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Assembly Republicans pass bill to ban trans women from high school and college women’s sports

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Republicans in the state Assembly have passed a pair of bills that restrict how trans women can take part in high school and college sports.

The bill’s author, Republican Barb Dietrich, says the bill would create a separate but equal co-ed branch of youth sports that trans women would be allowed to participate in.

“If a biological female is perfectly comfortable competing against a biological male, this legislation provides a way to do so!”

Democrat Lee Snodgrass says the move is a cynical way to attack trans athletes. “If we really truly care about women’s sports issues, we should be working on closing the pay gap in women’s sports. We should be making investments in sports and promoting equal economically opportunities for these girls and women.”

Snodgrass says trans women already have it tough competing. “They suffer from higher rates of bullying, anxiety, depression, all of which – news flash – make it more difficult to train and be competitive.”

Dietrich says that children who are trans need mental help rather than help competing in sports. “Let’s get them the care that they need on the mental health level, rather than allowing them to displace women who have worked so hard to reach this achievement level.”

Governor Evers says he’ll be vetoing the bill if it makes it to his desk.

Governor Evers pleased with Supreme Court decision not to hear ACA challenge

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Governor Tony Evers says he’s pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear a challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

In a 7 to 2 decision released on Thursday, the Supreme Court said that a group of Republican states couldn’t show that the Affordable Care Act was harming them, because the mandate to have insurance doesn’t carry a penalty. 

Evers said that healthcare isn’t just for the wealthy, quote “Today’s decision is a critically important victory for our work to make sure everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage.” Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul withdrew from the lawsuit in 2019 .

Assembly passes ‘2nd Amendment sanctuary’ bill

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Rep. Treig Pronschinske

Wisconsin gun owners would not be subject to federal gun laws under a bill that passed the the state Assembly on Wednesday.

The “2nd Amendment sanctuary” bill is from Representative Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi).

“Gun sales have spiked over the past couple of years, and we’ve seen politicians and elitists say that we are going to take weapons away from people,” Pronschinske said. “And I think that one thing we have to remember, the 2nd Amendment says it shall not be infringed.”

The bill (AB-293) requires Wisconsin manufacturers to stamp “Made in Wisconsin” on their firearms, and bars law enforcement from confiscating guns or ammunition.

Representative Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha) said that could pose a legal problem.

“Domestic abuse is obviously something that is difficult within our communities, and we’ve seen homicides and other deaths that are the result of this. Thankfully, the federal government back in the 90’s had passed a law that allowed for the confiscation of firearms from known domestic abusers. And this bill would limit, hamstring law enforcement’s ability to maintain that public safety.”

The bill passed on 61-36 vote, with only one Democrat in favor. Governor Tony Evers is likely to veto the bill, it if it passes the Senate.

Evers announces he’s running for reelection

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Governor Tony Evers made it official over the weekend: he’ll run for a second term.

“Wisconsin, I’m in. I’m running for reelection. We’ve accomplished a lot in the last three years but we’re just getting started. We have more work to do, together.”

Evers made that announcement Saturday, during the state Democratic party’s virtual convention. Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes has yet to announce if he’s running for a second term, or if he’ll join the growing field of Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.

Johnson remains undecided on bid for third term

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U.S. Senator Ron Johnson pledged in 2016 that he’d only serve two terms. In a Milwaukee Press Club interview on Thursday, Johnson explained why he may go back on his word.

“What I didn’t realize in 2016 is, that we’d lose the House, that we’re basically lost the Senate, we don’t have the White House. And I’m witnessing a radical agenda by President Biden, who’s not even close to governing as a moderate.”

The Oshkosh Republican accused Biden of being “incredibly divisive.” And Johnson said he was “panicked” for the country when he first ran in 2010, and that he’s “more panicked today.”

Chris McIntosh named Wisconsin Athletic Director

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Chris McIntosh PHOTO courtesy of David Stluka Wisconsin Athletics

The University of Wisconsin on Wednesday named Chris McIntosh the school’s new athletic director, replacing the retiring Barry Alvarez.

McIntosh played for the Badgers from 1996-99 and served as captain of two of the most celebrated teams in school history.  After a successful NFL career, McIntosh would later return to the school’s athletic department, serving as deputy athletic director since 2017 where he was being groomed to succeed Alvarez.

McIntosh oversaw the day-to-day operations of the department, student-athlete recruitment, business development, human resources and strategic planning.  Prior to his role of deputy athletic director, McIntosh joined the department in 2014 as associate athletic director for business development.

McIntosh captained the 1999 and 2000 Rose Bowl teams, two of the most stories teams in Badgers history.  He was a consensus NCAA All American in 1999 and 22nd pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, playing professionally for the Seattle Seahawks until 2004.  He is a member of the Badgers Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Pewaukee, Wisconsin native holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and applied economics, both from UW-Madison.

 

Nekoosa lawmaker asks for 50 million dollar loan for restarting idled papermill in Wisconsin Rapids

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A bill authored by Representative Scott Krug of Nekoosa which calls for W E D C to issue a fifty million dollar loan to the co-op looking to buy the idled Verso paper mill will get a hearing Wednesday in Madison.

Krug says the plant was a vital part of business and industry in the Northwoods. 

“I honestly get more emails and phone calls from people in the Northwoods than people from Wisconsin Rapids because that’s how much of an impact this has on the upper 2/3 of the state of Wisconsin.”

Others who have signaled their support for the bill include Republicans Patrick Testin, Pat Snyder, Jim Edming, and John Spiros. 

Krug says he’s proposed the single bill to take politics out of the project, especially after Governor Evers’ comments about possibly vetoing the entire state budget:

“I don’t want Politics on this. I just want a clean bill, a yes or no vote. A day for Wisconsin Rapids to be heard in the Assembly. A day for Wisconsin Rapids to be heard in the Senate. A day for the Wisconsin Rapids area to be heard by the Governor.”

It’s unclear if the governor would sign the bill. 

Republicans quickly nix Evers’ special session on BadgerCare

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Assembly Democrats held a brief press conference, prior to the non-event that was Tuesday’s special session of the Legislature.

Governor Tony Evers’ wanted the Legislature to expand BadgerCare and get some $1.5 billion in federal aid for Wisconsin.

“It doesn’t make sense to have Wisconsinites suffer, and be unhealthy, when this money is available,” said Representative Beth Meyers (D-Bayfield.)

Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) noted the federal money would go towards projects around the state.

“I want this project funded in my region or my district. I want the people in my district to have low-income health insurance,” Hintz said.

As expected, Senate and Assembly Republicans quickly gaveled in and out without voting.

“To say that the decision by Republicans in the legislature is a missed opportunity, doesn’t even come close,” Evers said in Green Bay, where he held a press conference to promote the special session – and some of the projects he said could be covered with the money from the Federal government as a result of expanding BadgerCare – including moving coal piles and constructing a Green Bay visitor’s center.

“It was clear right from the get go, they said no way,” the governor said. “Robin Vos said no way right from the beginning around BadgerCare, when we put it together with a lot of good projects like this, they said no way.”

The Democratic governor lamented a lack of compromise but admitted he’s had no direct meetings with Republican leaders to negotiate.

Republican legislative leaders have spelled out their objections to expanding BadgerCare.

In a letter to Evers, they cited additional costs to the state in broadening eligibility for the program. The leaders also argue there is no coverage gap in Wisconsin because the federal exchanges allow people between 100 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level to get subsidized health coverage.

“By adding childless, working-aged adults earning up to 138 percent of the FPL to Medicaid, who are eligible for significant assistance on the federal exchange, state taxpayers would be responsible for covering some of the extra costs,” they wrote. “However, when someone in that group enrolls on the exchanges using subsidies which are 100 percent federally funded, there is no cost passed on to state taxpayers.”

DWD says employers may have to step up if they want to find and retain workers

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The Department of Workforce Development says employers may have to step up their game if they want to hire and retain employees post pandemic.

DWD Employment Training administrator Michele Carter says the Department has seen a shift in employment away from food service and tourism industries. 

“We see them moving from those, maybe trying to find more secure, steadier work schedules, right? Knowing how much money they’re going to make.”

Carter says employers who offer more competitive wages and job benefits like child care are having a better time retaining their workers, and enticing those who have left the job market back into the workforce. 

Anyone who’s looking to find a better job themselves can always come to find training, says Carter.

“I think as people come to us we can help guide them and match them with some of those employer needs. The needs of the future, not just what we used to do.”

DWD says many people who left the workforce due to the pandemic are unable to get back to work because of a lack of services to assist them, like affordable child care. Republicans are blaming the lack of workers on improved unemployment benefits.

 

Republican leaders reject action on Evers’ latest special session

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Governor Tony Evers

Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday morning called a special session of the Wisconsin Legislature to address health care and economic recovery. Within hours, Republican leaders announced they won’t hold votes on Evers’ proposal, the same outcome as all previous special sessions called by the Democratic governor.

“We’re not only going to expand access to healthcare for tens of thousands of people across our state, we’re going to use that $1 billion we’d save and put it toward making sure our economy can bounce back and recover from this pandemic,” Evers said in a statement announcing the special session. “It’s time for Republicans to put politics aside, and let’s work together to invest in economic development and recovery efforts across our state.”

The special session will be held this upcoming Tuesday. Lawmakers are being asked to consider expanding BadgerCare Plus and address Wisconsin’s economic recovery from the coronavirus.

State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point), who serves on the legislature’s budget committee, said Evers’ proposal presents a real opportunity. “We’re not going to see this again,” he said. “We’re not going to see an opportunity to get an additional billion dollars with no strings attached to it really, other than taking the Medicaid expansion, to spent on projects that need to be done, all over the state.”

Evers’ bill would designate $1 billion toward more than 50 projects around the state. Wisconsin qualifies for that one-time bonus payment if it expands BadgerCare Plus under a provision of the American Rescue Plan.

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) said it could provide obvious benefits to the entire state.

“But not acting is also a decision with consequences, and it’s one that’ll hurt the state going forward,” Hintz said. “Both of them are decisions, but one really is an opportunity we should take advantage of. And I hope my colleagues will come to the table.”

Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate rejected the plan, in a joint statement issued Wednesday afternoon.

Senator Devin LeMahieu

“In Wisconsin, there is no coverage gap between BadgerCare and the heavily-subsidized federal exchanges. Everyone who wants insurance in our state has access and options,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and  Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostberg). “Our unique-to-Wisconsin solution is working, and we will not shift tens of thousands of people off their private insurance to a government-run system.”

“If the Governor were serious about the proposals he packed into this bill, he could fund each one of them today with the mountain of federal funds at his direct disposal,” Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) and Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield.) “This is a thinly-veiled political maneuver by the Governor. We intend to gavel out this unserious stunt.”