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Lawmakers approve GOP lame duck agenda

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Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, Speaker Robin Vos (Photo: Andrew Beckett)

A long 24 hours of debates, caucuses and voting ended early Wednesday morning as Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature pushed through legislation limiting the powers of incoming Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, and limiting the time frame for municipalities to offer early absentee voting.

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz called out the process before the final vote was cast in the Assembly.

“It’s a massive deal. Not just for what it means, not just for what it means for the governance of our state. But for the signal that it sends, the lengths that people are willing to go to to retain power,” Hintz said “Rushing it through on three days notice, in a ridiculous last 24 hours of debate? Does anyone honestly think this is the right way to do business?”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos chided Democrats for their lack of decorum during the lame duck session, and said the bills are all to even out the powers of government.

“You have to start at a place where you have equal footing to negotiate. That’s what these bills are all about. Equal footing to negotiate,” Vos said  “While I know that some have spent the day angry and exaggerating, I would ask that we all cast a green vote as we look to rebalance the powers.”

Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh)

The entire package of bills now heads to Governor Scott Walker for his signature. He has signaled he’d sign them before he leaves office.

Legislation that would have that would protected health care coverage for pre-existing conditions failed to clear a Senate vote Wednesday morning, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against it. During his reelection campaign, Governor Scott Walker had promised to get that bill enacted into law.

Republican Senators David Craig and Chris Kapenga defeated the bill by voting against it. They wanted the state to create a high risk insurance pool, but that was not part of the bill.

Also not headed to the governor is a proposal to move the date of Wisconsin’s presidential primary from April to March. That measure never made it out of the legislature’s finance committee earlier this week.

Among other measures approved by both chambers:

A work requirement for single, able-bodied adults who are on BadgerCare. The legislature would also get oversight over any request for federal waivers for welfare programs. In addition, the governor will be prohibited from withdrawing from a multi-state lawsuit that challenges Obamacare.

The Legislature would also have new powers to intervene in lawsuits involving the state, an area usually handled by the Attorney General. Financial settlements that the AG negotiates would be subject to legislative oversight.

The legislature would get to make additional appointments to the board that controls the Wisconsin Economic Development agency.

The legislature also voted to limit early voting to two weeks before an election. A similar bill had been struck down by a federal judge. The current version will also face an almost certain court challenge.

 

Schimel concedes Wisconsin attorney general election

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Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel is conceding the November election. Schimel had been holding out hope that more ballots would be counted in his favor during the county canvasses of the vote totals, but he was still 17,000 behind his Democratic challenger, Josh Kaul.

In a statement released Monday, Schimel said that while he could pay for a recount, he won’t put the county clerks through that process and will be conceding the race. He added that it’s been his honor to serve as Attorney General.

“Throughout my career in public service, I have tried to keep the focus of my work on the results, and not myself. I care very deeply about the criminal justice system and hope to find a way to continue the pursuit of justice in the future. However, I will not be requesting a recount of the narrow November election results. While we did receive 77,000 more votes than four years ago, my team and I believe the 17,000 vote gap is definitive. We could have raised the funds necessary to pay for the recount, but in the end, we felt the odds of finding enough votes were too narrow to justify putting the county clerks, their staff and the public through such an ordeal at this time. The people of Wisconsin are good, God is great, and I accept the verdict of the electorate. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Wisconsin’s Attorney General.”

Schimel, the former District Attorney of Waukesha County, was elected Attorney General in November 2014 and took office on January 5, 2015, succeeding fellow Republican J. B. Van Hollen

Wisconsin National Guard to help provide Hurricane Michael assistance

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The Wisconsin National Guard will assist victims of Hurricane Michael. Twelve members of the Army National Guard will conduct relief operations in Florida.

Two Black Hawk medevac helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Army Guard’s West Bend facility reported for active duty on Wednesday, to prepare for deployment to Florida.

Baldwin and Vukmir set for first debate

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Incumbent Senator Tammy Baldwin and challenger Leah Vukmir are set to have their first debate. The two will meet at UW Milwaukee Monday night for the first of three debates headed into the midterm elections next month.

Expected topics of discussion tonight will be Baldwin’s role in the reforms at the Tomah VA Medical Center, immigration reform and the Republican tax cut plans. The debate starts at 6 pm and will be heard on WTMJ, WUWM, and on JS Online.

Senate will attempt Kimberly-Clark plan passage in November

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Senator Fitzgerald

The Wisconsin Senate will make an attempt next month to pass a $100 million tax incentive package for Kimberly-Clark. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) has called an extraordinary session of the Senate, scheduled for November 12th, to discuss and vote on a package of deals for the paper making company.

It’s not clear at this time if Senate Republicans have enough votes to pass the package. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) called the move a ploy, and said that if Fitzgerald were serious, the Senate would be holding the vote now, rather than after the election.

Governor Scott Walker is supportive “My message to Kimberly-Clark employees is simple: we are fighting for you,” Walker said in a tweet.

Kimberly-Clark announced in January that it intended to close two Fox Valley area plants, the Cold Spring manufacturing plant in Fox Crossing, with around 500 jobs, and the Neenah Nonwovens facility, with about 110 workers.

In February, the state Assembly passed an incentive package that would offer the company benefits similar to those used to attract Foxconn to the state in 2017. Proponents said that would help protect those 600 jobs and the others that depend on Kimberly-Clark’s presence in the region.

The plan passed the Assembly with a bipartisan vote of 56-37, but backers in the Senate have thus far been unable to muster needed support among majority Republicans.

 

Vukmir will face Baldwin in November

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The GOP’s chosen nominee for Wisconsin’s Senate race has survived a vigorous primary attempt from her challenger. Both the AP and the New York Times called the race for Leah Vukmir before 10 PM Tuesday night. In a statement,

Vukmir says that Wisconsin needs a senator represents Wisconsin, not “the far left or out-of-touch elites”.

Incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin responded in kind, saying that Vukmir has “a long record of putting her corporate special interest backers ahead of hardworking Wisconsin families.”

Vukmir coasted past challenger Kevin Nicholson, holding a commanding lead all night.

More changes coming for Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake

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More restrictions and supervision are coming to Wisconsin’s troubled youth detention centers.

According to the Journal Sentinel, civil rights groups and the state have come to a settlement over a series of abuses against youth inmates at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.

“While biggest step forward for youth is the closure of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, today’s settlement is also an important win,” said Jessica Feierman, Associate Director of Juvenile Law Center. “The agreement establishes crucial safeguards against the harms of solitary confinement, restraints, pepper spray, and strip searches.”

Under the proposed guidelines, solitary confinement will be banned, officers won’t use pepper spray on inmates, and restraints will only be used in extreme situations. Inmates also won’t be subject to strip searches without probable cause.

“This is a major step in the right direction for Wisconsin and the protection of children in the custody of the state,” said Timothy Muth, staff attorney of ACLU of Wisconsin. “We hope this settlement and the closure of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake signals a larger shift in Wisconsin’s juvenile justice system toward an approach that recognizes the unique needs and vulnerabilities of youth and respects their constitutional rights. We’ll need to remain vigilant to ensure that shift comes to fruition.”

An outside auditor will also come in to inspect the schools on a regular basis.

The new changes will also affect a series of newly proposed youth facilities.

Waupaca County man faces 14th OWI charge

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An Almond man is facing a 14th drunk driving charge.

Police say 64-year-old Daniel Nordell failed a sobriety test after he crashed his car into a mailbox, a street sign and a utility pole May 24th.

A preliminary test placed his blood alcohol content at .17 which is nine times the limit in place for repeat OWI offenders.

Nordell’s last OWI conviction was in 2006 in Waupaca County, when he was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision, court records said. His OWI convictions date back to 1994.

The complaint said Nordell was convicted of OWI four times in 1994, twice in 1995, once in 1998, three times in 1999 and twice in 2002 before the 2006 conviction.

Nordell is in the Waupaca County jail on a 25 thousand dollar cash bond.

WSAU

Barca won’t run for Ryan’s House seat

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A leading Democrat won’t be running for House Speaker Paul Ryan’s seat in Congress. State representative Peter Barca has decided against getting into the race for the First Congressional District.

In a statement, Barca said he will instead continue his run for the 64h Assembly District. Democrats Randy Bryce and Cathy Meyers are already seeking the seat which Ryan will be vacating at the end of his term.

Blood drives essential to public health

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Blood drives across Wisconsin are essential for keeping up the blood supply.

Red Cross spokeswoman Laura McGuire says there’s no way around how hospitals currently get blood. “Blood cannot be manufactured. The only way that we can get blood is through one another.”

Donations come in many forms and are used in many different ways. McGuire says the look for donations from all donors, but are especially interested in the red blood cells of those who are blood type O-. “When people are in emergencies or accidents or in the emergency room, and there is a need for blood, the very first thing that personnel reach for is O-.” Similarly, people who are blood type AB are sought out for plasma donations.

Donations typically take an hour and can save three lives.