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Apr 19, 2005 Doyle Bashes Social Security Plan During a visit Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle criticized the Bush administration’s proposed overhaul of Social Security, allowing citizens to invest some of their federally pooled money in the stock market. Doyle spoke to about 450 people at his Governor’s Pre-White House Conference on Aging, a precursor... more
Apr 19, 2005 GOP Must Drop DeLay A few courageous Republicans in Congress, led by Connecticut's Chris Shays, have begun to acknowledge that it is time for Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, to resign his position. It is not just that DeLay got caught exploiting the Terry Schiavo tragedy for political gain, or merely that he has... more
Apr 19, 2005 Feingold Bill Seeks to Protect Dairy Farmers U.S. Senator Russ Feingold has introduced the Quality Cheese Act of 2005 this week, which would prevent the Food and Drug Administration from making changes to the official definition of "milk" used in natural cheese products without thorough review and consideration of the impact on U.S. dairy... more
Apr 19, 2005 Social Security Privatization ‘A Gamble’ During a stop in Oshkosh Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle criticized the Bush Administration’s proposed overhaul of Social Security, allowing citizens to invest some of their federally-pooled money in the stock market. Doyle spoke to about 450 people at his "Governor’s Pre-White House Conference on Aging,”... more
Apr 19, 2005 DeLay Issues Broad Denial Of Ethics Violations House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), in his first detailed written response after weeks of questions about his dealings with lobbyists and handling of ethics matters, issued a broad denial that he violated any law or House rule in accepting trips abroad, and he implored supporters back home... more
Apr 19, 2005 Homeland Security Omits Threats from Right-Wing Terror Groups Some House Democrats say the Homeland Security Department is overlooking the possible threat posed by right-wing extremists. The lawmakers say the government is instead focused on possible threats from radical environmental and animal rights activists. A recent internal Homeland Security document... more
Apr 18, 2005 Governor's Conference to Focus on Exporting Small and medium sized businesses interested in learning how to begin exporting will want to attend the Governor's Conference on Exporting on May 17 at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. The event is being organized by Governor Doyle's Wisconsin International Trade Council. The conference... more
Apr 18, 2005 Republican message: Please don't vote Senate Republicans have begun turning back the clock on voter rights in Wisconsin. Today, it was photo ID. Tomorrow, it will be same-day registration. Wisconsinites should be proud of our progressive voting laws that contributed to the 75 percent turnout in the last presidential election. But... more
Apr 18, 2005 Attempt to Exclude Stem Cell Companies from Tax Credit Bill Hurts Wisconsin It's easy to overreact when an unwelcome amendment is attached to an otherwise welcome bill in the Wisconsin Legislature. More often than not, the bill is cleansed of bad ideas as it bounces between the Assembly and the Senate. Occasionally, however, a real clunker slips through. That's what... more
Apr 18, 2005 Ensuring Gender Equity The appropriate apologies have been made, and the appropriate review has been promised. Now, it's up to the Doyle administration to make sure that all state employees are on board with the effort to ensure that qualified women receive the promotions they deserve in state government - and we have... more
Apr 18, 2005 The House's Dirty Little Bill In his radio address this weekend, President Bush called on Congress to pass new energy legislation, saying, "American families and small businesses across the country are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices." It's true. Gas today costs an average of $2.28 per gallon, up six cents in a week... more
Apr 17, 2005 Feingold Defends Party’s Actions Against Bush’s Judicial Nominees U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, was confronted on the issue of judicial appointments during a listening session he held Saturday at the North Fond du Lac Community Center. In Washington, Democrats in the U.S. Senate have been accused of blocking President Bush’s federal judicial... more
Apr 17, 2005 GOP Lawmaker May Vote Against U.N. Nominee A top Senate Republican raised the possibility Sunday that he might vote against President Bush's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations if more accusations surface about John Bolton's alleged harassment of analysts who disagreed with his views. With a Senate Foreign Relations... more
Apr 17, 2005 Restoring Voter Confidence The 2004 Presidential Election may be long–over but that doesn't mean people have stopped talking about it. Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt held a conference with Madison residents on Sautrday to discuss ways legislators can improve voter confidence in... more
Apr 17, 2005 Much at Stake for Wisconsin in Base Closing Process As the Pentagon moves forward with its first base closing process in a decade, Wisconsin officials are working to keep the state’s five military installations off the list. At stake: nearly $1 billion and about 8,000 jobs. The Wisconsin bases are at Fort McCoy, between Sparta and Tomah; Volk... more
Apr 17, 2005 Feingold Coordinator Holds Hours at Green Bay Office Tuesday U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s Fox River Valley regional coordinator, Bob Schweder, will hold office hours at Green Bay City Hall on Tuesday. The session will be from 10 to 11 a.m. in Room 310, 100 N. Jefferson St., Green Bay. Residents are invited to discuss federal issues and concerns. Those unable... more
Apr 17, 2005 Construction Crashes Prompt State Attention As orange traffic cones sprout like dandelions along the region’s highways, state transportation officials are again reminding drivers to slow down in construction zones. But in this road-construction season -- after the deadliest season in decades in 2004 -- the Wisconsin State Patrol will back... more
Apr 16, 2005 Governor Eager to Veto Voter ID Bill Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle said Friday he is looking forward to vetoing a recently passed measure requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. The bill was approved Wednesday by the state Senate and is headed to Doyle’s desk for a signature or veto. Doyle appeared Friday to open... more
Apr 16, 2005 Pharmacist's Reprimand Saluted by PPAW Nearly 2 years ago, pharmacist Neil Noesen refused to fill and transfer a young woman's birth control prescription. Noesen can still appeal the limitations placed on his professional license. Planned Parenthood's public policy analyst Nichole Safar says this issue is not completely over, despite... more
Apr 16, 2005 Medical Leave for Family of Military is Proposed While the Family and Medical Leave Act is under threat of being weakened, Sen. Russ Feingold introduced legislation Thursday to extend its provisions to military families, allowing them benefits to visit injured servicemen. The legislation, supported by the National Partnership for Women and... more
Apr 16, 2005 Gov Hopeful: All is on Table for Cuts Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker says he would consider cutting state-funded medical care for the poor, elderly and disabled in order to reduce state taxes if he's elected governor next year. During a stop Friday in Madison on his "Taxes and Truth" campaign tour, Walker told... more
Apr 16, 2005 Baldwin: Tax Credit Should be Extended Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) calls for expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Baldwin is bringing this one back before Congress, right at the annual deadline for paying your income taxes. She says it just doesn't make sense -- Wisconsin families get that thousand-dollar credit... more
Apr 16, 2005 Environmental Group Protests Clear-Cutting Thousands of miles from Portage County, a variety of trees stand tall in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, but they won't remain much longer if tax dollars continue to pay for the clear-cutting done there, according to The Alaska Coalition. Members of the coalition joined with Stevens Point's... more
Apr 16, 2005 Crane Nursery Open Today If you want a chance to see where the next generation of whoopers will learn the tricks of their trade, today is your only chance. The International Crane Foundation is inviting the public to tour its new whooping crane chick-rearing facility, giving people a chance for a one-time,... more
Apr 16, 2005 Lautenschlager Fights Bias in Auto Loans Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and five Milwaukee legislators launched a campaign Saturday to give minorities legal recourse against auto financers that discriminate in their loan practices. Investigators in the state Department of Justice have found evidence that African-Americans... more
Apr 15, 2005 Let's Keep our Court System an Independent One In the 1930s, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to change the Supreme Court by putting new members on it. He was angry that the courts had been ruling against his New Deal proposals. But Roosevelt's court-packing scheme was rejected by Congress. That was good, because we shouldn't... more
Apr 15, 2005 Killing of Feral Cats Issue is Dead in the Water I was wrong. I can admit it, partially.I figured that Question 62, or the idea of allowing the state’s hunters to shoot free roaming, feral cats was about as dead as a rodent with a limp in the kitty cat room at the humane society. Almost 7,000 people proved me wrong Monday when they voted in... more
Apr 15, 2005 New Facilities Put UW on the Cutting Edge University officials and alumni gathered on Henry Mall Thursday to attend a program entitled The BioStar Journey: Celebrating Discovery that introduced three new building additions on campus and allowed attendees to tour the buildings. According to Dean of College of Agricultural and Life... more
Apr 15, 2005 Frist Likely to Push for Ban on Filibusters Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is all but certain to press for a rule change that would ban filibusters of judicial nominations in the next few weeks, despite misgivings by some of his fellow Republicans and a possible Democratic backlash that could paralyze the chamber, close associates said... more
Apr 15, 2005 Salazar Joins House Dems in Backing Revised GI Bill Troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan would get a package of new benefits if the GI Bill for the 21st century introduced Tuesday wins passage. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark at a Capitol press conference to... more
Apr 15, 2005 Texan Is Indicted in Iraq Oil Sales by Hussein Aides An American oil trader and a Korean lobbyist with a scandalous past were charged yesterday in connection with illegal gains and kickbacks involving the United Nations oil-for-food program during Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. In an indictment, federal authorities in New York said David Bay... more
Apr 14, 2005 Doyle Raps Stem Cell Curb Gov. Jim Doyle is blasting a Republican proposal to cut off state tax breaks for Wisconsin companies seeking to develop new stem cell lines. Doyle said the move would close the door on new research in Wisconsin and sends the wrong message to biotech businesses seeking to locate or expand here.... more
Apr 14, 2005 Gov to Veto Voter ID Bill Voters in Wisconsin would face the nation's strictest requirements in proving their identities before they could cast ballots under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The 21-12 vote sent the bill to Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat who said he would veto the measure because he says it would... more
Apr 14, 2005 Doyle Details Child Care Rankings Gov. Jim Doyle visited a Racine child care center Tuesday to detail plans that would rank the state's child-care centers on quality. During his stop at Next Generation Now Child Development and Family Support Center, Doyle explained how the five-star system would be used in the state's subsidized... more
Apr 14, 2005 Doyle to Veto GOP Tax Credit Plan Gov. Jim Doyle on Wednesday said he would veto any proposed business tax credit that excludes companies doing embryonic stem-cell research. Doyle reacted angrily to a bill approved by the Assembly late Tuesday night that would give research and development tax credits to Wisconsin companies, with... more
Apr 14, 2005 Cat Proposal Dead on Arrival Feral felines fearing for their lives in Wisconsin got a boost Wednesday from Gov. Jim Doyle, who said a plan to allow hunters to shoot wild cats at will is dead. "I don't think Wisconsin should become known as a state where we shoot cats," said Doyle, a Democrat who neither hunts nor owns a cat.... more
Apr 14, 2005 Barrett to Trim City Fleet by 100 Vehicles With the size of the city's fleet of vehicles under fire, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett pledged Wednesday to put at least 100 of the Department of Public Works' 584 cars on the auction block, with more to come. Barrett also vowed to slash the number of cars that the department's managers take home... more
Apr 14, 2005 Doyle, DNR Chief Give Pause to Cat-Shooting Idea Despite the wishes of some residents who voted this week to legalize the shooting of stray cats, Wisconsin felines can rest easy since both the governor and natural resources secretary said Wednesday that they doubt lawmakers will allow kitties to become fair game. ov. Jim Doyle said he does not... more
Apr 14, 2005 Congress Conducts More Debate on Marriage Sen. Russ Feingold, the top Democrat on the Senate's Constitution subcommittee, strongly disputed the need for a federal law on defining marriage Wednesday before a crowd of gay activist groups and same-sex couples. At the subcommittee hearing, the senator restated his belief that marriage should... more
Apr 14, 2005 Board Approves Sanctions Against No-Contraceptives Pharmacist A state board approved sanctions Wednesday against a pharmacist who refused to fill a college student's prescription for birth control pills or transfer it to another pharmacy because he believed providing a contraceptive would be against his religion. The Pharmacy Examining Board said the... more
Apr 14, 2005 Doyle Says He’ll Veto Voter Bill Voters in Wisconsin would face the nation’s strictest requirements in proving their identities before they could cast ballots under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The 21-12 vote sent the bill to Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat who said he would veto the measure he claims would... more
Apr 14, 2005 Governor: Feral Cat Plan Going Nowhere Feral felines fearing for their lives in Wisconsin got a boost Wednesday from Gov. Jim Doyle, who said a plan to allow hunters to shoot wild cats at will is dead. "I don’t think Wisconsin should become known as a state where we shoot cats," said Doyle, a Democrat who neither hunts nor owns a cat.... more
Apr 14, 2005 Senate Passes Bill Banning Minimum Wage Above $5.15 The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would wipe out Madison's minimum wage increase. The bill would ban cities from going beyond a statewide minimum wage, which is currently $5.15 an hour. Gov. Jim Doyle says he will veto the bill if it is passed by the Assembly and sent to him for... more
Apr 14, 2005 Wis. Gov. Vows Veto on Voter ID Bill Wisconsin lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would require voters to provide a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle said he would veto the measure. If the bill becomes law, Wisconsin would join South Carolina with... more
Apr 13, 2005 Doyle Budgets for Child Care System Review It's not every day that Gov. Jim Doyle is greeted by a dozen singing pre-schoolers. But the children's performance at Racine's Next Generation Now, a child care and family resource center, was a fitting welcome for Doyle on Tuesday as he announced that he had dedicated $8.5 million in his... more
Apr 13, 2005 Doyle Backs Stem Cell Use Gov. Jim Doyle, citing groundbreaking discoveries made in Wisconsin and his own mother's health issues, reaffirmed his support of embryonic stem cell research Tuesday. "Our goal in Wisconsin is to make sure we're a major player in this and that we continue to be one of the leading research... more
Apr 13, 2005 Crites Runway to Get Early Upgrade A runway upgrade at Crites Field is being cleared for takeoff earlier than planned because of $3 million in federal funding that will reduce the cost for Waukesha County taxpayers. Construction could begin as soon as this summer on rebuilding the airport's north-south runway, which is often used... more
Apr 13, 2005 UW System Mascots Join Governor for Spirit Week UW System pride will thrive statewide and during events at the Wisconsin State Capitol to mark UW Spirit Week, held the week of April 11. UW Spirit Week is an opportunity for alumni, students, parents, friends and Wisconsin citizens to celebrate campus allegiances and the university's positive... more
Apr 13, 2005 Republicans Win Victory on Voter Suppression Senate Democratic Leader Judy Robson issued the following statement regarding the 21-12 Senate vote in favor of Assembly Bill 63, requiring photo identification to vote. "Senate Republicans have begun turning back the clock on voter rights in Wisconsin. Today, it was photo ID. Tomorrow, it will... more
Apr 13, 2005 Sen. Coggs Fights Against Voter Suppression Bill Senator Spencer Coggs argued against the Republicans most recent effort to suppress the voting rights of minorities, the elderly, and students. The Photo ID Bill would require all Wisconsin citizens to present a photo ID at the polls when they cast their ballot. "This bill creates a roadblock to... more
Apr 13, 2005 Doyle Promises Veto as Senate Sends Him Voter ID Bill Voters in Wisconsin would face the nation's strictest requirements in proving their identities before they could cast ballots under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The 21-12 vote sent the bill to Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat who said he would veto the measure he claims would... more
Apr 13, 2005 Voter I.D. Bill Passes But Faces Likely Veto The State Senate passed the photo I.D. bill Wednesday and it's now heading for the Governor's desk. The bill passed on a bi-partisan 21-12 vote in the Senate, but not before some heated debate. "The photo I.D. bill before us will in effect discourage people from voting," says Sen. Judith Robson... more
Apr 13, 2005 Statement on Joint Finance Committee's Elimination of QEO from Budget Consideration Governor Jim Doyle released the following statement today regarding the Joint Finance Committee's decision to remove a provision in his budget that proposes repealing the Qualified Economic Offer. "I am very disappointed that the Republican Legislature has decided to remove my proposal for... more
Apr 13, 2005 Kind Urges Colleagues to Practice Fiscal Responsibility One Wisconsin congressman is encouraging his colleagues to save money in their offices and use it to fix the deficit. Leaving our humongous national debt in the hands of our kids and grandkids is not an option, according to U.S. Representative Ron Kind (R-LaCrosse), who says our budget deficits... more
Apr 12, 2005 Doyle Says Wisconsin's Joining Mercury Lawsuit Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday that Wisconsin will join nine other states in filing a lawsuit against the Bush administration over federal mercury reduction rules that the states said don't go far enough. Doyle said the regulations would deal Wisconsin a double whammy of health and economic... more
Apr 12, 2005 Feingold, Other Democrats Criticize Bolton Sen. Russ Feingold was among Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Monday who repeatedly criticized John Bolton, President Bush's nominee to be U.N. ambassador. Senators criticized Bolton for his role in the administration's nuclear disarmament policies and over allegations that he... more
Apr 12, 2005 City Achieves Biggest Drop in Tax Refund Loans in U.S. The use of convenient but costly "rapid refund" loans by the poor to get faster access to tax refund money declined more in Milwaukee than in any other major U.S. city, a study released today says. About 37% of Milwaukee residents who qualified for the federal earned income tax credit - a tax... more
Apr 12, 2005 Business Leaders Plan Trade Mission to China Milwaukee's business leaders have organized a pivotal trade delegation to China this year to market the city's economy and meet Chinese politicians, but it remains unclear if Mayor Tom Barrett will travel with the trade mission and represent the city. "We'd like him to come," said Ulice Payne,... more
Apr 11, 2005 DeLay Draws Fire From Fellow Republicans Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is drawing heat from some fellow Republicans who say his continuing ethics problems are harming the GOP. "Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep.... more
Apr 11, 2005 Safety vs. Independence A proposed state law requiring more frequent testing of older drivers might have helped Marge Schell a decade ago when she realized her father, then 87, shouldn't drive any longer. When Schell, 57, of Oak Creek, discovered that her father was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, she knew... more
Apr 11, 2005 DeLay Should Face Investigation Last month House Majority Leader Tom DeLay volunteered to appear before the House Ethics Committee to answer accusations that some of his overseas travel was paid for by lobbyists and foreign interests in violation of rules. The House should have taken him up on the offer. Now that further... more
Apr 11, 2005 Election Tough on School Projects Wisconsin voters rejected school referendums calling for more than $250 million in spending when they went to the polls in last week’s spring election, a newspaper reported. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday that only 12 of the 40 referendum questions before voters Tuesday were... more
Apr 11, 2005 Sierra Club Applauds Wisconsin Joining Lawsuit to Challenge Bush Administration Rule on Mercury Sierra Club joined others in Milwaukee to applaud Governor Jim Doyle announcement to approve Wisconsin’s Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager’s challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) recently announced power plant mercury rule. "Wisconsin anglers and resort owners can rest a... more
Apr 11, 2005 Doyle Authorizes State to Join Federal Mercury Lawsuit Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced his support Monday for a multistate federal lawsuit against the Bush Administration for its lax federal mercury standards. Doyle announced authorization for the state of Wisconsin to join nine other states in a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the... more
Apr 11, 2005 Democrats Seek Ethics Rule Reversal With more criticism coming Tom DeLay's way, Democrats say they'll renew pressure on House Republicans to reverse new ethics rules. They say the rules enacted over the winter were changed to protect DeLay. The House majority leader was admonished by the panel three times last year. And he's come... more
Apr 10, 2005 Doyle is Right Street Talk last month paid a visit to Gov. Jim Doyle's 2006-08 budget and chided him for using his pea-and-shell game to balance the budget. A further examination of the inches-thick budget document shows Doyle indeed has an interest in leveling that bumpy playing field of taxation. He wants to... more
Apr 10, 2005 Parents Gain With Child Care Rating System Proposal The days should draw to a close that Wisconsin lacks a detailed rating system for the quality of its child care centers. And it will happen if the state Department of Workforce Development has anything to say about it. Department Secretary Roberta Gassman has been traveling the state to bring... more
Apr 10, 2005 Santorum: DeLay Needs to Answer Questions The No. 3 Republican in the Senate said Sunday that embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay needs to answer questions about his ethics and "let the people then judge for themselves." Sen. Rick Santorum's comments seem to reflect the nervousness among congressional Republicans about the fallout... more
Apr 10, 2005 Legislature Should Pass a Minimum-Wage Law It's time for Wisconsin legislators to pass a new state minimum wage. There has been plenty of study of it, a bipartisan task force of business and labor leaders has recommended it, and state inaction has caused local governments to consider their own minimum-wage proposals. Wisconsin's minimum... more
Apr 9, 2005 Poll Suggests Public Is Souring On Bush, Congress President George W. Bush's standing with the public is slumping just three months into his final term, but Americans have an even lower regard for the job being done by Congress. Bush's job approval is at 44 percent, with 54 percent disapproving. Only 37 percent have a favorable opinion of the... more
Apr 9, 2005 State Joins Mercury Emissions Suit Wisconsin is joining a lawsuit challenging regulations issued by the federal government that critics say fail to protect children and expectant mothers from mercury emissions from power plants. Atty. Gen. Peg Lautenschlager, who testified against the rules last year during a federal hearing in... more
Apr 9, 2005 Company G. Comes Home The Golf Company Marines return home. Dignitaries, friends and families greet the 172 Marines after serving overseas for almost a year. United States Senator Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) welcomed the Marines of Company G, after having himself visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. "But the first... more
Apr 9, 2005 EPA Cancels Controversial Pesticide Study The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday canceled a controversial study using children to measure the effect of pesticides after Democrats said they would block Senate confirmation of the agency's new head. Stephen Johnson, as EPA's acting administrator, ordered an end to the planned study,... more
Apr 9, 2005 Compromise Struck Over Assembly Staffing Back in November, Assembly Speaker John Gard cited budget concerns to justify layoffs of some Assembly staffers workng for Democrats. Minority Leader Jim Kreuser says he's struck a compromise to restore the positions. "It basically goes back to . . . what it has been since at least '93," said... more
Apr 9, 2005 How About a Day Off, to Vote? Election Day a holiday? One lawmaker proposes just that. Madison Democrat, state Representative Joe Parisi, proposes presidential and gubernatorial election days in Wisconsin be declared state holidays. The rationale, says Parisi, is to free up more people to help out at the polls. College... more
Apr 9, 2005 Senate Democratic Leader Defends Judicial Nominee Filibusters The Senate's Democratic leader says it's something even kids know -- "you can't change the rules just to get your way." Harry Reid is criticizing Republicans for threatening to overhaul Senate rules to ban filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees. Democrats have used filibusters to block... more
Apr 9, 2005 Feingold Urged to Pursue Presidency While Social Security, Medicaid and the war in Iraq came up at U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold's Racine County listening session Friday afternoon, the topic that dominated the conversation was the direction of the Democratic party, of which Feingold is a member. About half of the speakers at the meeting... more
Apr 9, 2005 DOT to Review Women's Pay The state Department of Transportation plans to review the pay and promotion of women in the aftermath of controversial comments a top official made last week about female employees. At a 2 ½ hour meeting Friday with two dozen women employees, administrator Kevin Chesnik said he would form a... more
Apr 9, 2005 Governor Visits McLane Elementary, Promotes His Budget Fifth-graders Hannah Picel, Olivia Koehn, Colin Vuyk and Zach Lemke never met a governor before. They have now. The four McLane Elementary School students served as tour guides Thursday for Gov. Jim Doyle, who visited the school. "You can really sense the kind of spirit in a school when you... more
Apr 9, 2005 Doyle Plans to Cut Nursing Home Population 25 Percent There will be more than 1,400 Wisconsin people moved out of nursing homes in the state and back into the community in the next two years, if Gov. Jim Doyle has his way. Speaking at a community-based residential facility called West Park Place, 7400 W. Greenfield Ave., the governor repeated the... more
Apr 9, 2005 Marines Come Home to Heroes' Welcome in Madison For Cpl. Andy Wentworth, it was a pitcher of green beer saved from St. Patrick's Day at a favorite watering hole. For Lance Cpl. Justin Landaal, it was settling into life in Waupun with 4 1/2 -month-old son Payson, born while he was away. And for Cpl. Keegan Murphy, it was the joy of knowing that... more
Apr 8, 2005 Bush Standing With Public Weakening President Bush's standing with the public is slumping just three months into his final term, but Americans have an even lower regard for the job being done by Congress. Bush's job approval is at 44 percent, with 54 percent disapproving. Only 37 percent have a favorable opinion of the work being... more
Apr 8, 2005 Shut Pump to Automatic Gas Tax Boost Did that hole in your pocket seem a little larger when you stopped at the gas station this week? It should. Gas prices keep climbing as barrels of oil seemingly hit new price records almost weekly. The state of Wisconsin is doing you no favors, either. Its gas tax has been at or among the highest... more
Apr 8, 2005 Assembly Approves Money for UW-Rock Program UW-Rock County's chances of finally getting its engineering program advanced Thursday as the state Assembly voted 70-26 for a bill to fund it. The bill still faces two major hurdles: the state Senate and Gov. Jim Doyle, who has vetoed it twice before. The bill would pay for a four-year degree in... more
Apr 8, 2005 Partner Benefits 'an Issue of Principle' University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John Wiley says he doesn't believe state lawmakers when they cite financial reasons as the cause for denying domestic partner benefits. Late last month, Republican Reps. Dean Kaufert of Neenah and David Ward of Fort Atkinson said the state could not... more
Apr 8, 2005 Feingold will be in NFdL Sen. Russ Feingold will be conducting a listening session for Fond du Lac County residents at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16. The hour-long session will be held at the North Fond du Lac Community Center, 280 Garfield St. in North Fond du Lac. Feingold was re-elected in 2004. Each year, he visits... more
Apr 8, 2005 Mayor: City to Pay to Move Railroad Line Sweeping away the major obstacle to a new east side central park, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz promised Thursday night that the city would pay for the relocation of railroad lines in the East Rail Corridor. U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, has secured $3.5 million toward the relocation in the federal... more
Apr 8, 2005 'Central Park' Project to Get City Money Madison will spend city money to relocate railroad tracks running through the site of a proposed "Central Park" on Madison's near East side, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said Thursday night, although much of the park does not fall within the boundaries of a tax incremental finance district he hopes to... more
Apr 8, 2005 Alterra, Sportsites to Receive $600,000 for Site Cleanups Two Milwaukee-area businesses will share $600,000 in state grants to finance the cleanup of environmentally contaminated sites for redevelopment. Alterra Coffee Roasters will receive a $350,000 brownfields grant from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for an expansion of its business in... more
Apr 8, 2005 Doyle to Name DRL Secretary Today Gov. Jim Doyle will hold a 1:30 p.m. press conference in his office today to announce the appointment of Celia Jackson as secretary of the Department of Regulation and Licensing. Jackson is a Milwaukee native who earned a law degree from UW-Madison. After a stint as an assistant district... more
Apr 7, 2005 Drug Discounts Draw 1,014 Participants Wisconsin residents quickly embraced a new state prescription drug program, with 1,014 signing up for the benefit during the program's first three days, Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday. Doyle last week launched BadgerRx Gold, a program offered by the state to allow participants to receive discounts... more
Apr 7, 2005 Better SAFE than Sorry Patriot Act The most underreported political story of recent years has been that of the grass-roots revolt against the Patriot Act. In an unprecedented show of opposition to the Bush administration's assaults on basic liberties, five states and 372 counties, cities, villages and towns have passed... more
Apr 7, 2005 State Senate Democrats Rip Bush Social Security Plan You could see an increase in Wisconsin taxes and fewer state programs if President Bush's plans to change Social Security are approved, Senate Democrats warned Wednesday. "This plan will put more of Wisconsin's elderly into poverty, and it will increase the cost of taxpayer-funded social... more
Apr 7, 2005 TABOR Will Be Introduced Again Wisconsin lawmakers could soon have another version of a Taxpayers Bill of Rights to consider. State Representative Frank Lasee (R-Green Bay) says he's planning to revive TABOR on April 15th, which is tax day. The Green Bay Republican says he's trying to address concerns with previous versions of... more
Apr 7, 2005 State Senate Dems Denounce Social Security Privitization State Senate Democrats fear Social Security privatization will leave the state holding the bag. Senate Minority Leader Judy Robson made the pitch at a Capitol press conference; the president's plan will end up hurting Wisconsin. "We will be forced to cut more programs, or we will forced to... more
Apr 7, 2005 Doyle Lauds His Budget Plan Gov. Jim Doyle visited the School District's oldest elementary school Thursday to tout his state budget plan and warn that a measure backed by Republicans could harm public schools. "You can either have a freeze that funds education," he said of his own version of a property tax "freeze," "or you... more
Apr 7, 2005 Doyle Touts Training Plan Using Kerry Americas as a backdrop, Gov. Jim Doyle urged legislators to help bring jobs to needed areas and boost employee training by approving $10 million in budget proposals he announced earlier this year. The first proposal includes $5 million in worker training initiatives, including working... more
Apr 7, 2005 Doyle Vows 'Responsible' Decision on Beloit Casino Gov. Jim Doyle has not been able to stop in Beloit in recent years without being asked about a proposed casino project set in the city. Wednesday would be no different. After promoting a $10 million budget proposal to improve worker training and assist high unemployment areas during a visit to... more
Apr 6, 2005 Burmaster Defeats Underheim for State School Superintendent Incumbent Elizabeth Burmaster defeated state Rep. Gregg Underheim (R-Oshkosh) in the statewide general election for superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Tuesday. With 99% of the precincts reporting, Burmaster had 62% of the vote, compared to just 38% for Underheim. The... more
Apr 6, 2005 Democratic Party's First Foray Into City Council Races Successful The new contender in City Council elections pulled off an impressive debut. The Dane County Democratic Party chalked up victories in four races where it backed candidates in the nominally nonpartisan elections, including three where its primary competition was Progressive Dane. Incumbents Austin... more
Apr 6, 2005 Democrats Launch Ads Blasting Voter ID Bill Democrats unveiled an ad campaign Tuesday accusing Republicans of trying to disenfranchise the poor and elderly in Wisconsin with a bill requiring voters to show identification before casting ballots. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin said it will begin running radio ads in Milwaukee later this... more
Apr 6, 2005 Find Ways to Increase Energy Efficiency in State of Wisconsin What comes to mind when you flip on a light switch? Do you think of mercury contamination in our waters? Global warming? Winter smog warnings? How about 70,000 metric tons of radioactive nuclear waste being transported across the nation to be buried at Yucca Mountain? When faced with all of this,... more
Apr 6, 2005 Kind Returns From China Trip Congressman Ron Kind (D-Wis.) recently took a 10 day tour in China to learn more about the country's higher education system and other pressing issues. During the trip Kind traveled with other members of the House of Education and Workforce Committee to study how China invests in math, science... more
Apr 6, 2005 Obey's Portrait Unveiled in House Office Building They came for the hanging of a portrait and got a political roast as well. About 100 well-wishers gathered Tuesday in the meeting room of the House Appropriations Committee for the unveiling of the official portrait of Rep. David Obey as a former committee chairman. Former House Speaker Tom... more
Apr 6, 2005 Patriot Act Under Review Revisiting a landmark law enacted six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress embarked on a long debate Tuesday over the expanded police and surveillance powers of the USA Patriot Act. Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director... more
Apr 6, 2005 Burmaster Wins a Second Term as State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster has wrapped up another term as Wisconsin's top education official. Now it's time to get back to work lobbying lawmakers to approve an infusion of cash for public schools to help hold down property taxes. Burmaster overwhelmingly won re-election Tuesday night to her post as... more
Apr 6, 2005 Opinion on Pill Reasonable Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager's opinion that any legislation that would ban the University of Wisconsin System from advocating the use of emergency contraception or providing it to students would be unconstitutional has, not surprisingly, touched off a controversy in the Capitol. But that... more
Apr 6, 2005 Proposed Ban on Emergency Contraception Likely Unconstitutional A proposal to prohibit the University of Wisconsin System from distributing emergency contraception to students, known as the morning after pill, would be unconstitutional on several fronts, the attorney general said Tuesday. Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager issued an informal opinion that... more
Apr 6, 2005 GOP Support Builds for Tax Hike There's a one dollar tax increase which some Republicans in the Legislature have found they can support. That would be hiking the state tax on a pack of cigarettes. The first fifteen million dollars raised would go to Tobacco Control grants, with any additional revenue going to the state's... more
Apr 6, 2005 Dems Raise the Alarm About a GOP Voting Threat Democrats kicked off a new website (protectmyvote.org) on election day, while beginning a run of radio ads -- all aimed at what the party calls education about the threat from the Republicans' voter photo ID bill. That legislation is now making some progress at the state Capitol. Democratic party... more
Apr 6, 2005 Doyle Proposes $1.1M for College Degree Initiative Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is proposing $1.1 million in his state budget to begin statewide implementation of recommendations to increase the number of people with baccalaureate degrees in the state. The funds will go the the University of Wisconsin System, but the program will require the... more
Apr 6, 2005 Lawmakers Unveil Plan To Raise Cigarette Tax $1 Per Pack A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to raise the state's cigarette tax by $1 a pack. The increase would raise the average cost of cigarettes in Wisconsin to $5 per pack and give Wisconsin one of the highest cigarette taxes in the country. But a top aide to Gov. Jim Doyle and key lawmakers said... more
Apr 6, 2005 Midwest Telecom Conference to Push Government Cooperation Bringing together state and national governments will be the focus of the eighth annual Midwestern Telecommunications and Technology Conference, held April 12 at Marquette University in Milwaukee. The conference, titled "Regional Cooperation and Innovation", focuses on bringing different... more
Apr 6, 2005 Doyle's Top Aide Affirms Opposition To Cigarette Tax Hike Under questioning from State Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R - Juneau), co-chair of the legislature's Joint Committee on Finance, Marc Marotta, Secretary of the state's Department of Administration and top advisor to Governor Jim Doyle, reiterated that the Doyle administration does not support an... more
Apr 6, 2005 Madison Biotechs Get Commerce Grants Governor Doyle announced Tuesday that two Dane county businesses will receive funding for their technology development projects through the Department of Commerce Technology Assistance Grant program. BioSystem Development LLC of Middleton, will receive $11,250 to assist in its development of... more
Apr 5, 2005 DPW Launches Effort to Protect Citizens' Right to Vote The Democratic Party of Wisconsin today launched a significant effort to inform Wisconsin citizens about the increasing threat to their right to vote from Republicans in the Legislature. The Party is launching a new website, www.protectmyvote.org, that features new radio ads on the Voter ID... more
Apr 5, 2005 Falk: 'I Want Government to be Better Than It Is' When Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk says she wishes there were more than 24 hours in a day, she means it. The 53-year-old leader of county government loves going to her fourth floor office in the City-County Building every day, trying to better the lives of the 460,000 residents who call... more
Apr 5, 2005 Kind: China Seeking Superpower Status China is making impressive strides in higher education, but it still faces great challenges, said U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse. Kind recently returned from a 10-day Congressional trip to visit universities in Beijing, Shanghai and the rural Xian province. "China wants to be able to compete as... more
Apr 5, 2005 Feingold Stops to Listen in Valders Russ Feingold made the commitment when he first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992. He said he would hold open meetings in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties each year to listen to people's concerns and answer their questions. Manitowoc was the 19th county Feingold has visited in 2005. On Monday... more
Apr 5, 2005 Feingold Seen as a Swing Vote for U.N. Post The United States' simmering attitudes towards the United Nations are coming to a boil this month, and Racine County's battleground role in the national drama feels like a little bit of history repeating. John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, was... more
Apr 5, 2005 Research Help Advances 'Super' Tax Credit Backed A $10 million "super" research tax credit for corporations was advanced today by the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee. The vote was 9-6. Action came despite the lack of a public hearing on the measure, with state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, saying it "seems odd to do outside the (regular)... more
Apr 5, 2005 U.S. Sen. Feingold: Statement on The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act of 2005 I am very pleased to join my colleagues in the reintroduction of the SAFE Act. Senator Craig and Senator Durbin, thank you for your commitment to these important issues. When I decided to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001, I never could have imagined that as we embark on the... more
Apr 5, 2005 Senate Dems Elect Mark Miller as Caucus Vice Chair Senate Democrats today elected Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona) as caucus vice chair, a position that was previously unfilled. "Senator Miller is a dependable, invaluable member of the Senate who is a proven leader on many fronts. I welcome him to the leadership team in an official capacity," Robson... more
Apr 5, 2005 State Superintendent Burmaster Defeats Underheim Elizabeth Burmaster has won a second term as Wisconsin's top education official. With 2,513 of 3,536 precincts reporting, Burmaster led with 62 percent. Her challenger, Republican lawmaker Gregg Underheim, trailed with 38 percent. Burmaster's victory gives her another four-year term as the... more
Apr 5, 2005 Burmaster Wins Second Term Incumbent State Supt. Libby Burmaster won re-election easily over challenger Gregg Underheim Tuesday night, taking an estimated 62 percent of the vote with 82 percent of precincts reporting. Burmaster celebrated her victory at Madison's, just off Capitol Square. With the election out of the way,... more
Apr 5, 2005 Senate Votes to Scale Back SAGE The state Senate on Tuesday voted to let the 227 school districts participating in a program that subsidizes small class sizes offer it in only kindergarten and first grade, cutting in half the current four-year requirement. If the change, passed 19-14, becomes law, it would be the first... more
Apr 5, 2005 Let Felons Who Are Free Have Their Vote The law that says felons can't vote goes way back to the dawn of Wisconsin statehood, and you know how wise everyone was back then. In those days, felons were lumped in with other groups who apparently couldn't be trusted to pick our leaders. Women, for instance. And most non-whites. And... more
Apr 5, 2005 Still No To Concealed-Carry "If I'm sitting in a room with 10 people, and they don't have guns, I feel safer." - Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Nov. 7, 2003 Some gun advocates are trying to turn public alarm over an uptick in mass shootings around the nation into support... more
Apr 5, 2005 WI First Lady Promotes Early Childhood Education We always hear how the first years of a child's life are the most important ones. It is especially important to keep that in mind this week. To celebrate the “Week of the Young Child,” Governor Doyle has proposed a budget initiative titled “Quality Care for Quality Kids.” The initiative is now... more
Apr 4, 2005 Ex-candidate Tells Wisconsin Democrats He's Focused on Poverty Former Sen. John Edwards tried to keep the spotlight off politics and on his campaign to fight poverty as he visited Wisconsin and spoke to state Democrats on the weekend. The former vice presidential candidate's new endeavor follows his campaign speeches last year about the existence of "two... more
Apr 4, 2005 Harder to Afford... Congressman Kind Speaks About Efforts to Expand Higher Education Act Wisconsin Third District Congressman Ron Kind made a tour of Wisconsin colleges and universities this week talking with students and faculty about the Higher Education Act (HEA) and what he would like to make higher education possible for more people. UW-Stout was one of his stops where... more
Apr 4, 2005 Dems' Filibustering Serves a Majority Conservative members of the U.S. Senate, who used the filibuster throughout the 20th century to block everything from civil rights legislation to presidential appointments they didn't like, are outraged now that Democrats are using it to prevent confirmation of some of President Bush's more... more
Apr 4, 2005 Governor Fights to Keep Fort McCoy The Pentagon is looking at closing military bases around the country as a cost-savings measure. A nine person commission in Washington will advise Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on which bases to close. While Fort McCoy boasted a 27 percent economic impact gain over last year and has invested... more
Apr 4, 2005 Lautenschlager Works to Energize Campaign Her treatment for breast cancer completed, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager is trying to shore up her political base to run in 2006 - a re-election campaign that even her friends say will be an uphill fight because of her drunken driving conviction. Lautenschlager has hired a campaign manager,... more
Apr 4, 2005 More Funding for Alzheimer's Research Researchers and lawmakers are joining together to support additional funding for Alzheimer's research. Governor Jim Doyle has proposed spending $3 million in the next budget to support Alzheimer's research at the University of Wisconsin. Currently, 116,000 Wisconsin residents are affected by... more
Apr 3, 2005 Edwards Rallies Democrats in Milwaukee A possible '08 presidential candidate told Wisconsin Democrats on Saturday night that those who say Democrats have lost their way are "dead wrong.'' “There are a lot of people who say that the Democrats have lost their way,” said 2004 vice presidential candidate John Edwards, the featured guest... more
Apr 3, 2005 Few Will Answer School Election's Bell The differences are so sharp, the issues are so important - in Tuesday's election, Wisconsin voters will face a choice for state superintendent of public instruction that is almost like a referendum on what path schools and school spending should take in coming years. The job of state... more
Apr 3, 2005 Drug Plan Only a Start to Dealing With Health Costs Let's hear a round of applause for the Doyle administration's opening of the state pharmacy plan to private companies last year and to uninsured individuals this year. But let's also be aware that these are baby steps on what needs to done about the health care hyper-inflation in the public and... more
Apr 3, 2005 Edwards Back in Wisconsin Although many onlookers saw John Edwards' Saturday visit to Wisconsin as a harbinger of a presidential run, the former vice presidential candidate deflected most talk of his political past and future, instead sticking to his post-election stump speech on the ills of poverty. He criticized those... more
Apr 3, 2005 Democrats Hit Road in Social Security War Just five months after the presidential election, Democratic lawmakers are traveling throughout the country to campaign anew against President Bush and his agenda. This time, though, the stakes are the future of Social Security rather than control of the White House. The battle over... more
Apr 3, 2005 Editorial: Election Reform a Must Gov. Jim Doyle's election reform proposals represent a major step forward, though there may be room for improvement. The governor's proposal, unveiled Friday, would make it harder for felons to vote, increase early voting options, require beefed-up training for poll workers and mandatory training... more
Apr 3, 2005 State Superintendent: Burmaster Elizabeth Burmaster deserves another term as state superintendent of public instruction. In her first four years in office, she has demonstrated that she understands the state's schools can no longer conduct business as they have in the past. Her support for innovative online education,... more
Apr 3, 2005 Uninsured Get Chance for Purchasing Power It's the right Rx. The state of Wisconsin Thursday opened the doors to lower prescription costs for those state residents who don't have health insurance or a prescription benefit plan. By some estimates that will mean one in six state residents who previously didn't have access to such plans... more
Apr 3, 2005 Recognition for Madison's 115th Fighter Wing Local, state, and federal officials recognize Madison's 115th Fighter Wing for a job well done. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, and State Senator Mark Miller were among those who thanked the unit's 1,000 airmen and women Sunday for their service during the last year. More... more
Apr 2, 2005 Doyle Unveils Election Fixes Although Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled an election reform plan Friday filled with some pieces most everyone can agree on, such as safeguards against ineligible felons voting, the most intense debate ahead will be over what is not in the package. Doyle's plan was embraced quickly by Democrats and can be... more
Apr 2, 2005 State Springs Back on Political Stage With visits by John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton this month, Wisconsin Democrats are about to get a large and early dose of presidential politics, roughly three years before the state's 2008 presidential primary. Edwards, the party's vice presidential candidate in 2004, will appear in... more
Apr 2, 2005 Governor Doyle Proposes Plan to Keep Felons From Voting Governor Doyle today unveiled proposals designed to keep felons serving time from voting and prevent other forms of voter fraud. His plan does not include a bill backed by Republicans that would require voters to present photo I-D before voting. Doyle said his plan includes distributing to voting... more
Apr 2, 2005 Doyle Proposes Election Reforms Last November 75% of eligible voters cast a ballot in Wisconsin. But that was overshadowed by the number of election day problems. Friday, Governor Doyle laid out a list of reforms he says will ensure election are effective and efficient. "These reforms work to encourage not discourage... more
Apr 1, 2005 Governor Touts New Drug Card Wisconsin residents can now cash in on the same drug discounts state employees receive. Gov. Jim Doyle visited a La Crosse pharmacy Thursday to announce a new drug card that promises to save state residents 25 percent to 40 percent on prescriptions. more
Apr 1, 2005 Rob Zaleski: Not All of Door County is Bush Red As I mentioned in this space a few months ago, one of my biggest disappointments from the November election was finding out that Door County was among the 46 Wisconsin counties that went for George W. Not by much, mind you - a mere 543 votes. And not that this was a shocker considering that Door... more
Apr 1, 2005 Kind Urges Students to Ask for Education Funds U.S. Rep. Ron Kind encouraged students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Thursday to petition state and federal lawmakers for improvements to higher education. While speaking to about 40 students in the Cartwright Center, he said he is concerned the country is "losing our way when it... more
Apr 1, 2005 Governor's Proposals Aim to Prevent Election Fraud Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled a package of proposals Friday designed to keep ineligible felons from voting and prevent other forms of voter fraud, but not including a bill backed by Republicans that would require photo identification to vote. Doyle's proposals are aimed at improving operations at the... more
Apr 1, 2005 Governor's Proposals Aim To Prevent Election Fraud Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled a package of proposals Friday designed to keep ineligible felons from voting and prevent other forms of voter fraud, but not including a bill backed by Republicans that would require photo identification to vote. Doyle's proposals are aimed at improving operations at... more
Apr 1, 2005 McCain Disagrees With DeLay's Characterization of Federal Judges Senator John McCain says he doesn't agree with another leading Republican's view that federal judges are "arrogant" and "out of control." After Terri Schiavo died yesterday, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay complained that the judiciary is thumbing its nose at Congress and the president. DeLay had... more
Mar 31, 2005 State Prescription Drug Plan Expanding Starting today, Wisconsin residents who lack access to affordable prescription drugs can enroll in a state purchasing pool to buy medications at lower prices. The state's BadgerRx Gold Card should help lower prescription costs for those who don't have any health insurance, those who don't have a... more
Mar 31, 2005 Health Care Conscience Bill Blasted at Hearing A tough Conscience Protection Act, promoted by abortion foes as the most comprehensive in the nation, ran into sharp criticism today at an Assembly hearing. In prepared remarks, Judith Hartig-Osanka, state chairwoman of Republicans for Choice, assailed the measure that would prohibit health care... more
Mar 31, 2005 Doyle Wants State to Rate Child Care Centers hild care providers across Sauk County could be affected by Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to rate them, and they hope to find out exactly how. Doyle's plan to rate child care centers' quality according to a five-star system - and allocate state subsidies accordingly - will be the subject of an... more
Mar 31, 2005 Bush Cuts Grants, Students Pay The administration's recent cuts to federal financial aid for higher education send a clear message to students: When it comes to paying for college, don't count on Pell Grants. College students know better than anyone how important Pell Grants can be when it comes to paying for college-Pell is... more
Mar 31, 2005 Generations Clash on Social Security at Campus Forum A debate over Social Security on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus pitted old against young and a politically progressive congresswoman against a group of students largely in favor of private accounts. "We have a surplus. We have more money to play with," said Brett Magaram, 21, a UW... more
Mar 31, 2005 Students Have Vested Interest in Social Security, Baldwin Says U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D- Madison, held an open discussion for students Wednesday night to touch on the Social Security debate and encourage students to get involved. Baldwin talked about the stock market crashing in 1929 and how many people had already invested money in the market with hopes... more
Mar 31, 2005 Wisconsin Prescription Drug Plan Expanding Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle announced a state program Thursday offering lower costs for many selected medications monitored for safety and effectiveness by a team of Wisconsin physicians and pharmacists. Doyle and Allan Zimmerman, president and chief executive officer of Navitus Health Solutions based... more
Mar 31, 2005 Lampert Smith: Kill the Conscience Protection Bill Want to die like Terri Schiavo - with Jesse Jackson, the media horde, the spokespeople and the protesters hollering outside your window? Me neither. But your death could become all about other people's beliefs and politics under the so-called Conscience Protection Bill that has again reared its... more
Mar 31, 2005 Students Face Higher Costs for College College students need to study up on their finances. The average graduate finishes school $16,000 in debt and it could get worse. That's why Congressman Ron Kind met with UW-Eau Claire students on Wednesday. He was there to talk about the Higher Education Act. Congress is considering... more
Mar 31, 2005 Culture of Life Doesn't Square with Anti-Tax Movement Medicaid. It's the word that's generally omitted during the debate over Terri Schiavo, but it's inseparable from the "culture of life." Just ask the mother of six-month-old Sun Hudson. Sun Hudson's name flies beneath the political radar, even though his case is eerily similar to Schiavo's. On... more
Mar 31, 2005 Southern Strategy for Feingold What is Russ Feingold doing deep in the heart of Bush Country? Running for president? "I really don't know, and I'm not going to worry about it," Feingold told the Montgomery Advertiser on Tuesday when the newspaper asked him about 2008. Plunging into a national debate over his party's future?... more
Mar 31, 2005 Doyle Announces New Low-Cost Drug Plan Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday that a program that offers lower costs for certain drugs for state employees would be extended to all state residents. The savings resulting from buying certain drugs in bulk saved the state $25 million in the first year of the program, called Badger RX Gold. Now... more
Mar 31, 2005 Prescription Plan to be Expanded Wisconsin residents who lack access to affordable prescription drugs will be able to enroll in a state purchasing pool to buy medications at lower prices, a newspaper reported today. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said the BadgerRX Gold Card program will be available to individuals for a $25... more
Mar 31, 2005 Doyle Budget Would Double Leave For Mothers On 'Welfare To Work' Gov. Jim Doyle's budget would let new mothers in the state's Welfare to Work program stay at home with their newborns for six months. Roberta Gassman is the secretary of the Department of Workforce Development. She told the budget committee this week that the plan is in the best interests of... more
Mar 31, 2005 Doyle Brings $500,000 Loan to Spur Jobs Neal Verfuerth believes his company will double its sales of energy efficient lighting products in 2005. He is willing to put a lot of money behind his prediction. “My wife and I are on the hook for $10 million,” said Verfuerth, president of Orion Energy Services, of his personal investment in... more
Mar 31, 2005 Social Security: Honoring Mother, Father and the Least of These "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' - this is the first commandment with a promise: 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.'" (Ephesians 6:1-3) According to the Social Security Administration, the main purposes... more
Mar 31, 2005 Social Security Plan Meets Doubt in Iowa Two key GOP lawmakers who joined President Bush on Wednesday as he pitched restructuring Social Security said that Bush has failed to sell the American people on his plan to change the 70-year-old federal retirement system. "Today, the public has not found his personal account approach... more
Mar 31, 2005 Study Faults Army Vehicle The Army has deployed a new troop transport vehicle in Iraq with many defects, putting troops there at unexpected risk from rocket-propelled grenades and raising questions about the vehicle's development and $11 billion cost, according to a detailed critique in a classified Army study obtained by... more
Mar 31, 2005 WMD Commission Releases Scathing Report America's spy agencies were "dead wrong" in most prewar assessments about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and know disturbingly little about current nuclear threats, a presidential commission said Thursday. "Our collection agencies are often unable to gather intelligence on the very things we... more
Mar 31, 2005 Conscience Clause Bill Gets Hearing An Assembly Committee heard testimony Wednesday on so called "conscience clause" legislation. Current law protects healthcare professionals who don't want to perform abortions or sterilizations on moral or religious grounds. This new bill expands the protection to six more activities. UW Madison... more
Mar 31, 2005 New State Pollution Rules Prompt Outrage Some campaign finance and environmental groups say "corruption" at the state Capitol reached a new level Wednesday as an air pollution bill was slipped into a public hearing with little notice. The co-author of the new bill says it's just a technical clarification on how to streamline air... more
Mar 31, 2005 Burmaster Has Vision to Lead State's Education Elizabeth Burmaster deserves another four years as superintendent of the state Department of Public Instruction. Her opponent, Gregg Underheim, has served the Oshkosh area in the Assembly since 1987. He has interesting ideas, but we question his motives for running and qualifications. more
Mar 31, 2005 Red Ribbon Affair: Lawton is Helping With Effort vs. AIDS AIDS Network clients may not have jobs or access to transportation to see a physician. Some may not even have a doctor. Others lack food, shelter and other necessities. Barbara Lawton has some big shoes to fill. Wisconsin's lieutenant governor is going on the auction block Friday night at the... more
Mar 31, 2005 Stem Cell Triumph In a significant victory for science, the Massachusetts state Senate yesterday overwhelmingly passed a bill which would give scientists more freedom in conducting stem cell research. The legislation, proposed by Massachusetts Senate President Robert Travaglini, would promote stem cell research in... more
Mar 30, 2005 Doyle Details 3M Environmental Agreement Governor Jim Doyle announced Tuesday morning the details of a new Environmental Cooperative Agreement with 3M that allows the company to meet environmental standards that exceed state requirements and receive regulatory flexibility from the Department of Natural Resources. Also on hand was former... more
Mar 30, 2005 UW-Whitewater May Get New Building Under Budget Proposal A UW-Whitewater building project might be in business. The College of Business and Economics would get a new building under a capital budget proposal the state Building Commission approved March 18. The capital budget, one slice of Gov. Jim Doyle's 2005-07 state budget, will move next to the... more
Mar 30, 2005 AARP Leads With Wallet In Fight Over Social Security In the punch-for-punch debate over Social Security, AARP is working hard to keep the White House on the ropes. When President Bush arrives in Iowa today to talk up his private-accounts proposal, the senior citizens group plans to counter him with two news conferences, the release of a national... more
Mar 30, 2005 Liberals To Target DeLay In Ads Democratic officials and a well-funded liberal advocacy group said yesterday that they will try to capitalize on the new visibility of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) by casting him as a symbol of Republican excess, as critics once did with former House speaker Newt Gingrich. Democratic... more
Mar 30, 2005 Three Were Told to Leave Bush Town Meeting Three Denver residents yesterday charged that they were forcibly removed from one of President Bush's town meetings on Social Security because they displayed a bumper sticker on their car condemning the administration's Middle East policies. The three, all self-described progressives who oppose... more
Mar 30, 2005 Partner Benefit Hopes Wane After Rejection UW System Board of Regents' request to include $1 million for domestic partner benefits of system employees suffered a large blow Tuesday when the state's Joint Committee on Finance recommended against including such funds in the state's 2005-'07 budget. "It is impossible to think of extending... more
Mar 30, 2005 Doyle Vows to "Save" K4, Restore Two Thirds Funding Gov. Jim Doyle came to Willow Springs Learning Center last Wednesday with a vow to save 4-year-old kindergarten and to restore the state's commitment to two-thirds funding of public education. In a speech that closed his March 23 visit, Doyle said his dispute with the Republican-controlled state... more
Mar 30, 2005 Governor's Wife Brings Fun to Education, Reading Learning can be fun, Ben Franklin Junior High students say, when paired with a trivia contest and prizes. "They help us learn about history and other events," 12-year-old Tyler Karcheski said. "They're more fun. You learn better when you're in a good mood." Wisconsin First Lady Jessica Doyle has... more
Mar 29, 2005 Bill Would Double Mental Health, Substance Abuse Coverage A bill in the state Assembly would more than double the minimum amount of coverage that group health insurance plans must provide for mental health and substance abuse treatment. The bill's backers say it is a long-overdue step to bring the minimum coverage closer to the true cost of treatment.... more
Mar 29, 2005 Conservatives Splitting on Social Security Under Bush's approach, personal accounts "are complicated," wrote Alex J. Pollock, a finance expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, in a paper he will present at AEI today. "To many people, they are downright confusing and even frightening, and they require diverting a portion... more
Mar 29, 2005 Medicare Applications Sent to Low-Income Americans The Bush administration said Monday that it had sent the first of some 20 million applications to low-income people who might qualify for financial assistance with Medicare's new prescription drug benefit. But lawyers and other advocates for low-income people said the form was so complex that... more
Mar 29, 2005 Governor Announces Another 38 Dairy Team Grants isconsin Governor Jim Doyle is providing another 38 state dairy operations with over $172,000 in Grow Wisconsin Dairy Team grants to implement their farm modernization plans and increase the state's milk production. According to Doyle, the state's $20 billion dairy industry depends on our... more
Mar 29, 2005 Alabama Welcomes Feingold U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, a Democrat who drew fire for comments about Greenville last year, returned to a warm reception Monday, saying he saw "a wonderful community" instead of one marked by poverty. Feingold, a possible Democratic presidential candidate, offered no apology for the... more
Mar 29, 2005 Kohl Touts Value of Strong Dairy Industry A strong dairy industry is crucial to the state of Wisconsin and county of Manitowoc, U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl told a luncheon audience at the Inn on Maritime Bay on Monday. “Rural America needs help. If we didn’t have any kind of farm bill there would be even more poverty, more people driven out of... more
Mar 28, 2005 Keep Libby Burmaster State Superintendent of Public Instruction Libby Burmaster occupies the top education policy and service post in Wisconsin, and she has done much to make the Department of Public Instruction a more effective ally of local school districts, educators and parents. But Burmaster has been more than... more
Mar 28, 2005 Governor Jim Doyle Opens Paper Discovery Center The Paper Discovery Center in Appleton had its grand opening celebration Monday. Governor Jim Doyle was the ceremonial ribbon-cutter. The discovery center looks at the importance of paper to Wisconsin's economy. The industry predates Wisconsin statehood. more
Mar 28, 2005 Doyle Announces $1.7 Million in Redevelopment Grants Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle on Monday awarded $1.7 million in grants through the Department of Natural Resources to assess contamination at abandoned or underused properties in 31 communities across the state. The grants are designed to lead to the cleanup and safe reuse of those properties,... more
Mar 28, 2005 59 American Ex-Diplomats Oppose Bolton Challenging the White House, 59 former American diplomats are urging the Senate to reject John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. "He is the wrong man for this position," they said in a letter to Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations... more
Mar 28, 2005 Officials Rip Bush Plan to Cut Cash for Cops Dane County law enforcement officials are joining others nationwide in criticizing President Bush's proposal to eliminate a grant program they say has been a key funding source for hiring officers and improving technology when budgets are tight. "I think it's a mistake to eliminate it," Madison... more
Mar 28, 2005 Burmaster Emphasizes Ensemble Effort in Education Jane Belmore remembers almost 30 years ago, when she and Elizabeth Burmaster were young teachers at Sennett Middle School in Madison, Burmaster teaching music and Belmore teaching special education students. Burmaster decided to put on a musical. She recruited Belmore to get her students... more
Mar 28, 2005 Doyle Wants to Boost UW Benefits Karen Ryker is a star theater professor who wins praise for her teaching of Shakespeare’s plays. Larry Wu is a professor of sociology who generates millions of dollars in research funding. And Christine Saulnier is a talented academic more
Mar 28, 2005 Institute Moves Closer to Reality The proposed Wisconsin Institute of Discovery took another step toward becoming a reality on the UW-Madison campus March 18 when the state's Building Commission voted 7-1 to finance the project. "The commission's foresight, and that of the governor and key lawmakers, will keep the university in... more
Mar 28, 2005 U.S. to Sell F-16s to Pakistan President Bush rewarded a key ally in the war on terrorism Friday by authorizing the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, a move that reversed 15 years of policy begun under his father and that India warned would destabilize the volatile region. The United States barred the sale of F-16s to... more
Mar 28, 2005 Schiavo Case Tests Priorities Of GOP A week after their unprecedented intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, Republican congressional leaders find themselves in a moral and political thicket, having advanced the cause as a right-to-life issue -- only to confront polls showing that the public does not see it that way. "How deep is... more
Mar 27, 2005 Wisconsin Loses Gay Faculty Over Benefits Policy Karen Ryker is a star theater professor who wins praise for her teaching of Shakespeare's plays. Larry Wu is a professor of sociology who generates millions of dollars in research funding. And Christine Saulnier is a talented academic administrator. All three openly gay scholars left the... more
Mar 27, 2005 Health Care Worries Dampen Optimism About State's Future Addressing a large group of Brookfield- and Milwaukee-area business people, Gov. Jim Doyle last week was upbeat about the state's economy and our ability to compete in the global marketplace. Recently returned from a trade mission to Mexico - accompanied by, among other people, Anselmo... more
Mar 27, 2005 Gov. Doyle Announces Fleet Reduction Governor Jim Doyle announced today that his Fleet Reduction Initiative has returned Wisconsin's state car fleet to 1994 levels and turned back the clock on years of wasteful spending. Accomplished through a series of public auctions and sales, the reduction eliminated underutilized and older... more
Mar 27, 2005 Battle on Judges May Get Nasty Amid an escalating war over judges, Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold are defending the right of Democrats to block floor votes on some of President Bush's judicial nominees, saying it's the only way for their party to have a voice in the process. "Does the country really believe the... more
Mar 27, 2005 Statement from Senator Lena Taylor on GOP Voter ID Restrictions "The Republican Party of Wisconsin is using exaggerated claims, misinformation and outright lies in an attempt to scare residents into believing that our elections are somehow fraudulent. The GOP accusations disguise their hidden agenda, and are an insult to the citizens who volunteer their time... more
Mar 26, 2005 There Shouldn't be a Law Against Good Citizenship Finally someone has identified a voting problem we can do something about. Even though the media have gone berserk since the presidential election trying to justify inflammatory Republican Party claims of vote fraud in Milwaukee, they have failed to identify a single fraudulent vote. more
Mar 26, 2005 Burmaster, Underheim Square Off for State School Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster believes in balancing fiscal responsibility with delivering a quality education. Gregg Underheim believes a quality education can be delivered more cost effectively. Both are paying plenty of attention to how much Wisconsin spends on public schools in their campaigns for... more
Mar 26, 2005 Polls Show President's Approval Rate Slipping Two national polls are showing some slippage in President George W. Bush's job approval ratings. A CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Thursday shows that Bush's approval slipped from 52 percent among those surveyed to 45 percent in recent days. CBS News numbers released earlier in the week had... more
Mar 26, 2005 State HIV Cases on the Rise More than 400 new cases of the virus that causes AIDS were reported in Wisconsin last year, the largest increase since 1997, a state agency says. A report from the state Department of Health and Family Services said the new cases of HIV infection increased from 364 in 2003 to 417 in 2004, a rise... more
Mar 25, 2005 Poll Suggests Rural America Has Electoral, but not Legislative, Clout Rural Americans, particularly those in Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio, decided the 2004 presidential election, but also highlighted the widening gulf between Republican red and Democratic blue states, two pollsters said Tuesday. President Bush and Sen. John Kerry waged an all-out, sometimes seesaw... more
Mar 25, 2005 Report Emphasizes Shortfall in Medicare The two independent trustees overseeing Social Security and Medicare broke with the Bush administration's trustees yesterday, saying Medicare's financial problems far exceed Social Security's and are in urgent need of attention. Republican Thomas R. Saving and Democrat John L. Palmer said Social... more
Mar 25, 2005 Poll Shows Drop in State Support for Bush Social Security Plan Support appears to be dropping in Wisconsin for President Bush's plan to allow workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in private investment accounts, a poll released Wednesday showed. The latest Badger poll said 44 percent of those surveyed this month supported the president's... more
Mar 25, 2005 Kohl Extends Hunger Task Force, Cheese Project The U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to extend the waiver needed by Hunger Task Force, Inc. to continue a successful pilot project to convert government provided dry milk into mozzarella cheese used by local food pantries and shelters. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, who is the senior Democrat... more
Mar 25, 2005 Culture of Life Doesn't Square with Anti-Tax Movement Medicaid. It's the word that's generally omitted during the debate over Terri Schiavo, but it's inseparable from the "culture of life." Just ask the mother of six-month-old Sun Hudson. Sun Hudson's name flies beneath the political radar, even though his case is eerily similar to Schiavo's. On... more
Mar 25, 2005 Doyle Wants Smaller Businesses to Get Unused Tax Credits Gov. Jim Doyle wants to put $120 million in unused tax credits for economic development into the hands of small- and medium-sized businesses. Only about half the tax credits allocated in 1995 for the Enterprise Development Zone Program have been used, and the program has maxed out on the number... more
Mar 25, 2005 Discovery Institute Well Worth Cost Gov. Jim Doyle is seeking $19 million in his state budget for a project that, by comparison to its cost, has the potential for a gigantic payback. The $19 million would help build the first phase of the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery, an ambitious research center for biotechnology that would... more
Mar 25, 2005 Gov. Bush Is Rebuffed in Schiavo Case Florida Gov. Jeb Bush again raised the possibility of the state's intervention in the frantic battle over Terri Schiavo, asserting Wednesday that the state may have authority to take custody of the brain-damaged woman even though the federal courts have refused to resume her tube-feeding. But a... more
Mar 24, 2005 Doyle Urges Delegation to Oppose Medicaid Cuts Gov. Jim Doyle recently sent a letter to members of Wisconsin's Congressional delegation, urging them to oppose massive cuts to the Medicaid program as part of the Budget Resolution pending before both houses. The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services estimates the cuts would cost... more
Mar 24, 2005 U.S. Sen. Feingold: On the President's Remarks Today Regarding Trade "I strongly disagree with the President's characterization today of NAFTA as a "success", and with his call on Congress to pass CAFTA this year. These comments are out of touch with American businesses and workers who have been forced to compete on an uneven playing field for years under bad... more
Mar 24, 2005 Feingold Sounds Off On Budget, Schiavo Matter U.S. Senator Russ Feingold held his 877th listening session in Greenwood Tuesday. Touting so-called “Paygo” rules that he says would restore fiscal discipline by forcing congress to spend only as much as they take in, the Middleton Democrat said he hoped Congress would return to the fiscal... more
Mar 24, 2005 Sen. Kohl Visits Beloit Manufacturer Sen. Herb Kohl visited Cotta Transmission Company in Beloit Tuesday to show support for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. The Wisconsin MEP has helped more than 1,300 small and mid-sized manufacturers, Cotta included, by offering assistance in streamlining operations,... more
Mar 24, 2005 Jobs, Healthcare Dominate Jobs and health care dominated a listening session Wednesday afternoon with U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. The senator addressed the crowd for less than five minutes before giving each of the approximately 35 audience members a chance to ask a question at the event, which lasted about 75 minutes, in... more
Mar 23, 2005 Cheney Defends Bush Appointments Vice President Cheney said yesterday that the elevation of White House loyalists and supporters of the Iraq war to key diplomatic posts puts the United States in a stronger position to force changes at the United Nations and improve the U.S. image abroad. In an interview aboard Air Force Two,... more
Mar 23, 2005 Doyle Touts Service Partnership Two Milwaukee pilot projects aimed at integrating Wisconsin Works with services for abused and neglected children will strengthen the safety net for children and poor families, Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday. At a meeting of the Alianza Hispanic Forum in Milwaukee, Doyle also outlined some of his... more
Mar 23, 2005 Fitchburg Start-up Aims to Halt Advance of Alzheimer's A research breakthrough lauded by Gov. Jim Doyle in his State of the State speech has spawned a Fitchburg company that hopes to stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks. Speaking before the Legislature in January, Doyle praised Jeff Johnson, an associate professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences... more
Mar 22, 2005 Lt. Gov. Lawton: Lt. Governor and Wisconsin Youth Lead the Way Almost 400 young women packed into the Memorial Union today to be a part of Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton's first ever Youth Leadership Summit (YLS). An offshoot of her economic development initiative, Wisconsin Women = Prosperity, the YLS brought together youth leaders from every corner of... more
Mar 22, 2005 350 Workers Return to CNH A steady stream of vehicles poured into the CNH Global plant on Highway 11 as the 350 United Auto Workers who had been locked out since November returned to work Monday. The only remnants of the drawn-out labor dispute, which started with an expired contract in May 2004, followed later by a... more
Mar 22, 2005 Cheney Joins the Social Security Campaign Two of Washington's most powerful politicians -- Vice President Cheney and House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) -- teamed up Monday to pitch personal Social Security accounts as a safe and smart way to shore up the 70-year-old retirement program. The two men, who came to Congress... more
Mar 22, 2005 New EPA Mercury Rule Omits Conflicting Data When the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a rule last week to limit mercury emissions from U.S. power plants, officials emphasized that the controls could not be more aggressive because the cost to industry already far exceeded the public health payoff. What they did not reveal is that a... more
Mar 22, 2005 Democrats Vow Offensive on Blue State Republicans Some liberals want Democrats to take a page from the Republican handbook, circa 1994, to win back control of Congress. But Republicans say the advice comes too late. Ruy Teixeira and John Judis, authors of the 2002 book "The Emerging Democratic Majority," which forecasts a Democratic resurgence,... more
Mar 22, 2005 Governor Announces Millions in Grants More than $5 million in grants are awarded to the Wisconsin to provide affordable housing across the state. Governor Jim Doyle announced the grants Monday at the capitol. The recipients included agencies and cities that will use the money to improve permanent and transitional housing... more
Mar 22, 2005 Analysts: GOP May Be Out of Step With Public Congressional Republicans and President Bush have seized upon the Terri Schiavo case with such fervor that they may find themselves out in front of an American public that is divided over right-to-die issues and deeply leery of government intrusion into family affairs, according to analysts and... more
Mar 22, 2005 Confusion Persists, Even Among Backers Pesident Bush has been talking about Social Security for weeks, but even some of his supporters have misconceptions and qualms about his plan to overhaul the retirement system. Interviews with people who came to hear him at the convention center here Monday revealed confusion about eligibility... more
Mar 22, 2005 Sensenbrenner Led Charge to Take on Schiavo Case Jim Sensenbrenner, pivotal in the congressional debate over Terri Schiavo - a brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed Friday - was rewarded for his efforts. Just before 1 a.m. Monday, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) handed over to Sensenbrenner the gavel the speaker used in the... more
Mar 22, 2005 Congress Went Too Far The case of Terri Schiavo, as we said in an editorial nearly a year and a half ago, was heart-wrenching and ethically trying from the beginning, and it certainly hasn't gotten any less morally murky since then. We don't claim to have the answers. But too many members of Congress apparently think... more
Mar 22, 2005 New Business Recruitment Tool Offers Latest Data Wisconsin communities can now showcase their assets to growing businesses with a glitzy new Internet marketing tool developed by Forward Wisconsin and a consortium of economic development groups. Best of all, it's free. Location One Information System, or LOIS, is a powerful online database that... more
Mar 21, 2005 Arctic Drilling on the Sly The dumbest argument in favor of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is that gas prices are too high. The simple fact is that opening up the refuge won't change prices by one penny. For one thing, oil companies won't be able to extract any oil for at least 10 years after... more
Mar 21, 2005 Wisconsin's Kind will visit China House Democrat Ron Kind of La Crosse has announced that he will travel to China to study the country's "aggressive investment" in math, science and engineering programs. Kind, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, departs Friday and returns March 28. China has invested... more
Mar 21, 2005 Sen. Kohl to Address AMPI Meeting Today U.S. Senator Herb Kohl will be in Minneapolis today to address the opening session of the Associated Milk Producers, Inc. annual delegate meeting. AMPI is a dairy market cooperative of approximately 5,000 members who operate dairy farms throughout the Midwest, including Wisconsin. Last month,... more
Mar 21, 2005 GOP Governors Cut State Workers' Rights Republican governors in a few spots across the country are angering state employees by removing one of organized labor's strongest tools _ the right to collective bargaining. Governors in three states who've taken the step say it's about making government more efficient or being fair... more
Mar 21, 2005 Proposed Hunting License Hikes Caught up in Tough Fight State fisheries and wildlife officials are planning for a future with fewer biologists, technicians and conservation wardens in the field to preserve the state’s natural resources. Opportunities for fishing, hunting and trapping will be reduced as the stocking of game fish and pheasants will be... more
Mar 20, 2005 Republicans May Support Fund Transfers After five public hearings, Republicans now say they may have to accept some of the money-moving transfers recommended by Gov. Jim Doyle to pay for schools and health care - transfers those same Republicans previously denounced. "We may have to buy into some of this stuff," said Rep. Dean Kaufert... more
Mar 20, 2005 Feingold Tunes in to Constituents The village hall was a hotbed for hot topics lightened with good humor Saturday during an Outagamie County listening session held by U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. One senior citizen stood up and challenged Feingold to justify why U.S. senators and congressmen do not pay into the Social Security... more
Mar 20, 2005 Bill Will Try to Bar UW from Giving Out Pills A state lawmaker wants to prohibit clinics serving University of Wisconsin campuses from providing students with birth control pills and devices, contending such services promote promiscuity. Rep. Daniel LeMahieu, R- Oostburg, said he was outraged when he learned University Health Services, the... more
Mar 19, 2005 State Plans to Ease Aching Backs An initiative in Gov. Jim Doyle's budget could help fight against future shortages in the healthcare workforce, as well as decrease injuries and workman's compensation claims, Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman told attendees of the Wisconsin Safe Patient Handling... more
Mar 19, 2005 Chancellor's Statement on 2005-07 Capital Budget Following the state Building Commission's adoption of the 2005- '07 capital budget Friday, Chancellor John D. Wiley issued the following statement: "We are grateful for the significant investment that the state Building Commission has agreed to make in the University of Wisconsin-Madison during... more
Mar 19, 2005 Budget Amendment Fights for Small Family Farms Wisconsin Congressman Rep. Ron Kind attempted to offer an amendment in the House Budget Committee to lower the commodity payment limitation from the current cap of $360,000 down to $250,000. As part of his proposal--which failed to get approval last week--the La Crosse Democrat asserted the... more
Mar 19, 2005 Dental Program Gets Economic Boost A dental office that primarily serves low-income patients has increased its hours, thanks to $10,000 from the Community Foundation of South Wood County Patients at Ministry Dental Center in Stevens Point are either senior citizens, disabled or come from low-income families. The Medicaid/... more
Mar 18, 2005 Senate Rejects GOP Budget Cuts The Senate last night dealt a slap to President Bush and the Republican leadership, approving a 2006 budget that would gut much of the GOP's deficit-reduction efforts by restoring requested cuts to Medicaid, education, community development and other programs. With their deficit-reduction targets... more
Mar 18, 2005 Institute is Bold but Vital Step for Wisconsin Republicans and Democrats can wrestle over state budget proposals all they want. But Gov. Jim Doyle's plans for a Wisconsin Institute of Discovery deserve support. Doyle earmarked $19 million for the first phase of the institute in his budget. We urge the State Building Commission to approve it... more
Mar 18, 2005 Let the Sun Shine In A century ago, Robert M. La Follette and the progressive reformers of that earlier age set out to ensure that the people of Wisconsin would always have the fullest possible access to the information they needed to act as engaged citizens. La Follette made the campaign for open government a... more
Mar 17, 2005 Wolfowitz Nod Follows Spread of Conservative Philosophy Ten days ago, after his name circulated as a potential candidate, John Cavanagh, director of the liberal Institute for Policy Studies here, compiled a sarcastic list of Mr. Wolfowitz's qualifications, first among them that he would follow in the footsteps of Mr. McNamara, "who also helped kill... more
Mar 17, 2005 Senate Votes to Drill in Refuge "Have we reached the point when it comes to America's energy security where we have no choice but to go into these areas that are so important and so pristine and engage in drilling and production techniques that will leave scars on the landscape forever?" asked Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.).... more
Mar 17, 2005 GOP Boards up the 'Town Hall' Republicans in Congress have a game plan to avoid "March madness" when they go home this weekend to talk to constituents about Social Security during a two-week holiday recess. Shaken by raucous protests at open "town hall"-style meetings last month, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah... more
Mar 17, 2005 Five Denominations, National Council of Churches Join to Declare FY2006 Proposed Budget "Unjust" Five major U.S. denominations today joined their voices to declare that the fiscal year 2006 budget proposed by the Bush Administration is unjust. All five are National Council of Churches USA members, and the NCC joined them at a news conference here to say, "For the most part this is a budget... more
Mar 16, 2005 Trade Deficit at All-Time High of $665.9B The U.S. deficit in the broadest measure of international trade surged to an all-time high last year, increasing a potential threat to the economy as the country sank deeper into debt to Japan, China and other nations. The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that the deficit in the U.S.... more
Mar 16, 2005 State Budgets $19M for UW-Madison Research Institute A $375 million research institute planned for the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will receive $19 million from the state under Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed 2005-07 budget. The funds will go into the first phase of the project, which will be built and financed over 10 years, with... more
Mar 16, 2005 133,700 Sign Petition In Less than 24 Hours to Stop "Naked, Partisan, Power Grab" In order to ram through Bush's extreme judicial nominees, Washington Republicans are threatening to eliminate a long-standing Senate rule that allows every member of the Senate a chance to address the concerns of their constituents by speaking on the Senate floor. In response to this threat, the... more
Feb 25, 2005 Republicans Reveal Plans to Eliminate Same Day Registration After losing the last five presidential elections in Wisconsin and only holding one of eight statewide offices, Republicans have finally come up with their road to victory: Make sure less people vote. In a stunning admission yesterday, Rick Graber, the Chair of the Republican Party of... more
Feb 23, 2005 Are Republicans Playing Politics With Legislative Staffers? Assembly Republicans have enacted new rules that dramatically cut the number of staffers Democrats are allowed to have, at the same time allowing Republicans to add staffers. That has Democrats crying foul. "Representative Berceau's office," Traci Peloquin has been answering phones at the Capitol... more
Feb 11, 2005 Ellis: Doyle Plan Deserves Support As some Republican legislators attack Gov. Jim Doyle’s property tax freeze proposal, a senior Fox Valley lawmaker blasted the Assembly’s GOP leaders for placing politics before policy. State Sen. Mike Ellis — a Neenah Republican and longtime fiscal watchdog — said his party’s lawmakers should... more
Mar 1, 2004 Bush Administration Refuses to Fund Program to Protect Women As President Bush travels the country claiming that he has made the country safer, the evidence proves otherwise. The Services-Training-Officers-Prosecutors (STOP) program, created by the Violence Against Women Act ensures funding for programs that prevent violence against women. At least it did,... more...
Mar 1, 2004 Doyle Vetoes GOP Plan to Limit Women's Health Care Governor Jim Doyle is set to veto a right-wing bill designed to take health care options away from Wisconsin women. Three Wisconsin newspapers recently detailed exactly what is at stake and how important this veto will be. Outlook grim for 'conscience clause' By STEVEN WALTERS and PATRICK... more...
Mar 1, 2004 March for Women's Lives On April 25th, women from across the country will march to show that President Bush's assault on reproductive rights will not stand. Every major pro-choice organization is on board, and together, women will bring the facts to light. Meet Democratic leaders from across the nation and stand up for... more...
Feb 6, 2004 Bush Budget Cuts Programs Vital to Hispanic Families President Bush sent Congress a budget proposal that would cut vital programs for the same Hispanic families that President Bush is asking to vote for him. more...
Feb 1, 2004 Bush Administration Continues to Terrorize Women A report issued in 2002 by the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington D.C. gave Wisconsin an overall grade of C- for the quality of life for women in our state. Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, with assistance from the UW La Follette School of Public Affairs, the Wisconsin Women's... more...
Feb 1, 2004 Ashcroft Attacks Women’s Right to Privacy Attorney General John Ashcroft has made a direct attack on a woman's right to privacy. While Ashcroft has shown little regard for rights or civil liberties through out his reign as AG, his most recent abuse of power is outrageous. The Department of Justice has subpoenaed dozens of private medical... more...
Oct 1, 2003 Equal Pay: 40 Years Later, Struggle Continues In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act to ensure that all Americans would receive equal pay for equal work. Four decades later, much work remains to be done. President Bush failed to support Democratic efforts to improve the Equal Pay Act. The Department of Labor under... more...
Oct 1, 2003 Bush Administration Continues to Terrorize Women George W. Bush and his anti-choice, anti-working family, anti-woman administration continue to soldier on in their fight to economically and socially subjugate women. A few lowlights of the Bush agenda include: Unemployment among women increased 41% within the past three years. More... more...
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