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Thursday, November 13, 2025

State News

State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and state Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, both defended the decision to withhold records of sexual harassment issued against legislators and their staff Tuesday in an effort to protect victim privacy.
STATE NEWS

Lawmakers support withholding sexual harassment data despite concern from experts

By Jessica Lipaz | Nov. 28, 2017

Majority and minority leaders in the Wisconsin Assembly have both agreed not to release records regarding complaints or investigations into sexual assault allegations against legislators or their staff, even though many professionals argue that this is ineffective when it comes to protecting victims’ rights. The opposition came to light as a plethora of national reports has surfaced in the media in recent weeks exposing sexual harassment by men in high profile, public positions. The decision to maintain a hold of records on sexual harassment claims against legislators or their staff came from state Assembly Chief Clerk Pat Fuller and state Senate Chief Clerk Jeff Rank.

STATE NEWS

Tommy Thompson Center kicks off first forum, discusses political leadership

By Lilly Price | Nov. 19, 2017

UW-Madison’s Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, a policy center funded both privately and by the state to promote research and leadership training, held its first event Friday, after its controversial inclusion in the state budget. The event titled “Leadership Across the Branches” featured speakers from top lawmakers, professors, journalists, and experts on Congress.

Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites are living with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Lawmakers are crossing the aisle to come up with solutions to support the economic and emotional burden those affected and those caring for loved ones with the disease face every day.
STATE NEWS

As researchers struggle for Alzheimer’s cure, lawmakers enact flurry of bipartisan bills

By Lilly Price | Nov. 16, 2017

Over 110,000 people in Wisconsin are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. While there is no cure and the number of people suffering from the disease is only expected to increase, researchers at UW are pushing to help ease the burden the cognitive disease causes. Wisconsin lawmakers have been hard at work proposing legislation to help those with Alzheimer’s.

State superintendent Tony Evers is running against Gov. Scott Walker for governor. If elected, Evers says he will cut tuition for two-year UW schools by 50 percent.
STATE NEWS

Tony Evers announces plan to cut tuition for two-year UW schools if elected governor

By Marissa Beaty | Nov. 15, 2017

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state school superintendent Tony Evers announced plans on Wednesday to cut tuition by 50 percent at all 13 of UW’s two-year colleges if elected. The proposal would cut current tuition of $4,750 with the hope to “strengthen our UW Colleges, create a better-trained workforce and make college more accessible to all Wisconsinites,” Evers said in a statement. In total, Evers expects the plan to cost less than $20 million – an amount he says is more than feasible if current “legislative Republicans are fine with giving 11 multimillionaires $22 million in tax breaks,” referring to Gov.

State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, came under fire Wednesday only appointing white lawmakers to a task force that will access the state’s prison system.
STATE NEWS

Black legislators decry appointments to prison task force

By Jessica Lipaz | Nov. 15, 2017

Four black Democratic legislators wrote a letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, in response to a new task force that will study the efficacy of Wisconsin prisons that solely consists of white men. The task force was created to analyze Wisconsin’s need for a new prison amid recent prison incidents involving overpopulation, neglect and violence. The letter, signed by Democratic representatives from Milwaukee, David Crowley, Jason Fields, David Bowen and Leon Young, requests Vos to reconsider his nominations in order to add at least one black member to the task force. “In Milwaukee County over half of African American males in their 30s have served time in state prison,” the letter said.

A bill introduced by state Sen. Shelia Harsdorf, R-River Falls, would move flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes behind the counter with other cigarettes in order to curb adolescent smoking.
STATE NEWS

Juuls and swishers could be moved behind the counter, under new legislation

By Dylan Ayer | Nov. 14, 2017

A bill pending in the state Senate would require retailers to remove tobacco- and nicotine-related products from the show floor, placing them in a more secure location, inaccessible without retailer assistance. Following national trends to reduce tobacco consumption, the bill seeks to curb adolescent exposure and accessibility to tobacco products, with most becoming long-term smokers at an early age and developing health conditions later on in life.

Legislation that would make it easier to opt-out of standardized tests passed the state Assembly this week, marking one of the last acts of the years’ legislative session.
STATE NEWS

‘Test transparency’ for K-12 students boosted under Assembly-approved bill

By Andy Goldstein | Nov. 12, 2017

More parents would be able to excuse their children from standardized testing under a proposal approved by the state Assembly last week, as part of a series of education bills making their way through the Capitol. The proposal would allow parents and guardians to excuse their student from statewide examinations between grades three-12, building upon current law, which allows opt-outs during grades four and eight-11. The opt-out provision, which was initially intended to be expanded to other grades, was never broadened after mandated testing became more regularly applied for all students. This inconsistency, bill co-sponsor state Rep.

Following Sheila Harsdorf’s appointment to agricultural secretary, the governor has scheduled a special election to fill the vacant state Senate seat for early next year.
STATE NEWS

Special elections slated to replace vacant seats

By Will Husted | Nov. 12, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker has announced a special election early next year to replace former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, following her appointment to the post of agricultural secretary. The appointment comes after Ben Brancel’s retirement from the position in August after seven years on the job.

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