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Criticism as application of Endangered Species Act is weakened

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George Meyer WRN photo

The Trump administration’s weakening of the Endangered Species Act is being criticized. “This is the wrong time to be weakening the federal Endangered Species Act,” said George Meyer, a former Wisconsin DNR Secretary and President of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.

Under the enforcement changes, federal officials for the first time will be able to publicly attach a cost to saving an animal or plant. “And in most situations, a particular species, while it may be valuable for biological reasons and diversity reasons, isn’t a big moneymaker in terms of economics,” Meyer said.

Meyer said the changes will make it more difficult to protect critical habitat. “As we’re being impacted by climate change, habitat for species changes.” The action could allow the government to disregard the possible impact of climate change. “So land or water areas that need to be protected for the future for species, will not be able to be protected under the act,” Meyer said.

The Endangered Species Act is credited with helping save scores of animals and plants from extinction since President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1973. The act currently protects more than 1,600 species. In Wisconsin, animals listed as endangered include the American Marten and Piping Plover.

Foxconn execs meet meet with Evers and legislative leaders

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Wisconsin’s top elected officials met with Foxconn Technology Group executives on Wednesday. As for what they discussed, not much is known. A Foxconn spokeswoman issued a statement saying only that Foxconn Chairman Young Liu was meeting with Governor Tony Evers, state and local officials, and members of Wisconsin’s higher education community.

Evers’ spokeswoman, Melissa Baldauff, said Evers met separately with the Foxconn execs. She told the Wisconsin State Journal that Evers wants to build a relationship with Liu, who took over after former chairman Terry Gou decided to run for president in Taiwan.


Assembly Speaker Robin Vos tweeted that he and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald met with Foxconn execs and got an update on the company’s future plans. He didn’t elaborate. Spokespeople for both lawmakers provided no additional details.

Attorney General Kaul joins lawsuit against ‘dirty power rule’

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AG Josh Kaul

Attorney General Josh Kaul has announced that Wisconsin is suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over efforts to roll back Obama-era climate protections. In all, officials in 22 states argue the Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule violates the federal Clean Air Act.

“Climate change is not only real; it’s a crisis,” said Kaul. “We’re only beginning to see its effects, including severe flooding and extreme temperatures. We can’t afford to wait for 20 years or a decade to take meaningful action. We need to step up now and to start responding to the climate crisis like our kids’ future depends on it—because it does.”

The Affordable Clean Energy plan eased carbon emission limits on fossil-fuel power plants proposed — but never implemented — during the Obama administration.

Evers asks Trump to help farmers, end trade war

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Governor Tony Evers is weighing in, on President Donald Trump’s trade war.

In a letter to the president, the Democratic Governor asked him to consider Wisconsin farmers, and put an end to the growing trade war between the United States and its international partners, including China.

The president once tweeted that “trade wars are good, and easy to win.” Evers said the tariffs are having a direct, negative impact on many industries, particularly agriculture, which employs one out every nine Wisconsin workers and generates 88 billion dollars.

Cephus’ attorneys pressure UW to readmit him

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Former Badger wide receiver Quintez Cephus WRN photo

Two weeks after his acquittal on sexual assault charges, and a week after his request for readmission to the UW, former Badgers wide receiver Quintez Cephus and his attorneys are asking for a decision on that.

Backed by a group of his former teammates, Cephus made only brief remarks during a press conference in downtown Madison Monday. “The whole time I’ve had the support of my brothers and everybody who knew me, and I’ve had a chance to show my real character outside of sports.”

Steve Meyer, Cephus’ chief defense attorney in his sexual assault trial, was more vocal, and said Dane County jurors “clearly rejected” the “racial stereotype that permeated the criminal case”

Asked to clarify that, Meyer said “that black men are sexually aggressive. That’s exactly the stereotype that I’m talking about.” Meyer said requests for trial transcripts will only delay a decision, and called on the UW to “do the right thing” and readmit Cephus.

A statement from the UW said information provided by Meyer “is false,” that no decision has been made, and that most readmission cases involve a full review of all relevant court records, which it is in the process of gathering.

Senate committee approves Evers’ pick for DOT Secretary

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Governor Tony Evers’ pick to lead the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has been approved by a key committee. Republican Jerry Petrowski chairs the Senate transportation panel.

“Craig has been involved in transportation for a long time, and I believe that he will do a good job, not only for the governor, but for all the citizens of the state,” Petrowski said Thursday.

Thompson is one of several Evers’ nominees who’ve been criticized by some Republican senators. “Governor Evers and Secretary-designee Thompson have put the road builders before Wisconsin taxpayers time after time,” said Senator Duey Stroebel in a statement. “This should not be a surprise, because before being nominated by Governor Evers Craig Thompson worked as a lobbyist for the road builders.

“I know that there are constantly in the world we live in a lot of sniping going on for some of the secretaries,” Petrowski” said. ” I believe that Craig is a class act, and he will do a great job for the state of Wisconsin.”

The full Senate still needs to approve Thompson to lead DOT, and Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said his caucus will meet in the coming weeks to gauge how members feel about Thompson. The Senate Committee on Transportation, Military and Veterans Affairs also also approved Mary Kolar’s appointment to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bills would assist victims of child sexual assault by clergy

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At the Capitol, state legislators have introduced proposals to help victims of child sexual assault and abuse by clergy. State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said the Child Victims Act removes one of the biggest obstacles to victims — the existing statute of limitations.

“Statutes of limitations. On raping children?”

In Wisconsin, a person who who has experienced sexual assault by an adult, has until age 35 to bring a civil case. The bill from Taylor and Representatives Chris Taylor and Melissa Sargent of Madison would eliminate that age limit. “I’m in my forties, and it’s taken me this long to fully understand what has happened to me, and the role that the church played” said Debbie McNulty of Madison, who was victimized by member of her church.

The legislators said this is the fourth time since 2002 that a bill like this has been proposed.

Children who’ve been sexually abused by members of their faith community are easily manipulated to keep quiet. Rebecca Martin Byrd of Madison said she was abused as child by a member of her church.

“When I first told my pastor, he told me that if I told my story it would ruin my perpetrator’s life. That it would make the church look bad, and if the church looked bad then people wouldn’t come to church, and if people don’t come to church then they don’t get saved. And if they don’t get saved then they burn in hell. And that would be my fault.”

A separate bill would remove an exemption on private conversations with clergy — including Catholic confession — from the state’s “mandatory reporters.” law. Representative Taylor said clergy are currently designated, “but . . . unless they received the information about the abuse confidentially, or privately. And unfortunately, that’s how the information is received most of the time. And so it basically nullifies the ability to report. Our bill gets rid of that exception.”

Wisconsin Democrats call for gun action

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Wisconsin Democrats are calling for action to restrict access to guns, in the wake of the nation’s latest round of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

During a stop in Marathon County on Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said she’s all for a special session focused on gun control action. “I would leave in a moment’s notice, of I believed we could get something done,” Baldwin said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to schedule Senate action on gun control measures passed by the House. Congress is currently in recess.

In a statement,  Republican Senator Ron Johnson said the U.S. must “seriously re-evaluate how our society treats mental illness to keep firearms out of the hands of people who pose a danger to themselves and their communities.”

Governor Tony Evers is calling on Republican leadership at the Capitol to take up gun control legislation. Evers said mass shootings are something that can affect anyone, anywhere and that debating legislation is the best way to force a discussion.

“That’s what the kids from Parkland have been talking about for the past several years, let’s have a discussion, instead of saying ‘Oh my gosh, this is not the time to talk about it.’ Well that’s baloney.”

He said that universal background checks for all gun purchases are something that a majority of Wisconsinites approve of.

GoFundMe page set up for family of boy killed in Dane Co. farm accident

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The Dane County Sheriff’s Department has set up a GoFundMe page for the family of a boy killed in a farm accident. Eight-year-old Jefferson Rodriguez was killed one week ago when he was run over by a skid steer loader being operated by his father on a Town of Dane farm north of Madison.

Both father and son were recent immigrants from Nicaragua and have no other family in the area. The GoFundMe account was established to help with funeral expenses and to return his body to Nicaragua.

Republicans file ‘lame duck’ suit against AG Josh Kaul

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Another “lame duck” lawsuit has been filed. It’s the first suit from Republicans. Legislators want the state Supreme Court to take a case against Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul. GOP leaders claim the AG failed to follow laws they passed in December to limit his authority.

“Attorney General Josh Kaul is taking an unrealistic view of the law and refusing to comply with previous court rulings,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, (R-Juneau), and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, (R-Rochester), said in a statement.

Previous suits challenging the actions to restrict Kaul and Governor Tony Ever have been brought by unions or Democrats.