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Governor Evers sets date for special session on unemployment system

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A date has been set for a special session of the state Legislature to discuss the state’s unemployment program.

Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order on Wednesday setting that special session for January 19th.

Evers made the announcement about that session during his State of the State Address on Tuesday night. In it, he said that he understands that revamping the outdated and aging system will take years, and that’s why it’s got to be done as soon as possible.

It’s unclear if Republicans will take up the session, or just gavel out like they have with the last several special sessions.

There’s already pushback from some members of the Legislature. Senator Howard Marklein says the governor has, and has had for months, all the money and authority he needs to fix problems at the Department of Workforce Development.

Governor Evers calls for fair maps, more broadband funding, and DWD overhaul in State of the State address

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Governor Tony Evers laid out his roadmap for 2021 at Tuesday night’s State of the State Address.

Evers took little time in laying out tall goals for 2021. Evers says he’ll be calling for a special session of the Legislature to overhaul and rebuild the state’s unemployment system.

“We know that replacing the system will take years. That’s why it should have been done sooner. But it’s also why we don’t have another moment to waste.”

Republicans have been decrying the backlog of unemployment claims that were generated by outdated systems and processes at D W D, and Evers wants them to get together and fix the issue.

Evers says that the massive push for increased internet access showed the vast digital divide across parts of Wisconsin, and that he’ll be stepping up the funding for broadband expansion to $200 million in his next budget.

“This pandemic has shown us first-hand that lack of access to high-speed internet continues to be a setback for kids, families, and businesses across our state.”

Governor Evers says that a fair and open redistricting process will be vital to the state in 2021. Evers says that the last time maps were drawn in the state, Republicans did so in secret with the help of attorneys, and that no one got to provide any input. 

“I’m announcing that my biennial budget is going to make sure that the legislature draws our maps in the light of day, in the public eye, and with public input by requiring public meetings for map drawing process.”

Many of the records for those strategy sessions were never released, and Evers says he doesn’t want to see a repeat of that process. “Because the people of our state deserve to know how these maps are drawn and by whom.”

Evers thanked the people of Wisconsin for their strength and perseverance through the pandemic and what was a tough year, and alled for continued unity among the people of the state.

State Senate moving quickly on COVID-19 package

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The Wisconsin state Senate is poised to amend a coronavirus relief package passed by the state Assembly last week.

On WISN‘s “UpFront” Sunday, Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the goal is to get something Governor Tony Evers will support.

“What we’re looking to do in the Senate is find a bill — and this was our goal all along — was to find a bill that the governor will get that bill done for the state of Wisconsin.,” LeMahieu said.

A Senate committee scheduled a hearing Monday, with the goal of amending the Senate bill before the full Senate takes it up on Tuesday.

Governor Evers sends new compromise COVID-19 bill to GOP leaders, calls for a vote this year

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Governor Tony Evers has sent Legislative Republicans plans for another COVID-19 relief bill, and wants them to vote on it before the end of the year. 

Evers is calling the bill a representation of compromises that both sides can agree on. The Governor would have liked to see more support for eviction moratoriums and help for people looking for work, but says that action needs to be taken now.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos owns several rental properties, and has expressed his opposition to any moratoriums.

It is unlikely that a vote will happen, as incoming Senate President Devin LeMaheiu says he doesn’t plan on calling a lame duck session this year.

Legislative hearing on November election to have partisan cast

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Friday’s hearing for Republican lawmakers to listen to concerns about Wisconsin’s November presidential election appears front loaded with partisan testimony, and very little from local elections officials.

Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee chair, Representative Ron Tusler (R-Harrison), said many of those concerns center on Milwaukee.

“Some of those concerns have been ‘look I’m not from the Milwaukee County area, and I don’t quite understand how this works or that works, or how one particular ward got so many more votes than it usually does, and this seems really abnormal,'” Tusler said, adding that others “saw something when they were voting that they didn’t think looked quite right. Other folks just in general thought that things happened in the middle of Milwaukee County at night that changed the results of the election significantly.”

Tusler on Thursday released a list of those scheduled to testify. They include conservative Milwaukee talk radio host Dan O’Donnell, Dane County Clerk Scott McDonnell, Republican appointees of the state Elections Commission, and an unspecified number of concerned citizens. The committee has not scheduled time for Meagan Wolfe, the state’s chief elections administrator.

Tusler said his office has heard from over 5,000 people with concerns about the election.

“But it’s pretty broad. Folks have brought a lot of different concerns and not just in Milwaukee and Dane County as well. In other counties too, especially Brown.”

Democrats on the committee issued a statement in which they referred to the hearing as a “cynical attempt to undermine the will of the people.”

“You know to come out against a hearing before it’s even happened . . it’s just nonsensical,” Tusler said.

In a separate interview with the Journal Sentinel, Tusler said he was “undecided . . . right now,” on whether Republicans who control the Legislature should change how the state’s electoral votes will be cast, before the Electoral College meets Monday. He also wouldn’t say whether he thinks Joe Biden, who won Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, was the actual winner in the state.

The joint hearing with a Senate Committee is scheduled for 10:00 AM.

Report: legislature will face budget shortfall

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New projections suggest Wisconsin lawmakers will face the state’s biggest budget shortfall since 2011 next year.

The nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum is predicting state spending will exceed revenue by $373 million over the next two years. The figure doesn’t take into account Medicaid costs and new spending requests from state agencies like the Department of Health Services.

It’s something the legislature will have to contend with, in putting together the 2021-2023 biennial budget. Democratic Governor Tony Evers is scheduled to present his budget in February, after which spring which the Republican controlled Joint Finance Committee will rework it before delivering a final budget to Evers, who can then modify it using his partial veto powers.

The report is based on Wisconsin’s projected increases in tax collections and base spending, but didn’t include any expected requests for new spending.

Vos picks Born as co-chair of legislature’s finance committee

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has tapped state Representative Mark Born (R- Beaver Dam), to succeed Representative John Nygren as co-chair of the legislature’s budget writing Joint Committee on Finance.

“I think that the team that we selected in Mark Born and Amy Loudenbeck, are really going to be great for the conservative voters that we want to try to represent, but also to make sure that we can do good things for Wisconsin, regardless of party,” Vos said Wednesday.

Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) will continue as Vice Chair of the powerful budget-writing committee. Nygren abruptly announced his resignation from the legislature this week, for an opportunity in the private sector.

“He’s really got a lot of background,” Vos said of Born. “Corrections was kind of his his area, having been a former jailer with an ability to work with law enforcement. But he’s also taken on a lot of issues that are kind of in his wheelhouse, like the UW System and working on education issues as well.”

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu announced Tuesday that Senate co-chair, Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), is being succeeded Senator Duey Strobel (R-Cedarburg).

 

Assembly Republicans want finance committee oversight of state’s COVID-19 vaccine plan

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos wants legislative oversight, of the Evers’ administration’s plans for COVID-19 vaccinations.

“It doesn’t look very robust to me, and I think that if you’re going to submit a plan on behalf of the entire state, it’s good for us to do it number one in a bipartisan way, but number two by involving more than a single elected official,” Vos (R-Rochester).

Assembly Majority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) derides the idea of the Republican controlled Joint Finance Committee being involved.

“The idea that you would have a partisan legislative committee, some who don’t even believe in vaccines, making decisions on vaccine policy for the state of Wisconsin is absurd, and quite frankly it’s reckless,” Hintz said.

The Assembly Republican plan would give the Republican controlled Joint Committee On Finance veto power over the state’s vaccine distribution plan, and would bar employers from requiring employees to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) has indicated he’s not interested in convening before the end of the year.

Recount now underway in Dane and Milwaukee Counties, says WEC

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Wisconsin’s partial presidential election recount is now underway.

Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meghan Wolfe says local officials in Dane and Milwaukee Counties will be the ones handling things.

“Those counties have already begun talking with the parties to make sure that they understand the process for designating representatives and for making sure that people will have opportunities to engage with the process and to be able to meaningfully engage with offering those objections and challenges and information.”

Wolfe says that while outside observers will still be welcome to watch the proceedings, they are not allowed to interfere with the recount process.

“They could certainly raise their concerns or their objections to somebody like the primary representative for the candidate, and if they felt like that was information that needed to be brought before the board of canvassers they could.”

Selected officials with either the Biden or Trump campaign will be able to inspect or challenge ballots, and observers can be on hand at a safe distance to watch the proceedings. The exact process will be up to local officials in either Milwaukee or Madison.

There’s also been a discussion on getting a full audit of the state’s voting equipment. Wolfe says that by law they have to inspect 3% of the voting machines in the state every election, but that they check 5%.

“Again, we’ve never had a problem that resulted from the voting equipment audits, but if there were that of course would be a huge deal and something that we would bring to the commission and the public’s attention immediately so that they can address next steps.”

Wolfe says that those audits are performed on random machines across the state through a hand counting method, so technically the machines that are under a recount are also being audited at this time.

The recount will have to be completed by December 1st. 

Democrats add seats in State Assembly, prevent veto proof majority in State Senate

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Legislative Republicans appear to have failed in their effort to get a veto proof majority in the State Senate.

Former DATCP Secretary Brad Pfaff held out a victory over former State Senator Dan Kapanke in the 32nd Senate District in western Wisconsin. Republicans needed to win three seats in the State Senate in order to be able to overturn any veto from Governor Tony Evers.

Over in the Assembly, Democrats have picked up a pair of seats.

According to unofficial results, Sara Rodriguez has defeated Representative Rob Hutton in the 13th Assembly district, and in the 23rd Assembly District, Deb Andraca has ousted long time Republican incumbent Jim Ott. Both of those seats are in the Milwaukee suburbs.

Democrat Nick Milroy appears to have won his race in far northwestern Wisconsin by just 139 votes.