latest opener which we had this year, we tend to see usually a 20 to 25 percent reduction in the opening weekend buck harvest.”

The nine-day gun deer season opened Saturday and runs through Sunday. “I would just encourage people, you know we’re only talking about the first two days of the season, and there’s still lots of time out there and lots of deer out there to pursue, so get on out there and enjoy it,” Wallenfang said.

Judge compares Lac Courte Oreilles arson to destruction of church or synagogue

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A Sawyer County man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for arson which damaged sites of religious significance on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation. Sawyer County Judge John Yackel on Monday also sentenced 45-year-old Christopher Grover to 21 years extended supervision, followed by 20 years probation, meaning Grover will have some form of supervision the rest of his life.

Grover was found guilty of 15 charges following a three-and-half day jury trial in September. According to the Sawyer County Record, Yackel compared the fires that Grover set in 2012 at six sites of significance to members of the Ojibwe tribe’s Midewiwin tradition to the destruction of a church or synagogue.

Evers signs lemonade legislation

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Your kids’ lemonade stand is now fully legit. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Monday signed a bipartisan bill allowing children to sell lemonade and other goods on private property without having to get a permit, as long as they don’t exceed two thousand dollars a year in sales.

The Democratic governor also signed legislation allowing gasoline with no ethanol and gas that contains up to fifteen percent ethanol to be dispensed through the same hose. Evers signed a total of 11 bills on Monday.

Evers signs tougher penalties for drunk drivers who kill

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Drunk drivers who kill someone in will face a stiffer penalty. Governor Tony Evers signed a Republican bill creating a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for anyone found guilty of the charge of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

State Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) was the bill’s chief sponsor. Her office released a statement saying someone who kills someone else deserves a sentence that provides justice for the victim’s family.

“Unfortunately, there are instances where an individual’s irresponsible act of driving drunk kills someone. In some of these cases, the driver is only incarcerated for two or three years. When someone takes the life of another, they must be given a sentence that provides justice for the family members who have lost a loved one.”

Evers also signed a bill, co-authored by Darling, which assists truck drivers in identifying will sex trafficking. It will help train truck drivers to recognize the signs of human trafficking

Johnson says whistle blower ‘exposed things that didn’t need to be exposed’

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As the public phase of the Hous impeachments proceedings enter a second week, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson said he’s willing to share his firsthand knowledge of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship. On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Johnson told Chuck Todd that he’s been asked to do that by Republicans on the panel.

The Wisconsin Republican – who was in Ukraine prior to the president’s phone call with that country’s president – said he’s been asked share his firsthand knowledge, but doubts he’ll be asked to testify. “They’re not going to call me, because certainly Adam Schiff wouldn’t want to be called by the Senate. I’ll supply my telling of event, which is difficult to to do in 8-10 minutes on a show like this.”

Johnson also expressed concerns over the role of the whistle blower in the impeachment proceedings. “Having this all come out into public …. has exposed things that didn’t need to be exposed. This would have been far better off if we were just taking care of this behind the scenes.”

Johnson said he’s concerned about the impact the impeachment process is having on the country, stating that political differences need to be “settled at the ballot box, not in the streets or through impeachment.”

Ron Johnson letter to Trump urges him to abandon rules for vaping flavors

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Senator Ron Johnson is asking President Trump not to push restrictions on vaping flavors. In a letter to the president, Johnson said he supports rules that ensure the safety of products for consumers but he’s also concerned about government action that stifles innovation and threatens jobs. He said the restrictions on flavored vape products are being “rammed through.”

“I am strongly opposed to far-reaching, unchecked government action that stifles innovation and restricts adults’ freedom to choose safer alternatives to smoking.”

The administration is also considering raising the age to buy vaping products from 18 to 21, an idea Johnson says he supports.

Man shot and killed by police in Fox Crossing

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A man was shot and killed by police officers in Fox Crossing early Thursday, according to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

A Fox Crossing police officer and a Neenah police officer responded to a call for a suicidal subject on the 900 block of Clover Street, Fox Crossing, Wis. Following an interaction with the subject both officers discharged their weapons, striking the subject. A weapon was found on the scene. Authorities performed lifesaving measures and the subject was transported to Thedacare Neenah where he died from his injuries. 

The names of the victim and the officers involved have not been released.

Evers on GOP leaders: ‘I don’t think they’re bastards’

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He doesn’t really think they’re bastards. Governor Tony Evers was asked in the Dells Wednesday about a report that he used that pejorative last week, in referring to Republican leaders in the legislature. “I don’t think they’re bastards, obviously,” Evers said. “‘Don’t let the bastards keep you down’ is a term of art, it’s not a term of necessarily insult.”

The Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday that Evers was so angry when Republican state senators fired Brad Pfaff as state agriculture secretary, that he told state workers the move was “amoral and stupid” and urged them not to let the “bastards” impede their work.
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Conservative group’s lawsuit seeks purge of state voter rolls

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A conservative group wants to purge thousands of people from the state’s voter rolls. Last month, the state Elections Commission mailed notices to some 234,00 voters, telling them to update their registrations with their new addresses if they’ve moved, or to notify the commission if they have not. Voters who fail to act will have their registrations suspended after April 2021.

But the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty contends state law requires the commission to remove people from the voter rolls much sooner. Three men it represents filed a lawsuit Wednesday asking an Ozaukee County judge to force the commission to remove people from the voter rolls if they did not respond to the commission’s letter.

Analiese Eicher, Executive Director of the liberal One Wisconsin Now Institute, said the suit is a tactic utilized around the country by conservatives seeking to manipulate the rules on voting to give themselves an advantage

Eicher noted that WILL board members donated thousands of dollars to the campaign of state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who is up for reelection next spring.

Assembly approves National Bible Week, Christmas Tree resolutions

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The state Assembly has approved a resolution declaring the week of Thanksgiving as National Bible Week in Wisconsin. Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation has called the resolution “highly inappropriate.”

Not so,. says Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington). “It’s not something new that we’ve done . . . we have done these in the past. I think we recognize people of all faiths,” Vos said.

“I don’t have a real problem with it,” said Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Ohskosh). “It seems to be we’re going to have holy wars or something, it might be to distract from the lack of an agenda overall.”

The resolution passed on 86-9 vote Tuesday. The Assembly also voted Tuesday to officially recognize the rotunda evergreen as a Christmas tree. That resolution was a reaction to Governor Tony Evers invitation to school kids to send ornaments for the Capitol’s “Holiday Tree.” Four Democrats joined Republicans on the pro Christmas Tree vote.