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Future of abortion in Wisconsin hinges on SCOTUS ‘Roe’ decision

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Most abortions would likely become illegal again in Wisconsin if a leaked majority opinion draft by the U-S Supreme Court holds up.

Wisconsin has actually had a little-known abortion ban on the books since 1849. It was rendered unenforceable by the landmark Roe versus Wade U-S Supreme Court ruling of 1973. But if Roe is overturned, as the leaked draft opinion suggests it could be, the only legal abortions in Wisconsin would likely be those to save the life of the mother.

The new draft opinion was made in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court is expected to rule on the case before its term ends in June or July.

Candidates for Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senate have all weighed-in on Monday night’s leak of a draft opinion from the high court. It makes it appear likely that the court’s conservative majority plans to strike down the nearly 50-year-old ruling making abortion legal in the United States.

Statements fell along party lines; Governor Tony Evers said he’ll fight to keep abortion legal in Wisconsin; while three of his four Republican challengers said Monday night that they support the draft opinion. Senator Ron Johnson said the leak is an attempt to put political pressure on the court.

 

Juvenile arrested in connection with death of Lily Peters

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Chippewa Falls police say a juvenile male has been taken into custody in connection with the death of Lily Peters. That arrest was made Tuesday evening. Police Chief Matthew Kelm couldn’t elaborate much further. 

“The suspect was not a stranger, the suspect was known to the victim.”

WEAU in Eau Claire reports that police were on the scene of a home not far from where Peters went missing on Sunday, and that matches where Kelm says a search warrant was executed.

No charges have been filed at this time, and police have not released any further details.

Missing Chippewa Falls girl found dead, police seek suspect

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A ten-year-old girl is dead, and police in Chippewa Falls are calling the incident a homicide.

Iliana M. Peters, who goes by the name Lily, had taken her bicycle to visit her Aunt on Sunday. Her family was expecting her to be home early in the evening, but when she hadn’t arrived home by 9 PM her father called the police. Searchers found no sign of her in the area between the homes, but after dark, they discovered an abandoned bike near the Leinie Lodge parking lot.

Crews were back on the search Monday morning and found a body that was confirmed to be Peters shortly after 9 AM near the brewery.

Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm says they are considering this a homicide investigation. 

“We encourage anyone with information to please contact the Chippewa Falls police department and to maintain a state of vigilance as there may be a danger to the public.”

Kelm says numerous agencies are now involved to help find a suspect in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chippewa Falls police department at 1-800-263-5906.

Medical marijuana legislation gets public hearing at Capitol

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Sen. Mary Felzkowski

At the Capitol on Wednesday, a first-ever public hearing on a medical marijuana bill for Wisconsin. The measure from Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) would allow patients to access cannabis for a limited number of conditions in a limited number of forms, and does not include smokable.

“I know that smoking was big issue, and there’s a lot of people that would like smoking,” Felzkowski said. “The largest concern around smoking that our colleagues had, and we heard it from the outside groups, is that if there are children in the household or children near they could also be affected from that.”

Representative Pat Snyder (R-Schofield), the bill’s Assembly author, defended the limited approach. “Because if you you try to do all at once then it would get shot down and we wouldn’t be able to get this through. So let’s work and take up those other kind of concerns later.”

Wisconsin is one of just 11 states that have not legalized some version of medical cannabis. The bill is similar to one which Felzkowski first introduced in 2019. It calls for a program to be overseen by a Medical Marijuana Regulatory Commission within the state Department of Revenue, with members chosen by the governor and legislative leaders.

Doctors, physician assistants and advanced practice nurse prescribers would be able to prescribe liquid or pill form medical cannabis to patients, for a limited number of medical conditions.

Felzkowski said she wished a medical marijuana option had been available while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2014, and said it’s time for Wisconsin to join the majority of states which allow it. “Thirty-seven other states don’t have it wrong. I think it’s time for Wisconsin to move in that same direction.”

While Wednesday’s hearing did not address the broader issue of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, advocates for that plan to continue bringing up legislation. State Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) has made repeated attempts to advance legalization, and she takes issue with the limited scope of the Republican measure.

“The bill . . . is a restrictive medicinal bill that does not provide access to the plant based products. It only provides access to tinctures and oils and pills, not the plant itself.”

Agard has proposed allowing people to grow their own marijuana for use, would have prevented outside businesses from selling cannabis in Wisconsin, and would have allowed for judicial remediation for those with cannabis convictions on their records. Her bills have never gotten a committee hearing.

While Wednesday’s hearing will not result in any action because the legislature has adjourned for the year, both Felzkowski and Schneider pledged to reintroduce it next session.

 

Tommy Thompson announces he will not run for governor

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Voters will not see Tommy Thompson’s name on the Republican primary ballot for Wisconsin governor this fall.

The popular four-term former governor announced Monday that he won’t run again, after publicly floating the idea as he wrapped up his time as interim UW System president earlier this year. A campaign would have put the 80-year-old Thompson on the ballot for the first time in a decade, and 24 years after his last electoral win.

“This is a very difficult conclusion. After a full life of service and leading and growing businesses, I know I have the vision, drive and vitality to serve another term as governor,” Thompson said in a statement.

Thompson was elected to four terms as governor starting in the 1980s. Thompson’s entry would have shaken up an already crowded Republican field that includes Rebecca Kleefisch, business consultant Kevin Nicholson, and state Representative Timothy Ramthun. The winner of the August 9th primary will advance to likely face Democratic incumbent Tony Evers.

State Supreme Court hears oral arguments over absentee ballot drop boxes

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There were some pointed questions to the head of the group arguing against absentee ballot drop boxes from members of the State Supreme Court.

During oral arguments on Wednesday, Justice Brian Hagedorn tried to figure out where the preferred limits were from Wisconsin Insitute for Law and Libert president Rick Esenberg. “Imagine a mail slot connected to the clerk’s office, but the staff is not there. So, whenever the buildings open, you can walk in, can you drop a ballot in that slot that goes directly to the clerk’s office is that okay?” Esenberg responded, “At this point, we are now outside the presence of the clerk.”

Justice Rebecca Dallet asked Esenberg about other possible ways to deliver a ballot. “Why can’t I hand it to my municipal clerk as I see them walking down the street in a small town? Oh, I meant to mail my ballot. I see you I’m gonna hand you my ballot.”

Under the current language of the statutes, a ballot must be delivered to the clerk, but it does not state how that must be done. Esenberg and WILL say that other parts of the statutes contradict that and that a person should only be allowed to mail a ballot personally or deliver it to a clerk themselves. 

Voting and disability rights advocates say that restrictions on who can help someone deliver a ballot will disenfranchise disabled and elderly voters.

A decision is expected this summer before the fall election season.

Evers unveils funding for school mental health services

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Governor Tony Evers (PHOTO: Larry Lee, Brownfield)

School mental health services in Wisconsin have received a financial boost. Governor Tony Evers announced at locations around the state  this week that nearly every K-12 district in Wisconsin will be awarded funding through the 15 million dollar “Get Kids Ahead Initiative.”

The funds are from Wisconsin’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Schools will be able to use the funds for a variety of mental health support services for students and families. Every public school district in the state was eligible to opt in and was guaranteed a minimum of $10,000 dollars, with the remainder of the money allocated on a per-pupil basis.

Aimee Burazin, staff psychologist at Stevens Point Area High School, said they’ll use some of that to expand mental health navigator services. “To help eliminate some of the barriers that our students have in getting connected with outpatient counseling, whether it’s the difficulties with outpatient counseling, whether it’s the difficulty navigating the insurance part or scheduling and who’s even available, since it’s been really difficult even with waiting lists.”

Burazin said some of the funding will also go towards expand professional development to teachers, “who are really our frontline people who are working with our students, and are the first to probably notice that something is maybe amiss with the student and the student is maybe struggling.”

Brownfield’s Larry Lee contributed to this report

 

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

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The old saying, “All good things come to an end,” is fitting for the Wisconsin Badgers and their fans.  Sophomore guard Johnny Davis announced Thursday on ESPN’s NBA Today, that he is leaving Madison for the NBA.

Davis said, “I will forever cherish the experiences I had and the relationships I built during my time in Madison and I am so thankful I chose to be a Badger.  With that being said, I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream and will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.  I am so grateful for the support everyone has given me, for the opportunities basketball has brought into my life, and for the chance to continue to play the game I love.”

A projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Davis looks to become the first Badger drafted since Frank Kaminsky (9th overall) and Sam Dekker (18th overall) were each selected in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Davis averaged 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds a game this season and led the nation in scoring against top-25 opponents during the regular season (24.1).

Davis won Big Ten Player of the Year honors and is a finalist for both the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award.

The NBA Draft Combine is scheduled for May 16-22 and the NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 17, both in Chicago.  The NBA Draft will take place Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

BREAKING: SCOTUS rejects Wisconsin Supreme Court decision on Governor Evers’s state legislative maps

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A ruling by the US Supreme Court means that Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will have to take another look at state legislative maps.

In a 7 to 2 decision on Wednesday, the US Justices rules that State Justices didn’t properly address the requirements of the Voting Rights Act when picking legislative maps drawn by Governor Tony Evers. UW-Madison Law School professor Robert Yoblon says that’s because maps from Evers created a new majority-black voting district in Milwaukee. 

“In order for that law to kick in, certain preconditions have to be met. And what the US Supreme Court said today is that the Wisconsin Supreme Court hadn’t done enough to confirm that it really was necessary to apply the Voting Rights Act.”

Yoblon says that likely means a new round of hearings. “It’s likely that the court will ask for further guidance from the parties about what they think should happen next. And then the court might issue a plan going forward? There are a few different options that the court has.”

However, the court left in place federal congressional maps drawn by Governor Evers. That will affect the placement of districts for members of the House.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will need to hurry in order to make a decision ahead of the fall elections.

DHS launches Thank You Tour honoring frontline health care workers

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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is honoring all those who worked on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An event in Madison on Monday kicked off a statewide “thank you tour” to celebrate health care workers and those who helped over the past two years.

“Our healthcare workers have shown up every day, and have cared for the people in our community who needed care. They have held our loved ones hands, when we couldn’t hold them ourselves,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County.

Wisconsin National Guard. Adjutant General, Major General Paul Knapp also spoke at Monday’s event.

“In the National Guard we have a motto – ‘always ready, always there.’ Never have I seen our motto proven so true. I am proud to say the adaptability and professionalism of our service members was on full display over the past two years as well,” Knapp said.

COVID-19 has been a trying time for the state’s public health workers, some of whom have been ostracized and even threatened over their efforts to keep communities safe.

Governor Tony Evers grew emotional, relating a conversation he had during the depths of pandemic. “One of the public health officers said, ‘the worst thing that happened to me, was I was disinvited to my granddaughter’s birthday.’ Think about that.”

Evers called health care workers the heroes of the pandemic. “For all the things that you have done well, and all the things that happened to you, that you just kept to yourselves.”

The “Thank You Tour: Moving Forward Together” will recognize community efforts to fight COVID-19. DHS has also launched a webpage where people can post notes of appreciation.