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‘Trying to change the narrative’- Tiffany dismissive of January 6 Committee hearings

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Wisconsin Seventh District congressman Tom Tiffany is dismissive of the January 6th Committee’s hearings into the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, calling it an effort to distract voters from current issues.

“This is clearly to distract the American people from the damage that’s being done to our country right now. Inflation, energy prices out of control southern border out of control crime. Speaker Pelosi wants to change the narrative,” the Republican said.

In a prime time hearing Thursday night, the committee held Trump responsible for the attack. Tiffany, in a Friday interview with the DrydenWire podcast, said he was on a flight from D.C. and did not watch the hearing.

“This is truly about trying to change the narrative from high inflation, high energy prices, the failure the the failure of the policies that have been implemented over the last year and a half.”

 

Gableman invokes 5th amendment, elections probe found in contempt in open records case

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A Dane County Judge has found the partisan elections probe into the 2020 election in contempt for failure to turn over documents in an open records case. 

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, refused to answer questions on Friday after being called as a witness after comments were made that he could personally be found in contempt. 

“When the judge starts telling my office that if I were you I’d get a lawyer because you could go to jail, all of a sudden I suddenly somehow think that my personal rights are at stake too.”

Gableman also objected to the fact that he was subpoenaed in this case, after his own subpoenas of elections officials and city mayors were quashed. Gableman then invoked his 5th amendment rights to silence. 

Judge Frank Remington found Gableman’s office in contempt for intentionally failing to turn over documents to American Oversight. A request by American Oversight to also hold Assembly Speaker Vos’s office in contempt was denied. 

The judge will announce penalties in a written decision. 

House passed gun safety package going nowhere in Senate

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A gun safety package passed in the House on Wednesday appears doomed in the U.S. Senate. The bills collectively called the “Protecting Our Kids Act” passed with only five Republican votes, none from Wisconsin.

It would raise the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, ban high-capacity magazines and establish storage requirements for gun owners.

The legislation would also list bump stocks under the National Firearms Act, ban bump stocks for civilian use and ensure ghost guns are subject to existing federal firearm protections.

On Thursday, the House voted to pass a federal “red flag” bill intended to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. That legislation also received just five Republican votes.

Ten Senate Republicans are needed to break the 60-vote filibuster threshold, and that’s unlikely. “You ask yourself, how many children how many Americans have their lives taken away by gun violence until the Congress acts,” Wisconsin Democrat, Senator Tammy Baldwin told WRN.

“I feel like these MAGA Republicans are more beholden to the NRA and the gun manufacturers than they are to the children and families and individuals they represent in their states.”

Asked what he’d support, Republican Senator Ron Johnson deflected, telling reporters “let’s enforce the laws we already have. Let’s start with Hunter Biden.”

Senate negotiators are discussing less bold measures, including encouraging states to create red-flag systems,  expanding background checks to incorporate juvenile records, along with funding for mental health programs and school security improvements.

The Republican controlled Wisconsin legislature has previously rejected red flag legislation and expanded background checks.

Vos taps tax attorney to fill WEC vacancy

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has filled a vacancy on the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. Tax attorney Don Millis of Sun Prairie will fill the vacancy caused by last month’s resignation of Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson. Knudson’s abrupt departure delayed a vote on the next WEC chair, who by law must be a Republican commissioner to succeed current chair Anne Jacobs, a Democrat.

There had been speculation that Vos would tap Micheal Gableman, the former state Supreme Court Justice overseeing Vos’ partisan probe into Wisconsin’s 2020 election. While that didn’t happen, Vos’ Wednesday press release included an endorsement from Gableman, who said Mills “ will bring with him both the intellectual firepower and courageous resolve . . . necessary to . . . . help put a stop to the lawless actions of the leftist members of WEC.”

Millis previously served as one of the first members of WEC in 2016, following its’ creation by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature. The commission is scheduled to meet Friday to select a new chair.

Also Wednesday, Dane County judge Frank Remington called on Gableman to testify in public on Friday. Gableman’s office is being sued for handling of open records requests in the ongoing taxpayer funded review of the 2020 election.

The group American Oversight contends that emails and other documents from the office of special prosecutor should be public record, since Gableman’s review has cost Wisconsin taxpayers almost $900,000.

Gableman’s attorney argued this week that there’s a staff member who’s job it is to testify in legal challenges, and that Gableman’s testimony is unnecessary. Gableman has so far refused to testify, or to turn over the requested records.
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Wisconsin leads nation in Spring Drug Take Back collections

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Wisconsinites turned in a lot of unwanted drugs this spring. The state Department of Justice announced Tuesday that Wisconsin ranked number one in the nation for most prescription medications collected during the spring 2022 Drug Take Back, with more than 59,000 pounds of unwanted medications turned in.

According to DOJ, Wisconsin has collected more than a million pounds of unwanted medications since Drug Take Back began in 2010 under the leadership of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ranking third behind California and Texas.

Republicans reject Evers special session to repeal Wisconsin abortion ban

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Governor Tony Evers on Wednesday called a special session of the legislature to repeal Wisconsin’s ban on abortions. The leader of state Senate Republicans made it clear that they will not act on the announcement made by Evers during a press conference in Milwaukee.

“Today I’m calling for a special session of the Legislature, on Wednesday June 22 at noon, to take up legislation to repeal Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, to protect the health and safety of Wisconsin women and to ensure abortions remain safe, legal and accessible in this state.”

“Wisconsin law has not changed and our pro-life position has not changed. Killing innocent babies is not healthcare,” said Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostberg), in a statement. “We will gavel out of another blatantly political special session call from this partisan governor.”

The Republican-controlled legislature has refused to act on any of several previous special sessions called by Evers, who’s up for reelection in November.

 

Waukesha County Judge stays order that would prevent DNR from regulating PFAS cleanups

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A Waukesha County Judge has issued a stay on a ruling that could prevent the D N R from regulating PFAS contamination.

Judge Michael Bohren says the state and business groups need to come to a solution pending appeal. 

“It puts the plaintiffs and the business people and the people who supported the plaintiffs somewhat at risk for a period of time. But the stay also protects the overall state policy that the DNR is working on in the event this court is incorrect.”

The judge is expecting action to happen quickly in the judiciary. “I’m assuming that an appeal would be expeditious. I’m assuming that it may actually be an appeal that the supreme court accepts as a bypass based upon the based on the seriousness of the issues involved and the broad impact.”

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce argues that the state can’t regulate PFAS because they are not directly mentioned in either state law or DNR rules. The DNR says this ruling could upend the department’s ability to remediate any spills or brownfields. 

SCOWIS rules DHS may release business COVID-19 data

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that the state Department of Health Services can release data on COVID-19 infections at businesses.

Tuesday’s 4-3 decision comes in an October 2020 suit filed by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce against DHS and the Evers administration. WMC was concerned that release of information about positive COVID cases could be harmful to businesses.

Liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky, and conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, ruled that the information can be released in response to media open records requests.

Conservatives argued personal health information could be inadvertently released.

 

Former judge’s alleged killer had hit list

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Attorney General Josh Kaul said individuals on the ‘hit list’ of the man who allegedly murdered a retired Juneau County Judge do not appear to be in any danger

“As we learn information that we can provide to the public while maintaining the integrity of the information, we’re going to continue providing that information.” Kaul said in Milwaukee on Monday. “And also if we learn any information that causes us to be concerned about the safety of the public or any individual, we’ll certainly provide that information.”))

On Friday, retired judge John Rohmer was found zip tied to a chair and shot to death in his home. His alleged killer shot himself and is in critical condition. The list found in Douglas Uhde’s vehicle included Governor Tony Evers and Michigan Governor Gretchen Wittmer.

The AG noted elected officials have their own security details which are in the best position to assess threats.

Dane County judge rules Zuckerberg elections funding was not illegal

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A Dane County judge has tossed out a lawsuit which alleged that private grants used to assist with the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin constituted bribery.

Judge Stephen Ehlke said that claims made against the Center for Tech and Civic Life had no basis in state law or federal law.

“The bottom line is that the [Elections] Commission correctly concluded that there was no probable cause to believe any Wisconsin law had been violated,” Ehlke said on Wednesday.

The judge said that Erick Kaardal and the Thomas More Society failed to even state what part of Wisconsin’s laws had been violated by the grant funding provided by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerperg.

Ehlke said the plaintiffs failed to tell the Wisconsin Elections Commission exactly what laws were violated by clerks for accepting those funds.

“The commission should not be put in the position of having to guess what violation of election law is alleged. And then be faulted later when they didn’t guess correctly what it is.”