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Latest MU Poll shows support for state’s COVID-19 response and Biden in Dem primary

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Wisconsin residents seem to have a lot more confidence in the state versus the federal response to COVID-19, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll.

Poll director Charles Franklin said Wednesday that 76 percent of respondents approve of how Governor Tony Evers is handling the pandemic response, as opposed to just 51 percent of people who approve of President Trump’s handling of it.

“That’s a little bit higher than his overall approval rating which we’ve seen in national data as well, but it’s not as high by any margin as we’re Tony Evers at this point.”

Franklin said more and more Wisconsinites are taking the response seriously as the situation became more clear.

“Paying a lot of attention or very concerned about it’ didn’t even pass 50% until a couple of weeks ago so this is been a fast-developing matter of public opinion and public concern.”

More than half of poll respondents would also like to see the Spring Elections moved, with 51 percent saying the date should be moved and 44 percent saying it should be held as scheduled.

Numbers from the latest poll are also showing a reversal in the Democratic presidential primary. Franklin said Bernie Sanders had a commanding lead going into this month’s poll.

“This month the roles are totally reversed with Biden just over 60% Sanders at about 32%.”

Franklin said that people should still view these numbers with caution, simply because of the massive amount of absentee balloting that’s been going on for the Spring Primary.

Elections Commission deadlocks on investigating Dane and Milwaukee County clerks

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The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Sunday deadlocked on whether or not  to investigate two county clerks over election comments.  The commission’s 3-3 vote came during a special meeting called after Wisconsin Republicans complained that the Dane and Milwaukee County clerks both offered advice that could get around voter ID requirements.

The clerks had told voters in their counties that the Safer At Home order meant they didn’t need to provide photo ID to request a mail-in ballot. If someone is ‘indefinitely confined’ to their home, state law allows them to skip providing photo ID to get an absentee ballot. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau said that advice violates state statute.

State sets up supply donations site for COVID-19 response

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is requesting assistance help in securing essential medical supplies for the state’s COVID-19 response.

The Governor is asking for any businesses that might have spare personal protection equipment to get in contact with state officials to help get those supplies to groups in need. That includes respirators, surgical gowns, medical gloves and other items.

The program offers both a donation option or a buyback option for large amounts of supplies. Find out more online at Covid19Supplies.WI.gov.

GOP legislative leaders generally supportive of Evers ‘Safer At Home’ order

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Speaker Robin Vos, Senator Scott Fitzgerald (File photo: WRN)

Republican legislative leaders say Wednesday that they’re okay with Governor Tony Evers’ Safer At Home order, but wish they’d been in the loop.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the governor needed to be more specific with people before giving the order.

“There are still unanswered questions as to what businesses are allowed to be open and what aren’t so I think those are the kind of things people are more frustrated with.”

Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald held a media teleconference Wednesday. The order to close businesses and ban non essential travel will last though most of April. Fitzgerald said businesses face a lot of uncertainty, and that he and Vos should have been brought into the discussion on the order.

“I’ve got a number of phone calls in the office, been talking with a number of constituents, business people that are still trying to exactly feel feel their way through this to see you know what impact it might have on their business,” Fitzgerald said.

“I think it would have been much better for everyone involved if those issues would have been brought up, discussed publicly, and then ultimately the order would be crafted around that.”

Both men said their hoping that businesses will be able to get back to normal when the end of the order comes in April, and that a federal aid package will help keep businesses afloat in the meantime.

 

 

Evers names Héctor Colón to Board of Regents

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Governor Tony Evers has picked a top Latino leader to take over an empty spot on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Evers on Thursday named Héctor Colón to the Board. Colón is the CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Northern Michigan.

Evers said Colón has a long history of helping Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents, and that his economic prowess in running organizations will be an asset to the Board.

Wisconsin joins multistate investigation of JUUL

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A coalition of nearly 40 states is investigating electronic cigarette maker JUUL over possible misconduct. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said too many kids are vaping, and attorneys general want to know if JUUL was improperly marketing to them.

“But unfortunately, what we’ve seen recently is a big jump in e-cigarette usage and that can have long term health effects for people using those.”

The investigation will also look at whether or not JUUL was being improperly marketed as a smoking cessation aid.

“One of the things we want to make sure we’re doing is looking into whether there have been any improper sales or marketing tactics that were used.”

Kaul said that as of 2018, 20 percent of Wisconsin high school students reported using vapes like JUUL.

 

Senator Luther Olson won’t seek reelection

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Senator Luther Olson

Longtime legislator Luther Olsen has announced he won’t be seeking another term in the Wisconsin Senate. The Ripon Republican said Monday that it’s time to let other people take charge in Madison.

Olsen was first elected to the Assembly in 1994, and to a Senate seat in 2004.

Olsen has been a long time advocate for education and children, and said his proudest work for the state was the state’s graduated licensing law, which helped reduce teen driving crashes and deaths by 15 percent.

“The kids that already had their license didn’t care, but the ones that were going to go through this and just getting ready to go through this, they were not happy with me. And I said ‘well, when you get old enough to vote, vote me out of office. But at least you’ll be alive to vote.'”

Olson noted that state Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) has already announced her candidacy for the seat in Senate District 14. “Who else is going to run? I don’t know. There’s time for that to happen.”

Olson has generally been viewed as a moderate Republican during his 26 years at the Capitol.  “I’ve been getting a lot of calls and text message and emails from folks saying ‘You know, you were a statesman, you listened to people, you used your judgement, and we’re really going to miss you.'”

Olsen says he viewed his time in office as a sacred duty to the people of his district. “In this job you’re a delegate and a trustee. As a delegate, when you have that role, you have to vote as your constituents want. And you better do that.”

 

 

Last call for expanded DNC bar times bill

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State Senate Republicans have blocked – for now – an attempt to expand bar hours in Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention this summer.

The bill would have moved the bar close to 4:00 am during the duration of the Convention. “Whether you agree with the Democrats or not, you have thousands of Democrats coming in to the state of Wisconsin, opening up their pocketbooks,” said Senator John Erpenbach (D-West Point).

Senator Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) seemed less than impressed. “We could change our drinking hours for four or five days for two hours! That’s… that’s it! That’s what we can do!”

The Senate did not vote on the DNC bar bill on Wednesday. But the chamber meets again in March. An Assembly committee unanimously passed the bill. The full Assembly was expected to vote on it on Thursday.

Senate confirms Preston Cole to head DNR

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Preston Cole IMAGE: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin State Senate has unanimously approved the appointment of Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole, but Wednesday’s vote didn’t pass without incident.

Senator Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) who has long pushed for expansion of logging and mining in the state, issued a warning to Cole, and the agency he’ll lead.

“Mr. Cole has some work cut out for him. There are many fine people who work within the Department of Natural Resources, but there are those who take liberties with the law at times,” Tiffany said. “I hope Secretary Cole is up to the task of making sure that they are accountable to him and to the taxpayers of the state of Wisconsin.”

The vote to confirm Cole was unanimous, meaning he’ll finally officially take over as head of the DNR. Governor Tony Evers selected Cole to lead the agency in December of 2018.

The Senate also confirmed Emilie Amundson to lead the Department of Children and Families, on a vote of 32-1. Five acting  Evers cabinet secretaries are still awaiting confirmation, including Craig Thompson at Transportation and Andrea Palm at the Department of Health Services.

Kelly and Karofsky advance in state Supreme Court election primary

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Wisconsin voters have picked the two State Supreme Court candidates for this April’s spring election. Dane County Judge Jill Karofsky will face incumbent Justice Daniel Kelly in the April Election.

Karofsky is a Dane County circuit judge who was placed on the bench in 2017. Kelly was appointed to the high court by Scott Walker when he was governor.

Kelly received most of his votes in rural Wisconsin and in the conservative counties surrounding Milwaukee, while Karofsky dominated in Madison and Milwaukee. The two will compete in the general election on April 7th.