Author: Scott Bauer

Wisconsin Republicans still reeling from an April election that saw conservatives lose majority control of the state Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years hope to use their upcoming state convention to unify and refocus on the 2024 presidential race in which Wisconsin will once again be a battleground. Democrats, recognizing that four of the past six presidential elections in the state have been decided by less than a percentage point, are trying not to become overconfident in the face of recent gains. They are gathering for their annual state convention starting June 10 in Green Bay....

Not reaching a deal on a massive bill increasing state aid to Wisconsin’s local governments will only increase the chances that Milwaukee runs out of money, forcing deep cuts to police and fire protection, while smaller communities around the state will also struggle to pay bills, state lawmakers were warned on May 23. The urgent warnings came as Republican leaders who control the Senate and Assembly disagree on a key part of the plan — who determines whether the Milwaukee city and county can raise the local sales tax to pay for pension costs and emergency services. That disagreement...

Governor Tony Evers promised on May 4 to veto a wide-ranging Republican plan to bolster aid to local governments, saying the measure moving rapidly through the GOP-controlled Legislature does not give enough unrestricted money to communities struggling to pay for police, fire, and other services. Republican authors of the bill said at a hearing on May 4 they remained open to making changes, with Sen. Mary Felzkowski downplaying Evers’ veto threat as “part of the sausage making.” Echoing that, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he remained optimistic, despite the veto threat, that Evers, Republicans, local leaders and others involved...

Fourteen-year-olds in Wisconsin could serve alcohol to seated customers in bars and restaurants under a bill circulated for cosponsors on May 1 by a pair of Republican state lawmakers. Under current law, only workers age 18 and above can serve alcohol to customers in Wisconsin. The bill would broaden that to workers ages 14 to 17. They could only serve to seated customers, not drinkers who are at the bar itself. The current age limit on serving alcohol “causes workforce issues due to an establishment’s underage employees only being able to do part of their job,” the bill sponsors...

A Democratic-backed Milwaukee judge won the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race on April 4, ensuring liberals will take over majority control of the court for the first time in 15 years with the fate of the state’s abortion ban on the line. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, 60, defeated former Justice Dan Kelly, who previously worked for Republicans and had support from the state’s leading anti-abortion groups. It’s his second loss in a race for Supreme Court in three years. “I feel great. I could not feel better,” Protasiewicz told The Associated Press after her win. “I...

The indictment of former President Donald Trump will likely have little impact on the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race to be decided next week, as Democrats try to flip majority control of the court with the fate of abortion access in the state on the line, those closely watching the contest. Trump has not been directly involved in the race, did not endorse anyone, and the Republican-backed candidate has tried to distance his connections with the former president and the GOP. Additionally, Trump’s support among Republicans appears to be waning in the battleground state that he barely won...