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Former State Senator Mike Ellis dies at 77

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Mike Ellis, a former leader of the Wisconsin State Senate, died Friday morning. He’d been in state politics for more than 4-decades and represented Neenah in the legislature for 32-years.

Ellis began his career on the Neenah City Council in the 1960s and served as council president before running for the state legislature in 1970. He’d served in the state senate from 1982 to 2015, and was majority leader from 2011 to 2015.

Ellis announced he would not seek re-election two days after the release of a video that showed him talking about creating a political action committee to run attack ads against a political opponent. He did not go forward with the idea.

Governor Scott Walker issued the following statement: “Tonette and I are saddened to hear of the passing of Senator Mike Ellis. He was a giant in the Legislature and a bigger-than-life personality in Wisconsin politics. I enjoyed serving with him as a lawmaker and as governor. We were just on the radio together recently and I love his wit and passion. He will be missed by so many of us. Tonette and I send our prayers to his entire family.”

Ellis was 77. Funeral arrangements are pending.

WSAU

US Supreme Court sends redistricting case back to lower courts

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The US Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to Wisconsin’s elections map, but not for good. 

In a 7 – 2 decision, the US Supreme Court has sent the case back to the federal district courts.

Writing for the Majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said this was not a ruling on the merits of the case.

Instead, he says that Wisconsin Democrats lacked standing to bring a lawsuit when it came to the entire state’s voters as a whole, and that they needed to prove that individual voters in a district were harmed by having their votes cast in uneven districts.

John Marshall Law School professor Steven Schwinn says the Justices decided that the case couldn’t rule on Wisconsin’s entire voting map at once. “They said, look this has been our prior practice. We’ve allowed these kinds of challenges on a district by district basis, when a voter can show harm as a voter in their district.”

UW Law School professor Robert Yablon says we’re likely to see a refining of the plaintiff’s case when it comes back to the federal court level. “You now are likely to have a situation in which the case goes back to the trial court and more individual plaintiffs who live in districts across the state are added as plaintiffs, and maybe the Democratic Party itself becomes a plaintiff.”

Democrat Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning responded today, saying that her party won’t be giving up that easily. “Regardless of today’s ruling, Democrats in Wisconsin will continue to compete everywhere possible in 2018. We will continue to mobilize, and we will continue to build the infrastructure necessary for more victories for the people of Wisconsin.”

Attorney General Brad Schimel issued the following statement in response. “I am pleased that the highest court in the land has unanimously reversed the trial court’s erroneous decision invalidating Wisconsin’s Assembly map. Today is win for the rule of law in Wisconsin, and a testament to the talented attorneys at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.”

We will continue to update this story throughout the day.

Supreme Court rules in favor of Wood County dairy farm

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has overruled an appeals court and granted the owners of a proposed dairy operation in the Central Wisconsin town of Saratoga the right to use over 6300 acres of land despite a town zoning ordinance

The case of Golden Sands Dairy LLC vs the Town of Saratoga was announced Tuesday morning. At stake was whether the Wysocki family can expand their operation to cover 6,388 acres, allowing for over 5 thousand head of cattle and supporting crops.

The two sides have been at odds over the expansion for the better part of five years. A previous Appeals Court ruling in 2014 determined that the family was legal in obtaining a permit for seven buildings on the land.

Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Shirley Abrahamson both dissented. Abrahamson wrote that decision creates uncertainty in the building permit process.

The current issue was with the acres outside the area where the buildings will be constructed. At the time of the application that land was zoned as unrestricted, meaning it could be used for any lawful purpose. The town re-zoned that land shortly after the initial permit application was submitted in a way that prohibited Golden Sands’ planned agricultural use. The issue has been tied up in the court system ever since.

Town officials have stated that it’s not possible for an expanded Golden Sands Dairy to keep its pollution levels down, saying in November of 2016 that the area’s drinking water was already showing an unhealthy level of nitrates.

The Wysocki family says it still plans to work with the Town to alleviate their concerns.

WSAU

Wisconsin set to test entire backlog of sexual assault kits by end of year

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Wisconsin’s backlog of untested sexual assault kits is no more.

Attorney General Brad Schimel says the remaining kits were sent for testing on Tuesday. “When I took office in 2015, I inherited more than 6,000 sexual assault evidence kits that had never been submitted for testing, some of them dating back to the 1980s.”

Schimel says roughly 4,200 of the kits met the criteria for testing. “The kits that we’re testing are kits that have the victim’s consent, and haven’t otherwise been uploaded to the databank.” Schimel says having a kit tested can sometimes be a traumatic experience for victims, and some of the tests they had on hand were collected without the victim’s consent.

Another roadblock to getting the tests completed was the sheer glut of kits that were sent off to be tested in the past several years. “No labs initially said they’d do this work. We went back with a second request for bids, and we were able to convince Bode Cellmark Labs to get involved.”

Schimel says over 100 thousand sexual assault kits were submitted for testing nationally after media reports criticizing the lack of investigation went public. Three agencies are now testing Wisconsin’s kits.

The DOJ is working from $4 million in grants to get this done, but that they had to do some work for that funding.

“It meant getting the police reports, getting all the other collateral evidence together identifying the circumstances of the sexual assaults. We had to report that to our grant providers before we could start testing a kit,” says Schimel.

The Department of Justice says they’ll be able to start working on investigations and prosecutions once the testing is completed by the end of the year.

House Speaker Paul Ryan decides not to run for reelection

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Wisconsin Congressman and House Speaker Paul Ryan says he won’t be running for re-election this fall.

At a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, Ryan said he wants to step down from his nearly 20 year tenure in Washington and spend more time with his family. “What I realize is if I am here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as a weekend dad. I just can’t let that happen.”

Ryan told reporters that he’s very proud of the time he’s spent in office, and that he’s happy to have passed tax reform and enact Republican priority policies with the help of President Donald Trump.

In questions after his announcement, Ryan told reporters today he’s still confident with Republican chances in the 2018 elections.  “I really don’t think a person’s race for Congress is going to hinge on whether Paul Ryan’s Speaker or not. Look, if we do our jobs, which we are, we’re going to be fine as a majority.” He says he’ll be keeping his role as the Speaker through January and that he’s expecting to hand off the gavel to another Republican.

Ryan also said that he’s confident that special counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein won’t be fired. “I think they should be allowed to do their jobs, we have a rule of law in this country and it’s a principle we all uphold. I have no reason to believe that’s going to happen, I have assurances that it’s not because I’ve been talking with people in the White House about it.”

In response to today’s announcement, Democrat Randy Bryce’s office released the following statement. “Paul Ryan decided to quit today rather than face Randy Bryce and the voters,” said campaign Communications Director Lauren Hitt. “Randy Bryce is incredibly well positioned to be the next representative for the First District. Electorates far more conservative than Wisconsin’s First have already elected Democrats in special elections in Wisconsin and across the country.” His office says Bryce has already raised $5 million dollars to campaign in the 1st District.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says men like Paul Ryan don’t come around often. “When I met Paul Ryan in 1998 during his first run for Congress, it was obvious he was someone of incredible talent and amazing ability. Now 20 years later, his record and accomplishments speak for themselves. Paul has been perhaps the best congressman Wisconsin has ever sent to Washington and also one of the best speakers to have gaveled Congress into session. His commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin and the United States is unparalleled.”

Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin said Ryan’s making a very difficult decision. “Before I was elected to the Senate I served with Paul Ryan in the House and have spent many years working with him on behalf of the people of Wisconsin. We know each other well and while we have different views on policy, I consider him a friend and have a lot of respect for him as a person and a public servant.”

Bucks fire Jason Kidd after 23-22 start

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Jason Kidd

Milwaukee Bucks fans have been calling for Jason Kidd’s job for some time now.  Today (Monday), the Bucks ownership group finally agreed, relieving Kidd of his coaching duties.

“We appreciate everything that Jason has done for the Bucks organization, but we have decided to make a coaching change,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst.  “We believe that a fresh approach and a chance in leadership are needed to continue elevating our talented team towards the next level, bringing us closer to our goal of competing for championships.  Jason led a historic turnaround during his first season and would guide our team to two playoff appearances.  He also played meaningful role in helping to keep the Bucks in Milwaukee.  We thank him for all of his contributions and wish him the best.”

The Bucks are 23-22 and currently the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference.  They’ve dropped four of their last five games entering tonight’s home game against the Phoenix Suns.

Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as head coach for tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

In Kidd’s three and a half seasons as head coach, the Bucks had a regular season record of 139-152 and reached the first round of the NBA Playoffs in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons.

 

 

Wisconsin Senate passes Foxconn incentive package

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The state Senate has approved a $3 billion incentive package designed to pave the way for Taiwanese electronic components maker Foxconn to build a plant in Wisconsin. Tuesday’s Senate vote on the measure was 20-13, with Green Bay Republican Rob Cowles a no, and Kenosha Democrat Bob Wirch a yes.

Majority Leader, Senator Scott Fitzgerald, said he was glad lawmakers “pumped the brakes” on the process. “There was a lot of pressure early on . . . but I think we’ve improved this bill significantly, with the changes we have made.”

A Republican amendment tightens job creation requirements for Foxconn to collect tax credits — Democrat Jon Erpenbach said that’s not enough. “All this legislation essentially says is three billion dollars going to a foreign owned corporation that is promising a certain number of jobs, maybe,” Erpenbach said. He noted that it will be up to the Wisconsin Economic Development Authority to negotiate terms of an actual contract with the Taiwanese firm.

“I think the last thing we should be doing, given their track record, is to be giving WEDC $3 billion and saying ‘have at it.'” Erpenbach also termed environmental protection provisions in the bill “a piece of crap.”

Republican proponents of the deal, most notably Governor Scott Walker, have touted Foxconn’s potential to create up to 13,000 jobs, with salaries starting at about $54,000.

“There are no specific numbers of jobs, anywhere in any of the pieces of paper that are about to become law,” said Alma Democrat Kathleen Vinehout. “And the threshold for the amount that a person gets paid is $30,000 . . . not $54,000.”

“It’s a good investment,” argued River Hills Republican Alberta Darling. “It has the transparencies and accountabilities it needs.”

Another GOP amendment altered a controversial provision inserted by the Republican controlled Joint Finance Committee just last week. It would maintain the appeals court role in any lawsuits filed over decisions related to the economic development zone where the project is located.

The JFC provision would have kicked all such appeals directly to the state Supreme Court. Cowles joined Democrats in voting against the amendment, which still streamlines the appeals process.

“There’s nothing sinister,” said Racine Republican Van Wanggaard. “The idea here is to get this project moving forward. We have people here who don’t want this project slowed down, because they want the jobs.”

The Assembly approved an earlier version of the bill, and members will have to take up the latest changes. That’s expected to happen on Thursday.

 

 

Late rally pushes Badgers into “Sweet 16” (AUDIO)

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Greg Gard

The 8th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers are headed back to the “Sweet 16”, coming from behind to knock off Villanova 65-62 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo.

The Badgers trailed 57-50 with just over five minutes left.  Villanova would score just one field goal and five total points the rest of the way as the Badgers tightened up their defense down the stretch.

AUDIO: Greg Gard on his team’s defense down the stretch :13

AUDIO: Villanova’s Jay Wright on scoring just five points in final 5+ minutes :19

The Badgers pulled out the win despite guard Bronson Koenig’s second half foul trouble.  He returned with more than five minutes left and helped lead the comeback.  Koenig finished hitting 3 of 6 three-pointers and scored 17 points.  Two of his three-pointers tied the game at 57-all and gave the Badgers a 62-59 lead with 1:58 to play.

Nigel Hayes hit the game winner on a baseline drive and left-handed reverse layup.  He led the Badgers in scoring with 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds. [Read more…]

Ryan inducted into College Basketball Hall of Fame

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Bo Ryan

Former Wisconsin head men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan will take his place among the legends of college basketball this fall when he is inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ryan is one of eight individuals that make up the Class of 2017, joining Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan, Winston-Salem State’s Cleo Hill, Indiana’s Scott May, Purdue’s Rick Mount, Creighton’s Paul Silas, Gonzaga’s John Stockton and Duke’s Jay Williams.

The 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will take place on Sunday, Nov. 19 at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in Kansas City, Missouri.  The Wisconsin men’s basketball team will then participate in the Hall of Fame Classic over the next two days, along with Baylor, Creighton and UCLA.

With a remarkable 27 postseason appearances on his resume, Ryan took basketball to new heights in the state of Wisconsin.  Ryan’s head coaching career began at UW-Platteville, where he won 353 games from 1984 through 1999 and guided the program to four NCAA Division III national titles. [Read more…]

Former Badger hockey coach Jeff Sauer dies

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Jeff Sauer

Former Wisconsin men’s hockey coach, Jeff Sauer, passed away this morning at the age of 73.  Sauer had been suffering from Pancreatic Cancer.

Sauer coached the Badgers from 1982 to 2002, winning a pair of NCAA titles in 1983 and 1990.

Sauer led the Badgers to three NCAA Frozen Four appearances, 12 NCAA Tournament berths, six WCHA playoff titles and two WCHA regular season titles.

Prior to his long successful stint with the Badgers, Sauer coached at Colorado College from 1971 to 1982.  He was named the WCHA Coach of the Year in both 1972 and 1975.

Sauer’s career record is 655-534-57.  The 655 victories is 7th on the all-time list.  At Wisconsin, he went 489-306-46.

Most recently, Sauer led the U.S. Sled Hockey team to a Paralympic World Championship in 2012 and an Olympic Gold Medal in Sochi, Russia in 2014.