NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL AND AROUND WISCONSIN |
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EVERS SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING SPECIAL SESSION ON POLICING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY |
Gov. Tony Evers today announced Executive Order #84, calling the Wisconsin State Legislature into a Special Session on policing accountability and transparency convening at noon on Aug. 31, 2020. The legislation being circulated by the Evers administration is listed below in the "legislation" section.
The announcement comes after footage surfaced of officers discharging their weapons at a man in Kenosha yesterday.
“Today I am calling for a Special Session of the Legislature to take up the package of legislation we announced earlier this year,” said Gov. Evers. “We must begin the long but important path toward ensuring our state and our country start to live up to our promises of equity and justice. I am urging the Legislature to rise to this occasion and give this special session the urgent and productive effort this moment demands and that the people of Wisconsin deserve.”
Rioters took to the streets in Kenosha last night, setting several businesses and automobiles on fire, smashing windows, and marching in the street. The city issued a curfew, and the National Guard was deployed this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced the formation of his own task force focusing on racial disparities, educational opportunities, public safety, and police policies and standards.
He also issued the following statement in response to Evers' executive order:
“One hour after the announcement of the speaker’s task force, Governor Evers releases a Special Session call of the Legislature. When I spoke to Governor Evers on the phone today, I asked him to work with the Legislature in a deliberate and open process through the task force. We have an opportunity to bring people together to find solutions. Instead, the governor is choosing to turn to politics again by dictating liberal policies that will only deepen the divisions in our state.”
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UW REGENTS APPROVE TOMMY THOMPSON'S BIG SPENDING PLANS |
Last week former Wisconsin Governor turned UW System President announced his intentions to ask Governor Tony Evers for a near-$100 million spending increase along with the ability for the system to borrow a billion. The ask constitutes a 3.5 percent increase for each of the next two years.
The UW System Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously approved Thompson's request.
Thompson's $100 million spending boost would go toward funding a new scholarship fund for students of color, in addition to providing free tuition to in-state students from lower income households. It would also offer student loan forgiveness for teachers. Tuition would remain frozen.
Republican leaders in the State Legislature have not commented on the plan, though Wisconsin Public Radio reported today that Thompson is striking a "defiant tone when discussing need for legislature to invest in state universities."
Thompson went on record saying that the state's university system is being "micromanaged" and "kept down" by the legislature.
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ROTH, VOS TO COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES: HOLD AN ADDITIONAL DEBATE BETWEEN BIDEN, TRUMP |
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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate President Roger Roth last week wrote to the Commission on Presidential Debates, requesting an additional, earlier debate be held in Wisconsin, as our state will be among the first to vote in the upcoming presidential elections.
By the time the first scheduled presidential debate happens on September 29, voters in Wisconsin will have already started voting.
"It is imperative that we hear from both candidates," the letter reads.
"Unlike television ads or pre-written speeches, debates give Americans a firsthand look at each candidate's own policies and intellect in an unscripted setting. They allow voters to hear the candidates' platforms firsthand and give candidates the opportunity to respond to the tough questions at the forefront of every voter's mind."
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GOV. EVERS SEEKING FEDERAL FUNDS TO ERECT STATUE OF VEL PHILLIPS |
Governor Tony Evers is asking the federal government for $150,000 to erect a new statue of Wisconsin's first African-American individual to hold statewide elected office- Vel Phillips, who served as the Secretary of State from 1978 to 1982. Philips was also the first African-American women to graduate from UW Law School, and the first African-American to be elected to the Milwaukee Common Council and to hold a seat as a judge. Phillips died in 2018.
According to one report, two-thirds of that money would be used for the new statue, and the remainder would be used to restore the two iconic statues that were torn from their pedestals earlier in the summer by violent rioters who later went on to attack Democratic State Senator Tim Carpenter and try to detonate home made explosives at the Madison city-county building.
Those two statues are "Forward," which sits at the State Street steps of the Capitol, honoring Wisconsin's motto and women's rights. The other, a statue of slave abolitionist Colonel Hans Christian Heg, who died in the Civil War.
The funds would come from the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities. The statues are set to be restored and put back in their rightful places by next May.
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PABST THEATER GROUP SEEKING CARES ACT FUNDING FOR VENUES |
The Pabst Theater Group, which consists of the historic Pabst Theater, Turner Hall, and Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, along with other music and arts venues, are asking Governor Tony Evers to allocated CARES Act funds for venue relief.
"Most venues have lost nearly 100% of their revenue since the pandemic forced them to close their doors in March. With their businesses depending on national artist tours (most postponed until 2021) and large-scale public gatherings, Wisconsin's live entertainment industry won't survive the pandemic without additional funding," their letter to Governor Evers reads.
According to the group, other states, including Oregon, Washington, Texas, Tennessee, and Montana have allocated funds to help music and entertainment venues in their respective states.
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WEDC: GOVERNOR'S BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON RURAL PROSPERITY TO HOLD FIRST OF THREE LISTENING SESSIONS BEGINNING AUG. 31 |
The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity will hold the first of three virtual listening sessions on Monday, Aug. 31, from 12 to 2 p.m. for rural residents to share ideas and experiences about what it will take to advance rural prosperity for all in Wisconsin.
The commission is asking people who want to share their comments to register in advance by visiting the Office of Rural Prosperity website. Registration is also open for the other two forums, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. Interpretation in Hmong and Spanish is available for all of the forums.
In addition to the listening sessions, residents may join the discussion by submitting written comments between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30 on the Office of Rural Prosperity website. Rural stakeholder groups may also arrange meetings with commission members through WEDC.
The commission’s public sessions will be carried live on the Office of Rural Prosperity website, and may also be available on WisconsinEye, if their schedule permits.
Governor Tony Evers established both the commission and the Office of Rural Prosperity in his State of the State message in January. The governor asked the commission to engage and learn from residents throughout the state in order to develop long-term strategies that will “best support the needs of rural Wisconsinites and rural communities.”
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WEEKLY INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS |
Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims:
Sunday, 1,487 (2020) vs. 355 (2019)
Monday, 4,118 (2020) vs. 760 (2019)
Tuesday 2,498 (2020) vs. 549 (2019)
Wednesday 2,041 (2020) vs. 500 (2019)
Thursday 1,751 (2020) vs. 505 (2019)
Friday 1,690 (2020) vs. 502 (2019)
Saturday 507 (2020) vs. 116 (2019)
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By clicking the link, you acknowledge that it is the policy of WPT to publish all comments that are submitted by members each week, which often include broad differences of opinion. WPT does not take responsibility for the individual views and opinions expressed herein. It is the right of WPT to remove responses that that the organization deems inappropriate. |
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WEEKLY MEMBER POLL RESULTS |
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Equalized property values in Wisconsin jumped 6% over the year to $613 billion. Has your property value increased over the past year? |
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of course that's how the gov't keeps bringing in more money
If I can get what the city says my house is worth, I should probably sell! My value has gone up $120,000 in 3 years! Taxes have doubled!!!
Just a numbers game to get more taxes from everybody
The economy was so great I was expecting it.
Yes, I have been fraudulently valued at over 4 times my real assessed value on my home. And I'm paying the taxes for it for the 2nd year in a row. And my city wouldn't tell me WHAT TO DO about it until AFTER they had me at the increased assessment for another year. It's a freaking joke.
According to the assessor it has. I don't think it has.
Up 12%.
We will hear about mill rates going down next year and the taxes still go up!
How can values increase when agriculture is suffering ?
Better bring down the mill rate
Lots of property for sale in our area
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The UW System has announced layoffs and cuts to the administration personnel. Good move or bad move? |
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They needed to trim the fat! In the past few years the UW system has added a lot of administrative positions while cutting teaching positions. This is the right thing to do.
Need to cut somewhere.
It's about time!
This should have been happening before the pandemic!
How many people were in the administration personnel office? If you can cut that department to save money without affecting the students education maybe it is a good move.
Hopefully they are cutting in the right places
Cut the FAT. Way too many administrators. The jobs will get done even with the reduced staff.
The UW and Technical colleges system has become a huge and bloated disaster of epic financial waste.
if no students will be on premise why should there be the same amount of employees?
I think universities as a whole has a lot of fat to trim.
Gotta make cuts like every other business during tough times
the UW system needs retooling sense virtual learning will become normal
Should have cut more administration.
Over paid inefficient government employees
Cut out some of the fat, good move.
Tommy should take a cut also.
Always to many living off our tax dollars, they will now have work
more scholarships to anybody that isn't white?
Gov. Thompson is making the right moves
Revenue must be drastically down. I think these cuts barely scratch the surface of the deficits to come!
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After reading about Gov. Evers' Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity, do you have hope this group will achieve its objectives? |
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I certainly hope it will but I am still skepical.
they do not have a clue about rural life, just want our tax dollars for their voters in the cities so they stay in control
Only if they can work together and negotiate.
What does Madison know about rural Wisconsin? Rural Wisconsin will only be heard if they are involved in the commission.
Do they know who lives in rural Wisconsin?
I have no confidence in anything that originates from Madison.
It appears to be a commission designed to pacify the rural areas; the goals for the first session include setting commission priorities and providing the purpose for the creation of the commission. If the purpose is unknown, why create one?
We need to find solutions to the issues facing those of us in rural communities. Have to start somewhere.
Hell No!
I have zero confidence in it. I have zero confidence because they don't get to RURAL areas. If they wanted Rural, they'd get NORTH of highway 29 and meet folks up here.
I don't have much hope for anything that Evers or politics in general are in charge of.
Seems like a waist of time
No.
Government can and should only do so much. The rest is up to the market, free enterprise used to work
You appoint commissions when you don't really want to do anything.
no
Usually blue ribbon commissions,task forces,etc result in nothing significant being done!
If he leads it will fail.
Any time a government commission is formed they screw it up for everybody
It's so ironic that we now have a Blue Ribbon commission and there's more prosperity in rural WI than urban areas, butthe pandemic has hit urban areas harder than rural areas n
Madison --achieve prosperity for rural Wis. --In your dreams!!!
Time to start invedting in wis
no they have not a clue
I am tired on a group of know it alls in Madison telling anyone what is best for them!!
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Any plans for the Labor Day holiday or weekend this year? Still going to BBQ? Travel? See family or friends? |
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Just lay low
Since the State of Wisconsin is shut down, we are visiting friends in SW Minnesota. We will spend our money in South Dakota where they appreciate small businesses.
Still going camping with family on private land.
Staying home and trying to stay healthy
Staying home
Enjoying the last days of summer kayaking & fishing!
Don't know. Farmers work most days of the week. Dairy cows don't take off for milking.
Will be working at the Census Bureau Office
Yes, BBQ and camping and no damn masks!
Roast a whole lamb with the family. YUM!
Cottage. Relaxing.
Still going up north.
I’ll be traveling planning to go up north camping with family and friends and I’m sure will have a cookout
Difficult to plan much these days
No plans.
I think we'll see if we can organize a protest. Right now the gang can't decide on what we'll protest. Most of us just want to deface a statue or two, but Larry wants to start something on fire. Don't worry too much about him though, he's been contrary since his youth.
Staying home as we have since the pandemic started.
no
Staying home, maby invite neighbors over
family camp
Staying home.
Nothing special
Golf, get as much outside time as possible. Drinks too!
Camping but it is not the same when I go out to dinner. If the economy isn’t fully opened soon there will be nothing left of Northern Wisconsin after this winter!!
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LRB-6273 Use of Force Policies (Bewley, Janet) Law enforcement agency policies on the use of force.
LRB-6274 Use of Force Training (Bewley, Janet) Law enforcement training on use-of-force options.
LRB-6275 Violence Interruption Grants (Bewley, Janet) A violence interruption grant program and making an appropriation.
LRB-6276 Chokeholds (Bewley, Janet) Prohibiting use of choke holds by law enforcement officers in use of force policies.
LRB-6277 Public Policy Access (Bewley, Janet) Public access to policies regarding the use of force by law enforcement.
LRB-6281 Summoning Police (Bewley, Janet) Unnecessarily summoning a police officer and creating a civil cause of action.
LRB-6283 Use of Force Reporting (Bewley, Janet) Reporting of law enforcement use of force incidents.
LRB-6289 No-Knock Warrants (Bewley, Janet) Prohibiting no-knock warrants.
LRB-6292 Law Enforcement Standards Board (Bewley, Janet) The responsibilities of the Law Enforcement
Standards Board and disclosure of employment files when recruiting former or current officers.
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