UPFRONT: Vos may not run for reelection in 2026 (UNDATED)
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos might not run for office next year. Speaking to W I S N’s UPFRONT, the Burlington Republican says he’s not entirely decided. Vos has served in the Assembly since 2005 and has held the Speaker’s seat since 2013. Vos recently faced a stiff primary challenge from supporters of President Donald Trump who thought he should have done more to help the president during the aftermath of the 2020 election. He says he’s excited to work with a Governor other than Tony Evers, but that he’ll make a decision in January of next year.
Accessory Dwellings Unit bill could see amendment. (MADISON)
At the Capitol, a bill to allow accessory dwelling units or ADUs to be built statewide may be amended. The measure would prohibit the units from being used as short-term rentals. During a public hearing, Representative Dave Armstrong said many communities lack the means to enforce that, and the bill specifies no penalties for violating the prohibition. The Rice Lake Republican told the bill’s author, Representative Joy Goeben, that adding a penalty would allow municipalities to generate revenue to cover enforcement costs. Goeben, a Hobart Republican, noted community in her district has seen a lot of growth in short term rentals, and said she’d be willing to work with Armstrong on an amendment. An ADU is a secondary housing unit, like a basement apartment or detached backyard cottage, that includes a kitchen and bathroom facilities, offering homeowners rental income or space for family. Goeben’s bill is part of a larger package from Assembly Republicans with a goal of alleviating Wisconsin’s dire shortage of affordable housing.
Ebben and Clark are seeking 7th CD seat (UNDATED)
Candidates for Congress in northern Wisconsin are staking out their positions. 7th District Representative Tom Tiffany is running for governor, and Jessi Ebben is the first Republican in the race. Ebben said she is “Trump Republican” who wants “to provide President Trump the reinforcement he needs to get the agenda done to make America great again.” Democrat Fred Clark says he’s been spurred to run by what he sees in Washington, namely “a Congress that has just failed in their most basic responsibilities to serve as a co-equal branch of government.” Clark served with Tiffany when both were in the state Assembly and will face Chris Armstrong in a Democratic primary. Ebben ran for Congress in the 3rd District in 2020, losing to Derrick Van Orden in the Republican primary. She and her family have since moved into Tiffany’s district. Additional candidates are expected to enter the race.
Central Wisconsin city offering downtown lockers for homeless (STEVENS POINT)
A Central Wisconsin community has installed lockers for use by the homeless. Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says the idea came from downtown business owners. Wiza said people were concerned about the city’s homeless population’s personal belongings, such as around there, it sleeping bags, tents, blankets and backpacks being left on the streets. The lockers will be made available to homeless persons who agree to abide by rules governing their use, are under round-the-clock surveillance and will be cleaned by city staff at least once a month. Wiza said any use for activity like distributing drugs won’t be tolerated, and that violators of those rules risk losing their locker privileges “or worse, if it’s something illegal.”
Evers signs bipartisan bill to prohibit misuse of AI-generated images (MADISON)
A new state law offers protections to victims of “deep fakes.” Republican state Senator André Jacque said victims whose images are manipulated into synthetic “deep fake” pornography for online display and distribution now have strong legal protections. Wisconsin Act 34 which Jacque authored with state Representative Brent Jacobson, was signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on Friday. Evers said that ensures the state’s criminal code is updated to reflect the increasing use and potential misuse of artificial intelligence. Senator Jacque cited a study from the cybersecurity company Deeptrace which found that about 96% of “deep fake” material is non-consensual pornography, and “exclusively targets and harms women.”
Backup your important files for Cybersecurity Month (UNDATED)
October is Cybersecurity Month, and Wisconsin Consumer Protection wants you to check if all your important files are backed up. Administrator Michelle Reinen says you can use either a cloud system, or buy some physical hard drives to store those files. Your phone or device might already offer those cloud backups through on board programs like Google Drive, One Drive or iCloud. Reinen says if you are using cloud storage, to be sure to keep your account secure, or else you could still lose access to your files. Good options for physical backups are solid state drives you can plug into your device to simply copy files, or to use a thumb drive stored in a safe place. Be sure to keep that storage separate from your device when you’re not using it, to prevent viruses or malware from getting to it.