Presidential pardons for Wisconsin Republicans involved in 2020 election scheme (WASHINGTON DC)
Presidential pardons for Wisconsinites implicated in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis allegedly hatched a plan for critical swings states to submit slates of Republican electors to support President Donald Trump. Their names were among 77 on a list posted to social media late Sunday by the U.S. Department of Justice’s pardon attorney. Several Wisconsin Republicans who served as false electors were also on the list, including former state party chair Andrew Hitt, former party treasurer Kelly Ruh and Bob Spindell, who currently serves on the Wisconsin Elections Commission. According to a Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesperson, a criminal investigation of Chesebro, Troupis and political operative Michael Roman “remains ongoing.”
Baldwin, Johnson split on US Senate vote to proceed on budget bill (WASHINGTON, DC)
It was a split vote from Wisconsin’s US Senators on resuming budget talks during the federal shutdown. Democrat Tammy Baldwin was a no and Republican Ron Johnson a yes as seven Democrats broke ranks Sunday night on a procedural vote for a proposed budget deal. The bill would fund the government through the end of January and extend the current Farm Bill by another year. The bill does not include extensions of Affordable Care Act tax cuts and subsidies. Any bill passed by the Senate will have to go back to the House for a vote, where Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not reconvene until the Senate passes the House version of the budget that the Senate has been deadlocked on for over two months.
Wisconsin among states opposing White House efforts to claw back SNAP funding (UNDATED)
Another shift in the continuing fight over federal food assistance funding. A federal court on Monday blocked an effort by President Donald Trump to prevent states like Wisconsin from using their own funding to fully pay for SNAP. The Trump Administration said there was only enough money to pay half of the month’s food benefits after a pair of courts ordered payment of benefits. Governor Tony Evers and a number of other states fully paid their benefits in between rulings. Now the US Treasury is declining to reimburse retailers for sales made through SNAP programs. It’s unclear where any of these rulings will land, or if they will start making their way to the US Supreme Court as challenges continue.
DNR asking for more CWD testing this deer season (MADISON)
The Department of Natural Resources is asking Wisconsin deer hunters to step up and test their harvests for chronic wasting disease. Deer specialist Erin Larson says they’re especially looking for deer in areas where C W D was recently detected. Those zones are in central and northern Wisconsin and Larson says the agency is trying to track any potential spread of the fatal deer illness. If your deer does test positive for C W D, the DNR will issue you a fresh deer permit that can be used in any season this year. You can find out more online at D N R dot W I dot Gov.
Retailers being urged to accept FoodShare benefits (UNDATED)
Wisconsin retailers are being urged to continue to accept FoodShare benefits. The Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer protection is reminding participating businesses that FoodShare recipients have had funding legally loaded onto their cards and businesses cannot turn away people using their cards at registers. If recipients are denied the ability to use a FoodShare card to purchase food when they have a balance remaining, they should tell store staff they’re able to use it and then contact Wisconsin’s Consumer Protection Hotline. Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers has said no to a Trump Administration suggestion that Wisconsin should return FoodShare payments to the federal government.
WI free income tax filing system will be available this tax season (UNDATED)
Wisconsin’s free income tax filing system will be available for the 2026 tax season. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue says WisTax will be ready starting in February with expanded features for those who claim the Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Credit or need to amend their return. The announcement comes in the wake of the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to discontinue Direct File, its free, secure income tax filing system. Direct File allowed eligible taxpayers in certain states to file their federal taxes for free directly with the IRS. More info can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s website.
American Lung Association releases annual State of Lung Cancer report (UNDATED)
The American Lung Association has released its annual State of Lung Cancer report. Spokesperson Michael Seilback says Wisconsin is above average when it comes to treatment and is 14th in the country when it comes to five-year survival rates for lung cancer. Seilback says one area Wisconsin could improve is biomarker testing, as it’s one of 28 states that has yet to require any insurance coverage for lung cancer biomarker testing. Biomarker testing lets those diagnosed with cancer find treatments that work specifically for the tumor they have. Wisconsin’s most recent rate of lung cancer cases is 55.5%, higher than the national average of 52.8%.
Woman charged in theft from Ronald McDonald House charity (MARSHFIELD)
A Wood County woman is accused of taking thousands of dollars from the charity she worked for. Former Executive Director Iilee Pederson is accused of taking 120 thousand dollars in cash from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Marshfield, the providing the board with doctored bank statements to cover it up. Investigators say the thefts happened over two years starting in June of 20-22, and according to the 39-year-old she was trying to help a relative through some financial hardship, but eventually she “got in too deep.” On Monday a judge found probable cause in the case, and released Pederson on a 50 thousand dollar signature bond, she returns to court to enter a plea in early January.