Man charged with threats to Karofsky and Office of Lawyer Regulation (MADISON)
A Racine man is charged with threatening a state Supreme Court Justice and the Office of Lawyer Regulation. 37-year-old Ryan Thornton had an initial appearance Monday in Dane County Court, charged with felony stalking. Prosecutors say from August until early October, Thornton sent increasingly threatening emails to Chief Justice Jill Karofsky and the Office of Lawyer Regulation, relating to claimed inactions by his attorney in a case dating to 2019. Thornton eventually fired that attorney and was later convicted of various crimes. Police located Thornton in the Racine County Jail on October 9, where he allegedly made verbal threats directed at Karofsky. He was transferred to Dane County Jail last week. Thonton’s cash bail was set at $85,000 and his preliminary hearing is set for October 28.
Menopause bill gets boost from Halle Berry (MADISON)
Proposed legislation at the Capitol gets some star power. It would create a coordinated effort to improve availability and access to information about perimenopause and menopause. State Senator Diane Hesselbein of Middleton says it will help women be better prepared for menopause and perimenopause, save lives and change countless health outcomes. Hesselbein and Representative Robin Vining were joined on a Tuesday media call by Oscar winning actor Halle Berry, who recounted her own experiences in obtaining accurate information about menopause from doctors. Berry said menopause remains stigmatized, and that’s why education is so important. The bill directs the Department of Health Services to provide a portal to information and has bipartisan support.
Sheriff warns of cuts if budget amendment advances (MADISON)
Many Wisconsin counties face budget deficits, and in Dane County that amounts to a $31 million dollar shortfall. County Executive Melissa Agard has already announced a hiring freeze and plans to reduce spending in most departments by 4%. A proposed budget amendment would cut 28 currently open sheriff’s department positions, something Sheriff Kalvin Barrett sees as unfair to rural residents. During a press conference this week, Barrett noted that the three authors of the amendment receive their public safety services from local police departments, while his department serves all of Dane County. The supervisors making the proposal want the roughly two and a quarter million dollars saved by cutting those sheriff’s positions to offset costs to other departments, including the county’s largest department, Human Services.
Advocates call for gun safety measures (MADISON)
Advocates for firearms safety were at the Capitol on Tuesday. Melissa Tuttle Carr with Moms Demand Action says they’re advocating for action that would include an extreme risk protection procedure allowing courts and police to take guns from persons deemed a risk to themselves or others. Nick Matuszewski with WAVE Educational Fund says they’re not about impeding the 2nd Amendment. Bills like extreme risk protection and requiring background checks for all firearms transfers have repeatedly failed to advance in the Republican controlled legislature.
Evers administration warns FoodShare funding will soon run out if shutdown continues (UNDATED)
A warning that Wisconsin FoodShare funding will soon run out if the federal government shutdown continues. The shutdown is now in its third week, and Democratic Governor Tony Evers says the Trump administration recently notified Wisconsin that there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits. Evers says FoodShare, which is 100% funded by the federal government, is now in jeopardy and nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites could be without access to basic food and groceries if the shutdown continues. The Evers Administration says its closely monitoring funding levels for WIC, a separate food assistance program designed to support women, infants and children.
Republican Toney running again for attorney general (FOND DU LAC)
Republican Eric Toney is running again for Wisconsin attorney general. The 41-year-old Fond du Lac County District Attorney is seeking a rematch with current attorney general, Democrat Josh Kaul. Kaul defeated Toney by 35,000 votes three years ago, a difference of just 1.3 percentage points. Toney was elected as the Fond du Lac DA in 2013 and beat former state Representative Adam Jarchow in the 2022 Republican primary for AG. The general election is next November, and the primary is August 11th. As of now, no other Republican of Democratic candidates have announced a run for attorney general.