state-news - The Daily Cardinal

Students on campus held a call-in Friday to encourage Republican lawmakers to vote against a bill that would end a partnership between UW and Planned Parenthood.

STATE NEWS

Students call upon lawmakers to kill bill that would end agreement between Planned Parenthood, UW

By Andy Goldstein | Oct. 20, 2017

Student activists organized Friday in opposition to a controversial Republican bill that would prohibit UW medical students from performing abortions or receive training at medical centers that do so. The proposal would end a decade-long partnership between the university and Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion-related training and work opportunities to medical students. The state Senate heard testimony on the legislation Tuesday, months after a state Assembly committee considered a nearly identical measure.

UW-Madison, along with 800 other colleges and universities, signed a letter petioning members of Congress to implement legislation that would protect Dreamers.

STATE NEWS

UW joins hundreds of other universities in defending Dreamers

By Sammy Gibbons | Oct. 20, 2017

UW-Madison joined 800 other universities Thursday in a letter calling upon key congressmen to advance legislation to protect Dreamers. The letter, compiled by the American Council on Education, urged the leaders to implement a “long-term legislative fix” that would protect Dreamers — individuals protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act.

The state Senate approved Tuesday a bill amending the state Constitution to boost the rights of crime victims

STATE NEWS

Lawmakers hold public hearing on bills that would make rioting a felony

By Lauren Sorensen | Oct. 19, 2017

A state Senate committee heard public testimony Thursday on three bills that would make rioting a felony and prohibit certain actions.

UW-Madison’s Genetic Department is not able to help the Department of Justice process thousands of untested rape kits because of regulations third-party labs are required to follow.

STATE NEWS

Despite thousands of untested rape kits, regulations bar UW from lending a hand

By Emily Curtis | Oct. 19, 2017

To decrease the number of untested sexual assault kits in Wisconsin, then-Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen formed a team in 2012 to address the issue.

STATE NEWS

Baldwin doubles down on encouraging crackdown of companies that offer scam student loans

By Will Husted | Oct. 18, 2017

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin continued Wednesday to call on the Department of Education to crack down on fraudulent student debt schemes.

Gov. Scott Walker released a campaign video Wednesday ahead a formal re-election announcement.

STATE NEWS

Walker announces his campaign for re-election in TV spot

By Marissa Beaty | Oct. 18, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker released a video on his Twitter account Wednesday to visually promote his upcoming run for re-election. WI’s future is bright, but there is more work to be done.

A super PAC supported by chair of Breitbart News and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon endorsed Kevin Nicholson Tuesday for Wisconsin U.S. Senate.

STATE NEWS

Super PAC backed by Bannon endorses Wisconsin Senate candidate

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 17, 2017

A super PAC that supports former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon endorsed a GOP candidate for Wisconsin Senate Tuesday, in what is expected to be one of the most expensive races of the 2018 midterm election.

The Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform had a public hearing for two bills aimed to provide food stamp recipients with healthier food.

STATE NEWS

Lawmakers take up bills to provide food stamp recipients with healthy options

By Dylan Ayer | Oct. 17, 2017

A state Assembly committee met Tuesday for a hearing on two bills that emphasize a greater focus on health-orientated consumables for food stamp recipients and standardizes the quality of nutrition that must be covered for the use of food stamps. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Rohrkaste, R-Neenah, and Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, the Assembly Committee on Public Benefit Reform held a public hearing on the proposed bills. One provides a 50 percent discount towards healthy foods for FoodShare members and the other initiates a pilot program that places restrictions on certain foods deemed insufficiently nutritional by the Department of Health Services.

Lawmakers have proposed a bill to legalize hemp crops in Wisconsin for industrial products.

STATE NEWS

Industrial hemp can’t get you high, but it's still outlawed. Lawmakers think legalizing it could help farmers.

By Nina Bertelsen | Oct. 16, 2017

State lawmakers are circulating a proposal to legalize industrial hemp in the state. While previously outlawed, supporters say legalizing the crop could create opportunities for farmers.

Gov. Scott Walker sent a letter to the NFL Monday urging players to “stop their protests during the anthem and move on from what has become a divisive political sideshow.”

STATE NEWS

Scott Walker to NFL players: Stop protesting national anthem, address domestic violence problem

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 16, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker thinks NFL players should stop their “divisive” protesting and focus on speaking out against domestic violence.

Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, spoke to UW-Madison students Friday.

STATE NEWS

DNC chair to UW-Madison students: ‘We win Wisconsin if we start working now’

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 13, 2017

Almost a year after the 2016 election, UW-Madison students heard Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez’s take on how to win Wisconsin back.

Hundred of people in opposition to a bill that would prohibit so-called sanctuary cities attend a state Senate Committee on Regulatory and Labor Reform public hearing.

STATE NEWS

Committee hearing on immigration bill draws hundreds in opposition

By Allyson Duffy | Oct. 12, 2017

A state Senate committee held a public hearing Thursday on a bill that would ensure so-called sanctuary cities follow federal immigration enforcement laws, specifically when it comes to questioning the immigration status of an individual arrested for committing a crime. The state Senate Committee on Regulatory and Labor Reform met to discuss Senate Bill 275 generated a crowd of over a hundred people. The bill prohibits federal and state authorities from allowing certain cities and towns to enact policies that would protect undocumented immigrants from potential deportation.

State Rep. John Nygren’s daughter and a former executive director of Wisconsin’s Democrat Party face legal punishment for connection to two separate overdose deaths.

STATE NEWS

Drug overdoses separately affect the lives of two prominent state politicians

By Jessica Lipaz | Oct. 11, 2017

The daughter of a leader in the state Assembly, as well as a former state Democratic Party chair, are separately facing legal trouble surrounding their relationship to victims of fatal opioid overdoses. Cassandra Nygren, daughter of John Nygren, R-Marinette, and a leader on policy solutions to the state’s opioid crisis, was held in the Brown County Jail Wednesday. The younger Nygren and her fiance were arrested in relation to an unnamed person who died from overdosing.

A provision in the 2017-’19 state budget that would oversee the transfer of funds from one veteran organization to another was eliminated before the budget was signed into law last month.

STATE NEWS

Walker’s veto for King Veteran’s Home faces bipartisan criticism

By Marissa Beaty | Oct. 11, 2017

Officials at King’s Veteran Home and lawmakers from both parties are speaking out against one of Gov.

Walker visited schools across Wisconsin Tuesday to promote legislation to increase state aid for rural schools.

STATE NEWS

Walker visits schools to promote legislation to boost aid for rural districts

By Dylan Ayer | Oct. 10, 2017

In a series of visits to Wisconsin schools, Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday his plan to increase aid for education in rural areas. Resurrecting efforts previously rejected in his state budget, Walker backed a bill proposed by state Sen.

Foxconn Technology Group may hold recruiting events at UW-Madison soon.

STATE NEWS

Foxconn actively recruiting at Marquette — and UW-Madison is likely next

By Noah Habenstreit | Oct. 9, 2017

Foxconn Technology Group plans to bring at least 13,000 new jobs to Wisconsin — and it’s looking to the state’s college campuses to do so.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit that sought to prove that partisan redistricting had disenfranchised voters, instead forcing the plaintiffs to prove their case first to a lower court before being heard again.

STATE NEWS

As redistricting battle heats up, impact of UW students’ votes at stake

By Andy Goldstein | Oct. 9, 2017

In November 2012, Wisconsinites went to the polls in the first election since the state Legislature redrew boundaries for the state’s voting districts. In that election, Republicans received only 47 percent of the vote in state Assembly races but won more than 60 percent of the chamber’s seats.

Public access to police body camera footage would be limited under a bill under consideration in the state Assembly.

STATE NEWS

Police body camera footage would be limited under new bill

By Benita Mathew | Oct. 5, 2017

Wisconsinites would have highly limited access to police body camera videos in a new proposal making its way through the state Legislature.

STATE NEWS

Madison state legislators implore colleagues to tackle gun violence

By Leah Kramer | Oct. 4, 2017

After a shooting at a concert in Las Vegas Sunday night left nearly 60 dead and over 500 injured, state legislators from Madison teamed up to introduce legislation regarding gun violence and held a press conference to discuss specific gun safety policy steps.

State Assembly Rep. Bob Gannon passed away Tuesday night.

STATE NEWS

Bob Gannon, spirited state Assemblyman, dies of natural causes

By Marissa Beaty | Oct. 4, 2017

Rep. Bob Gannon, R-West Bend, passed away from natural causes Tuesday night at the age of 58. The Allenton Fire and Rescue responded to a 911 call around 9 p.m.

State News