The Wisconsin Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in the case of Jere Fabick, a well-known conservative insider who challenged Evers' emergency powers to the state's highest court, saying that the state's governor only has the ability to declare a public health emergency for 60 days and requires legislative approval beyond that period of time.

Evers' original public health emergency expired in May, and he has acted unilaterally since then, often in direct defiance of the Supreme Court's May ruling, by issuing subsequent public health emergencies and orders.

While conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn did side with the liberal justices in May's ruling against Evers, he struck a different tone in today's arguments, often sounding sympathetic to the plaintiff, and acknowledging that the legislature granted the Governor the authority, and meant only to allow for the powers to be exercised for a very short period of time.

Should the court side with Evers, he would have more tools available to him from a policy standpoint to combat the coronavirus in ways he sees fit. The legislature would still retain the authority to cancel any public health emergency at any time. If the court sides with the plaintiff, local officials would continue spearheading the coronavirus response.

Despite educating fewer children and having more actual dollars than at any point in Wisconsin history, the Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction in Madison last week announced that she submitted a budget request to Governor Tony Evers for an additional $1.6 billion.

Public schools in the current school year received $6.7 billion. With the new budget request, that number would mean a total of $7.4 billion in 2021-2022 and $7.7 billion in 2022-2023, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said she believes it makes investments in kids, and that the number "prioritizes what the citizens of Wisconsin want for educating their kids."

Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, the legislative committee that amends and reshapes the executive budget before sending it to the full legislature, said that while schools are a priority, the request is "unrealistic considering the financial times we find ourselves in."

On the same day that Governor Tony Evers announced "hope" as the theme for the 2020 student-crafted holiday ornaments, an annual tradition, the governor also announced that there would be no Christmas tree permitted in the State Capitol this year.

"Now more than ever, we need hope," Evers said in a statement, encouraging students to make ornaments that "celebrate hope." He said, "I know that if we stay hopeful, celebrate Wisconsinites' resilience, and continue to practice empathy and compassion, we are going to get through this together."

Instead, this year, the bureaucratic arm of the executive branch will take the children's ornaments and send them to hospitals, nursing homes, and veterans' homes.

Evers closed the State Capitol to the public in March and said there are no plan to re-open it.

Ornaments can be send to a person named Claire Franz at the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Facilities Development and Management: 17 West Main Street, Room 119, Madison 53703.

Individuals filing for jobless claims fell earlier this month to the lowest figure since March, when governments across the country shuttered private businesses and required people to stay in their homes.

709,000 people filed for initial unemployment benefits, but experts are worried about the resurgence of the virus, and what that will do to the slowly-recovering jobless figures. The previous week saw 757,000 applications.

People who are receiving traditional unemployment benefits fell to 6.8 million, down from 7.2 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to BLS, the US economy still has about 10 million fewer jobs than it had before the government's reaction to the coronavirus.

The new Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader, Senator Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), has removed Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) from her post as Co-Chair of the powerful Joint Committee on Finance. Her replacement is Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), a member of the committee since 2014, certified public accountant, and respected fiscal sage in the halls of the Capitol.

"Throughout his six years on the Joint Finance Committee, Sen. Marklein has been a strong advocate for rural road funding, tax reform and broadband expansion. During the last budget process, he led Senate Republican efforts to further cut income taxes."

"Finally, thanks to Sen. Alberta Darling for her service as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. Under her leadership, Wisconsin has had ten years of balanced budgets, lower taxes, and now has the largest rainy day fund in state history."

Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette), the other Co-Chair of the committee, was reappointed by Speaker Robin Vos.

"I am honored to be reappointed as Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance," Rep. Nygren said. "There is no question the next budget will be more difficult due to the pandemic, economic downturn, and Governor Evers' tax-and-spend agenda."

The "People's Maps Commission" will hold a virtual hearing from 5:30 to 8:30pm on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020 to seek public input on the upcoming redistricting of legislative maps in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District.

Although the hearing Thursday will focus on Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, all Wisconsin residents are encouraged to watch and participate.

Anyone wishing to testify at the hearing must register in advance by visiting the People's Maps Commission website.

The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released its audit of state recycling programs administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

LAB found that the DNR did not comply with state statutes because it spent funds appropriated for recycling administration on activities related to recycling but not allowed by statutes. They also reviewed fewer recycling programs in recent years than was statutorily required, and did not fully comply with its own administrative rules.

In Fiscal Year 2019-2020, $20 million was appropriated to recycling programs.

"Most people that take their time to recycle expect that the program runs efficiently," said Senator Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay), Co-Chair of the legislature's Joint Audit Committee. "On a state level, the State Recycling Program is intended to provide guidance, oversight, and funding for responsible resource management. However, this audit highlights that the State Recycling Program is out of date and needs modernizing and updating. Recycling is in a pivotal moment with shifting markets and evolving packaging, and the DNR needs to reprioritize this program and get it back on track rather than allowing it to fall into further noncompliance."

Read the full briefing sheet here.

Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims:

Sunday, 2,214 (2020) vs. 795 (2019)

Monday, 4,783 (2020) vs. 1,482 (2019)

Tuesday 3,230 (2020) vs. 1,194 (2019)

Wednesday 2,530 (2020) vs.1,101 (2019)

Thursday 2,473 (2020) vs. 1,022 (2019)

Friday 2,473 (2020) vs. 1,068 (2019)

Saturday 797 (2020) vs. 289 (2019)

Up-to-date information can be viewed by clicking here.