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Johnson, Baldwin both vote ‘yes’ to avert rail strike

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Wisconsin’s US Senators voted Thursday for a measure to avert a nationwide rail strike. Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Ron Johnson voted ‘yes’ to send the measure to President Biden’s desk. The Senate vote was 80-15.

The agreement will give rail workers a roughly 24 percent pay increase by 2024 and more sick time flexibility. It does not include any new paid sick leave, the sticking point that could have resulted in a disruptive rail strike by the end of next week. Baldwin voted for a House passed amendment granting the rail workers seven paid sick days failed in the Senate on a 52-43 vote, short of the 60 votes needed for approval.

In a statement, Johnson said the ‘cooling off’ period should have been extended to force railroads and unions back to the negotiating table while keeping trains rolling. But he said a shutdown would have harmed people and the economy.

 

Evers calls special session of legislature – says voter referendum could allow for repeal of state abortion ban

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers wants to give voters a say on the status of abortion in Wisconsin. Evers has proposed a special session of the Legislature, to take up a constitutional amendment allowing statewide referendums.

Evers said that could provide a pathway for Wisconsin voters to repeal the state’s 1849 law which criminalizes abortion. Republicans quickly rejected the idea.

During a press conference at the Capitol on Wednesday, Evers cited Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, who has said the issue of abortion ought to be resolved by voters in the states.

“I heard it directly from Senator Johnson’s mouth. He said look let’s let the people take care of this. And we agree with him.”

The Democratic governor said voters in both parties are “appalled” by the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. ”We had fifty years of rights that suddenly disappeared overnight, and a legislature that is unwilling to even discuss it. That’s disgusting.”

But Johnson and Republican legislative leaders were quick to reject the idea. Johnson accused Democrats of exploiting the issue by politicizing it before an election. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu called the proposal a “desperate political stunt.”

The Republican led legislature has not convened for any of Evers’ previous special session calls.

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin veterans cheer passage of PACT Act

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The PACT Act, legislation supporting veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins is ready for President Joe Biden’s signature following this week’s passage by the U.S. Senate.

“This will affect 3.2 million veterans because many veterans were exposed to toxins during their service,” said Al Labelle with the Wisconsin office of Disabled American Veterans.

Labelle said bill will expand health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses due to their exposure to a variety of toxins. “Everything from radiation risks, meaning the 50s and 60s when they were doing atomic testing, through Agent Orange, burn pits and PFAS.”

Labelle credits comedian Jon Stewart’s advocacy for the PACT Act, but said it was a team effort supported by more than 70 veterans organizations.

“John Stewart amplified our message, and it was very important what he did. However it was also due to the many phone calls emails meetings that were held with legislators.”

The bill passed the Senate Tuesday night on a vote of 86 to 11. Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Ron Johnson voted in favor.

Last week, Johnson and fellow Republicans held up passage of the bill. Republicans said their opposition was tied to an argument over which portion of the federal budget would pay for $280 billion worth of funds for veteran health programs.

Lasry leaves U.S. Senate race and endorses Barnes

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Mandela Barnes

Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry is out of the race for U.S. Senate. Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes welcomed Lasry’s endorsement Wednesday in Milwaukee’s Deer District. He said the focus now is defeating Republican Senator Ron Johnson.

“I know this is gonna be tough, it’s gonna be difficult, it’s gonna be an uphill battle. But I know it’ll be that much easier because we’re in this together,” Barnes said.

Lasry said he saw no path forward to win the August 9th Democratic primary. “The second I realized that there was no path forward, we made sure that we did what we thought was best for us to be able to defeat Ron Johnson. And that meant getting with the person who is best positioned to do that, and has been running the best campaign in this primary. And that’s the Lieutenant Governor.”

Outagamie County Exec Tom Nelson suspended his campaign on Monday and is also endorsing Barnes. State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is the remaining high-profile Democrat, and said she intends to stay in the race.

 

 

Trump will host Waukesha campaign rally for Tim Michels

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Former President Donald Trump has scheduled a rally for Tim Michels on August 5th rally in Waukesha.

Michels is the pipeline construction company executive whom Trump is endorsing in the August 9 Republican primary, where he faces former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and State Representative Timothy Rampthun. The winner moves to the November general election to face incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers.

Michels tweeted that the Trump rally “will be a great kickstart to a big victory in the primary on August 5th and firing Tony Evers in November.”

Trump’s Tuesday announcement of the rally for Michels came on the same day that U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas announced he’s endorsing Kleefisch in the Republican primary.

U.S. House passes Respect for Marriage Act

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Rep. Mark Pocan

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to defend same-sex marriages. The Respect for Marriage Act. It removes the prohibition on same-sex marriage set forth in the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, stipulating that any individual’s marriage is federally recognized if it’s legal in that person’s state.

Same-sex marriages in Wisconsin have been legally recognized since October 2014, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a ruling that had found Wisconsin’s amendment banning same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.

Republicans who opposed the measure called it unnecessary, while Democrats argued marriage equality is now under legal threat.

“Because the extremist packed Supreme Court recently took away a half a century of law on Roe, and in that decision Justice Clarence Thomas said they should revisit it on marriage equality,” said Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan during floor debate. “We have people in this House and in the Senate like Senator Ted Cruz who’ve said the exact same thing.”

“I want to make sure that my husband Phil can visit me in the hospital should I have to go back again like when I had a triple bypass a few years ago,” Pocan said. “I want to make sure my husband has my earned benefits for retirement and Social Security. I want to make sure that my husband is taken care of just like your spouses are taken care of.”

Rep. Bryan Steil

Representative Bryan Stiel of Janesville was among 47 Republicans voting for the bill, which passed 267-157. It now moves to the U.S. Senate. In a tweet, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin urged colleagues to support it.

“If you are a Senator who supports marriage equality then you will support our bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act to protect this freedom and right for same-sex and interracial marriages. Let’s stand together and protect the progress we have made.”

 

Former UW Chancellor Blank’s cancer diagnosis means she will not take Northwestern job

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Former University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank is making a very sudden and serious change of plans.

Monday was supposed to be Blank’s first day at her new job as president of Northwestern University, but now she’s been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and will return to Madison for treatment.

In a statement, Blank said she’s leaving Northwestern because fighting her cancer will require all her strength.

The job of president requires multiple events, long days, travel and constant energy, especially in the first year. I have always been able to deliver this in previous jobs, but my doctors advise me that the treatments I am starting will make it almost impossible to do the job you need in a new president. I do not have the words to express to you how disappointed and sad I am to be telling you this. I was excited to be joining you at Northwestern, a world-class institution that is near and dear to my heart.

Blank was UW Madison chancellor for eight years before stepping down a few weeks ago.

Wisconsin Supreme Court rules against use of ballot drop boxes

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City of Madison drop box WRN image

The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that absentee ballot drop boxes are not allowed under Wisconsin law.

In a 4-3 decision, Justice Brian Hagedorn ruled on the side of the court’s conservative justices that the Wisconsin Elections Commission was in error when it allowed the use of those drop boxes during the height of of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ruling means ballots must be dropped off at the clerk’s office or mailed. The court declined to rule on whether or not other people can help deliver those ballots.

Reaction to the court’s ruling followed sharply defined partisan lines, as Democrats strongly support the use drop boxes. Republicans have opposed them, claiming their use resulted in “ballot harvesting.”

“Today’s decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans’ successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy,”  Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.

“Today’s decision demonstrates that the rule of law prevails and the illegal drop boxes are finally going to stop,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a tweet. “This is a giant step forward in our efforts to ensure election integrity.”

The case began in 2021, when the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a lawsuit in Waukesha County which argued that state law does not mention ballot drop boxes. A Waukesha County judge ruled against their use in January, and the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the matte in April.

Pro-life groups condemn Kahl lawsuit to overturn 1849 abortion ban

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Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit, seeking to overturn Wisconsin’s 1849 law criminalizing abortion.

In Milwaukee on Tuesday, the Democratic AG said Wisconsinites need clarity on how the law applies now. “The truth of the matter is, the legislature has left us without that, and with conflicting laws in place. So we’re going to do as much as we can to provide clarity but, we’ve been left in a difficult spot. It’s why it’s so important that Republican legislators come into session to protect reproductive freedom.”

The suit, filed in Dane County Court, argues the 1849 law has been superseded by other restrictions in the years since and is therefore unenforceable. That includes a ban on abortion after 20 weeks that Republicans approved in 2015.

Kaul described the more than century old statute as “deeply ant-family.”

“A lot of the women who obtain abortions are mothers,” he said. “They’re often in very difficult circumstances, including potentially ectopic pregnancies that could leave kids who are alive without a parent. It is so important that we empower women and their families to make these decisions and not politicians.”

Abortion remains legal in two neighboring states – but Governor Tony Evers said that’s not a real solution for individuals needing one in Wisconsin.

“Of course the folks in Illinois and Minnesota are being helpful, we’re hoping to have services available nearest to our borders as possible,” Evers said. “But at the end of the day, that is not going to help all sorts of vulnerable women who can’t cross our borders, because they don’t have the wherewithal to do that.”

Pro-life groups are condemning Kaul’s action. “While I’m not at all surprised that a lawsuit has been filed, I am definitely disappointed in Attorney General Josh Kaul” said Julaine Appling, President of Wisconsin Family Action. “His job is to defend Wisconsin law, not to challenge a duly enacted statute that he and the governor disagree with. This is obvious pandering to Evers’ and Kaul’s political allies.”

“Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban is in full effect and that is why Wisconsin’s abortion providers, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Affiliated Medical Services, are no longer performing abortions,” said Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director. “It is the job of our state’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Kaul, to enforce laws protecting human life, not sue to overturn them.”

Wisconsin politicians react as SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade

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Republican and Democratic Wisconsin politicians are reacting, to Friday’s action by the the U.S. Supreme Court, overturning Roe v. Wade.

“This is an absolutely disastrous and unconscionable decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the consequences of which I hoped to never see again in my lifetime,” Governor Tony Evers said in a statement. “I know many across our state and nation are scared—worried about their own health and about the health and safety of their family members, friends, and neighbors, who could very soon see the ability to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions stripped from them.”

The high court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is a reversal that leaves states free to drastically reduce or even outlaw abortion, a right to which was established nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade.

“Today is a victory for life and for those who have fought for decades to protect the unborn,” said U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in a statement. “For almost fifty years the decision of nine unelected Justices have prevented a democratically derived consensus on the profound moral issue of abortion to be formed.  This decision will now allow that democratic process to unfold in each state to determine at what point does society have the responsibility to protect life.”

Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban could be challenged in court, now that Roe V. Wade has been overturned. Attorney General Josh Kaul said the Wisconsin Department of Justice could be called into any such litigation, which is likely.

Kaul said there are newer state statutes in conflict with the older law. ” There are statutes that talk about exemptions for both, not just the life, but the health of the mother,” Kaul said. “The 19th-century ban doesn’t have an exception for the protection of health. So there are places where the laws are in conflict and I think that’s going to be something the courts will ultimately resolve.”

Kaul said as long as he is attorney general, the DOJ will not prosecute any cases under the 1849 law.

“An activist majority of the Supreme Court has overturned Roe and nearly 50 years of precedent, taking away the constitutional rights of American women to make their own personal choices about their body, their health, and their family,” U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said in a statement. “Republicans have taken Wisconsin women back to 1849 and it is Republicans who want to keep us there with support for having politicians interfere in the freedoms of women who will now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers have had for decades.”

“Let’s call this what it is: a brazen, political act that rolls back essential human rights,” said state Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neuabauer (D-Racine). “By striking down a precedent of nearly 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has sent our country back to the 1970’s and Wisconsin back to the 1840’s.”

“Wisconsin statute specifies that an ‘unborn child’ is a human being from the time of conception until it is born alive,” said state Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafiueld) in a statement. “And, if there is a medical issue where the life of the mother is in jeopardy, the life of the mother can be saved. These statutes are now in effect.”

WJMC-Rice Lake contributed to this report