Yearly Archives: 2022

(The Center Square) – Schools across Wisconsin are getting millions of new dollars to help them afford school lunches during “supply chain challenges.”

The state’s Department of Public Instruction this week announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sending Wisconsin $17 million to supplement the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

“School food authorities are facing extraordinary challenges in responding to shortages and price fluctuations, and this funding will immediately help nutrition programs across Wisconsin serve the students who rely on these meals every day,” Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement.

Every eligible school district in the state, as well as eligible private schools, will get a guaranteed base payment of at least $5,000. Many schools will see more money.

Brett Healy, president at the MacIver Institute, said it is telling that the Biden Administration is having to spend more money to solve a problem it created.

“When President Biden began his unprecedented tsunami of federal spending and printed money to partially pay for all of that spending, everyone knew that it would lead to inflation, higher prices, supply chain problems and higher interest rates,” Healy told The Center Square. “To say that this grant will resolve, as the headline suggests, supply chain problems our schools are facing or immediately help in any meaningful way feed needy students is another lie and an insult to the intellect of the American people.”

DPI did not say just what school lunch menu items are more expensive or hard to find because of the supply chain issues.

The USDA says groceries in the United States were 7.4% higher in January of 2022 than they were in January of 2021.

Healy said folks at home clearly see that, and certainly feel it.

“Now, the President thinks he can fool the American public again into thinking that by handing out even more taxpayer money, it will somehow lower their grocery bill, the price of gas and return the economy to what it was under President Trump. How dumb does the President think we are?” Healy asked.

(The Center Square) – Most voters in Wisconsin don’t know most of the candidates running for governor or U.S. Senator this fall. And just over half of voters in the state think Wisconsin is on “the wrong track.”

The latest Marquette Law School Poll shows the candidates running in this August’s primary have a lot of work to do connecting with the voters.

“The poll finds 51% of registered voters saying they don’t know whom they will support in the Republican primary for governor or the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate,” pollsters said on Wednesday. “Forty-six percent say they support one of the current candidates.”

Among the Republicans running for governor, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch has the most name recognition at 50%. Eighty percent of Republican voters say they don’t know who Kevin Nicholson is, and 86% don’t know anything about Tim Ramthun.

In the Democratic race for U.S. Senate, the poll says 62% of voters haven’t heard of current Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. Pollsters say 73% of voters haven’t heard of second-place candidate and son of the Milwaukee Bucks’ owner, Alex Lasry. The rest of the crowded field of Democrats was unrecognized by 85% or more of voters.

“It is not unusual to see half of registered voters undecided with more than five months to go before the primary, but the high percentage of undecided is a vivid reminder that the primaries are not uppermost in voters’ minds at this point,” pollsters noted.

On the issues, the poll found more people think Wisconsin is “on the wrong track.”

Shortly after Gov. Tony Evers took office in 2019, Marquette pollsters say 57% of voters in the state thought Wisconsin was on the right track. Now, 53% say Wisconsin is headed in the wrong direction.

Voters are most concerned about inflation. The poll shows 96% of voters in Wisconsin are at least somewhat concerned about the rising cost of everything from gas to groceries and homes.

Voters also seem to be increasing their trust in the 2020 presidential election.

The poll notes that 38% of Republican voters in the state now say they trust the outcome of the last presidential vote. That’s up from 29% in August of last year.

Democrats remain unflinching in their support for the 2020 election, with 96% of voters saying they trust the results. That number was 97% last summer.

This poll interviewed 802 registered Wisconsin voters by landline or cell phone Feb. 22-27, 2022. The margin of error is +/-3.8 percentage points for the full sample.

You can find the full audit here and find the toplines here.

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden blasted the defund police movement during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, but others in his party are not going along with his messaging.

"We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police," Biden said in his address. "The answer is to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities."

Almost immediately, Biden was met with pushback from his own party. Some Democratic lawmakers and a contingent of activists have continued to push for “defunding police” despite Biden’s rhetoric to the contrary during his time in office.

“With all due respect, Mr. President,” Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo, wrote on Twitter in response to the speech. “You didn’t mention saving Black lives once in this speech. All our country has done is given more funding to police. The result? 2021 set a record for fatal police shootings. Defund the police. Invest in our communities.”

While Bush doubled down on her message, other Democrats have drifted from it.

Tuesday was not Biden’s first time to emphasize funding police. He has consistently held that message, defying others in his party. Last June, Biden called for hiring more police to stop the wave of violent crime that continues to sweep across American cities.

​​“But what I would say to you is that the president has never supported defunding the police,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing at the time. “He’s always supported community policing programs. He’s supported giving funding to – to states and localities around the country, including through his American Rescue Plan, because he thinks there is an essential role to play for community policing.”

Biden also pointed to specific policing strategies, like beat cop patrols as well as measures meant to prevent deaths, like “body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers.”

“Like some of you that have been around for a while – I’ve worked with you on these issues for a long time,” Biden said Tuesday evening. “I know what works: Investing in crime prevention and community policing – cops who walk the beat, who know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety. Let’s not abandon our streets or choose between safety and equal justice. Let’s come together and protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable.”

During his speech, Biden noted he met with the families of slain New York City Police Department officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera.

“I recently visited New York City Police Department days after the funerals of Officer Wilbert Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera,” he said. “They were responding to a 911 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun. Officer Mora was 27 years old. Officer Rivera was 22 years old. Both Dominican Americans who grew up in the same streets that they later chose to patrol as police officers. I spoke with their families, and I told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifices and we’ll carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety in every community deserves.”

(The Center Square) – The probe into the 2020 presidential election from Wisconsin’s special election investigator covers exactly what lawmakers were expecting. And it goes into previously unknown detail.

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman on Tuesday delivered his 136-page report to the State Assembly, alleging an “election bribery scheme” existed, voting in nursing homes was at an unprecedented high, and multiple incidents involved unlawful election activities.

The sweeping investigation covers the lead-up to the November 2020 election former President Donald Trump claims was stolen from him, the effort to count the Badger State votes, and Gableman's assessment of what happened. He argues that Wisconsin lawmakers can recall the state’s electors, but also said that would not cancel President Biden’s victory in Wisconsin.

“I have doubts,” Gableman told lawmakers at a marathon hearing into the report at the Capitol.

Voter turnout exceeded 72 percent. With more than 3.2 million popular votes cast, Trump lost by 20,682. Biden captured all 10 Electoral College votes from the state, and won by 74.

Specifically Gableman said he has questions about the relationship between the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life and the election operations in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha.

“As part of the election bribery scheme, CTCL was reaching out to the five largest cities in Wisconsin, and CTCL wanted information from those cities in determining how to provide money to those cities to facilitate increased in-person and absentee voting,” read the report.

“This program and the larger amount of grant money was not available to any cities or counties in Wisconsin other than the five largest cities. These five cities began to identify themselves and to be identified by CTCL as the ‘Zuckerberg 5,’ including a letterhead with the five cities’ seals.”

The report from Gableman, a Republican on the state's highest court from 2008 to 2018, goes into detail about the relationship between CTCL, its outside partners, and election managers in the five cities.

One email exchange shows CTCL partners asking for special access to the voter rolls in Milwaukee.

One of the new pieces of information focuses on voting machines in Green Bay.

“All machines in Green Bay were ESS machines and were connected to a secret, hidden Wi-Fi access point at the Grand Hyatt hotel, which was the location used by the City of Green Bay on the day of the 2020 Presidential election,” the report noted. “The [Office of the Special Counsel] discovered the Wi-Fi, machines, and ballots were controlled by a single individual who was not a government employee but an agent of a special interest group operating in Wisconsin."

Perhaps the most stunning revelation in the report is that in the Zuckerberg 5 cities, voting in nursing homes hit unprecedented levels.

Gableman said 100% of the people living in the nursing homes he investigated in Milwaukee, Racine, and Dane counties voted during the November 2020 election. He said 97% of elderly people in some Kenosha County nursing homes voted, and 95% of people in select Brown County nursing homes all cast ballots.

Gablemen presented a video of some of those voters, who he said were clearly not in the proper mental state to vote.

The report recognized eight instances of “unlawful conduct and irregularities,” and 11 times when “Wisconsin engaged private companies in election administration in unlawful ways for the 2020 Presidential election.”

Gableman said his investigation is not complete, because he has not received any cooperation from the mayors of the Zuckerberg 5 or the voting machine companies which he subpoenaed.

Gableman ends his report with an appendix about recalling Wisconsin’s 2020 electoral votes.

Gableman later told lawmakers they would have to decide what to do with the information in his report.

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union address for the first time in his presidency Tuesday night, tackling a range of issues from the invasion of Ukraine and the status of the economy to funding police and securing the border.

“Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart,” Biden said to kick off the address. “This year, we're finally together again.”

Biden quickly turned to Russia, rebuking Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.

“Tonight, I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy,” Biden said.

The ambassador from Ukraine attended the address and received a standing ovation. Biden also praised the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

“From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, literally inspires the world,” Biden said.

“Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people,” he said. “He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world.”

Biden took a shot at the tax cuts passed during the Trump administration, which was met by boos from some Republicans and cheers from Democrats.

“Unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefits the top 1% ... the American Rescue Plan helped working people and left no one behind,” Biden said.

Biden called for background checks and a ban on firearms with high capacity magazines and went out of his way to emphasize the need for funding police as he hit a litany of issues.

“Fund them,” Biden said. “Fund them. Fund them with resources and training. …They need to protect our communities.”

Biden touted his Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, calling her “one of our nation’s top legal minds who will continue in Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence.”

Biden called for securing the border and fixing the immigration system and pointed to new border technology, joint patrols and dedicated immigration judges. He also called for providing a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers.”

Biden touted job creation last year, a result of the rebound from lifting COVID-19-era lockdowns. He also touted his proposal of a global minimum tax rate for corporations.

“What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Let’s get this done.”

Biden called for lowering energy costs, child care costs and drug prices, saying Medicare should be able to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, emphasizing the cost of insulin.

“They already set the price for VA drugs,” he argued.

Critics pointed out the Biden administration overturned a Trump-era rule that would have lowered the price of insulin.

“Donald Trump cut the price of insulin and Joe Biden ended it,” said Brigitte Gabriel, founder of Act For America.

Biden announced there would be a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud, which has been rampant since Congress passed pandemic relief funding.

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the Republican response to Biden’s speech. She compared America today with the America of the late 1970s and early 1980s with soaring inflation, violent crime and a dangerous Soviet Union.

“We shouldn’t ignore what happened in the run up to Putin's invasion: waiving sanctions on Russian pipelines while eliminating oil production here at home, focusing on political correctness rather than military readiness, reacting to world events instead of driving them," Reynolds said. "Weakness on the world stage has a cost, and the president's approach to foreign policy has consistently been too little too late.

“It’s time for America to once again project confidence,” she said. "It's time to lead."

Reynolds turned to domestic issues such as inflation and gas prices, saying, "We can't project strength abroad if we are weak at home."

"The president and Democrats in congress have spent the last year either ignoring the issues facing Americans or making them worse," she said. "They were warned that spending trillions would lead to soaring inflation. They were told that their anti-energy policies would send gas prices to new heights, but they plowed ahead anyway."

Other Republicans released statements in response to the president’s speech and pointed at the economic issues since Biden took office.

“Under President Trump, our economy was booming,” U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said. “We need to replicate that success. Americans are anxious for those days to return. To build optimism and prosperity again, we must ease regulatory burdens, strengthen critical American supply chains, unleash American energy and stop the Left’s extreme spending and socialist agenda.”

Other Republicans pointed to the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s handling of Putin and Ukraine.

“Are you better off than you were a year ago?” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said. “For most people, the answer is, 'no.' ”

Biden ended his more-than-an-hour-long speech by painting an optimistic picture for the nation.

“The state of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong,” Biden said.

(The Center Square) – Newly released polling data shows President Joe Biden’s poll numbers remain low ahead of Tuesday night's state of the union address.

Gallup released data Tuesday that showed nearly the lowest satisfaction rates for Americans since Biden took office in January 2021.

“When thinking about the state of the nation, just 21% of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going, and 78% are dissatisfied,” Gallup said. “This reading, from a Feb. 1-17 Gallup poll, is slightly improved from the 17% recorded in January, but still among the lowest since President Joe Biden took office.”

Biden is expected to tackle a range of issues during Tuesday night's speech, with the struggling economy and the invasion of Ukraine likely topping the list.

CBS News released polling Tuesday that put Biden’s approval rating at 44% with 56% disapproving. His disapproval rates climb higher on certain issues, including inflation and the economy.

The poll found 61% disapproved of Biden’s work on crime, 62% disapproved on the economy, 63% disapproved on immigration and 70% disapproved on inflation.

“Tonight, I’ll be taking the stage to deliver my State of the Union address to the nation,” Biden said on Twitter. “Folks in every corner of the country are hosting parties to watch the address and discuss our vision for America.”

The White House said Tuesday that Biden will announce a strategy to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

“In his first State of the Union, the President will outline a unity agenda consisting of policy where there has historically been support from both Republicans and Democrats, and call on Congress to send bills to his desk to deliver progress for the American people,” the White House said in a statement. “As part of this unity agenda, he will announce a strategy to address our national mental health crisis. Our youth have been particularly impacted as losses from COVID and disruptions in routines and relationships have led to increased social isolation, anxiety, and learning loss.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin voters will finally see what months of investigation into the 2020 presidential election have uncovered.

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Mike Gableman is expected to unveil his report into the 2020 vote at a statehouse hearing Tuesday morning.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel originally reported that Gableman would deliver the report to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Monday. The report would then be released to the public.

The paper later said the report will not be made public until Tuesday.

Gableman has worked since September of last year to get a sense of just what happened at the Wisconsin Elections Commission, and in a handful of cities leading up to the vote in November of 2020.

Gableman has repeatedly said he is not looking to overturn the election, rather he simply wants to see if there are any loopholes that were exploited during the last vote for president.

Much of Gableman’s focus has been on the so-called Zuckerbucks, the nearly $9 million in donations from the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life that went to Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha. Gableman has tried to see just what those donations paid for, and whether CTCL broke any of Wisconsin’s election laws.

The mayors of Madison and Green Bay, in particular, have fought Gableman’s investigation by refusing to cooperate with his subpoenas.

There are some to-be decided lawsuits about those subpoenas.

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol last week approved a sweeping set of election law changes, many of them inspired by Gableman’s investigation. But those proposals are almost certainly doomed once they arrive at Gov. Tony Evers’ desk.

Gableman is scheduled to testify in front of the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the State of the Union address Tuesday evening, and economic and fiscal policy experts are raising the alarm about the fiscal state of the nation.

The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) released its economic growth projections for the next quarter and downgraded their forecasts.

"NABE panelists have downgraded their forecasts for economic growth in 2022,” the report said. “The median forecast for inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (real GDP) growth from the fourth quarter (Q4) 2021 to Q4 2022 is 2.9% – down from the 3.6% forecasted in the December 2021 Outlook Survey. In general, panelists anticipate further deceleration in GDP growth in 2023: the median forecast calls for GDP growth of 2.3%.”

The report said experts point to policy “missteps” as a key factor.

“Thirty percent of panelists identify monetary policy missteps as the greatest downside risk,” the report said. “One-quarter (25%) sees ongoing supply-chain issues and 19% cite geopolitical tensions/global growth slowdown as the most prominent downside risks to their growth projection (considering both probability of occurrence and potential impact).”

Experts point to the soaring national debt and inflation as key reasons for the economic woes. Federal inflation data released Friday showed another significant increase in prices, the latest in a steady trend of inflation figures that have economists worried.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released data on Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), a key marker of inflation, which has shown a sharp rise in recent months.

“The PCE price index for January increased 6.1 percent from one year ago, reflecting increases in both goods and services …” BEA said. “Energy prices increased 25.9 percent while food prices increased 6.7 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index for January increased 5.2 percent from one year ago.”

That increase was the highest in nearly four decades.

A coalition of groups have come together to support a congressional resolution to require an annual “Fiscal State of the Union” to be released by certain federal agencies.

“This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government,” said the official summary of the resolution, sponsored by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., in the Senate and Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., in the House.

The House has approved the measure, but the companion resolution in the Senate is still in committee.

“Lawmakers need to begin paying more attention to our fiscal outlook,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “An Annual hearing by the Senate and House Budget Committees featuring the Comptroller General would shine some much-needed light on our unsustainable budget situation, rather than sweeping it under the carpet.”

The groups emphasized Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the national debt, which recently surpassed $30 trillion. The national debt has increased significantly under both Democratic and Republican administrations over the past two decades.

“Both parties in Congress need to get serious about America’s debt and deficits, and it starts with a full, honest, and public accounting of the country’s financial health,” said Andrew Lautz, director of federal policy for National Taxpayers Union. “The Fiscal State of the Nation resolution is a first sensible step in understanding the federal government’s budget picture from year to year.”

(The Center Square) – The head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison wants Gov. Evers to scuttle two plans aimed at Critical Race Theory and free speech on campus.

UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said the two plans are bad for the university.

“As a university, our aim is to graduate well-rounded, critical thinkers; to teach our students not what to think but how to think,” Blank said in a statement Wednesday.

Both plans were up before the Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday.

Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said the idea of his legislation is to do just what the chancellor claims she wants. To teach people how to think, not what to think.

“Our colleges and universities should be a place of higher learning where all schools of thought can come together,” Moses said Tuesday. “However, our campuses have become increasingly hostile over recent years with students who openly share their ideas that may not necessarily be those of the institution or their teachers.”

Rep. Rick Gundrum, R-Slinger, said the idea of reining in Critical Race Theory at UW schools simply means telling students they don’t have to subscribe to a teachers’ political philosophy.

“This includes that one race or sex is superior to another race or sex, that an individual by virtue of their race or sex is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive either consciously or unconsciously,” Gundrum explained. “Or that an individual should be discriminated against, or receive adverse treatment based on their race or sex.

Chancellor Blank said if Gov. Evers doesn’t veto the plans, the UW System will suffer.

“UW’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest faculty, staff and students depends on being an environment where both academic freedom and freedom of speech are core values,” Blank added in her statement.

(The Center Square) – The proposal to spell out just how involved parents can be in their children’s education continues to face opposition at the Wisconsin Capitol, even as it moves forward.

A handful of parents turned out to support the Parents’ Bill of Rights during a hearing in the Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday.

Mom Julie Zaccaria told lawmakers there needs to be a state structure to balance the relationship between parents and local schools that she says has shifted over the past few years.

“The battle is against a system with what seems like endless financial, legal, and political backing” Zaccaria explained. “Children are being victimized and parents have no recourse.

Zaccaria made headlines last year when she publicized a graphic sex survey in her child’s school in Brookfield.

Mom Scarlett Johnson, who was one of the leaders of the Mequon-Thiensville school board recall, said parents feel shut-out by their local school boards and school administrators. She pleaded with lawmakers to step in.

“I continue to be very surprised that partnership with parents is considered controversial,” Johnson said. “They’re involvement should be welcomed. It’s ideal. Considering the considerable learning deficits that must be addressed, it’s necessary. Teachers, parents, and administrations need to work together.”

While Republicans support the Bill of Rights, Democrats don’t. The bill passed the Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday.

Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, pressed parents as to why they aren’t taking these complaints up with their local school boards.

“Your children’s schools are attended by hundreds of individuals. Right now, I see three parents who are here asking for this,” Sen. Johnson said.

The moms say they did bring these issues to their school boards, months ago. And all of them said they received platitudes or no responses at all.

“These are not hard things that we’re asking,” mom Johnson said. “We’re asking to know what are our kids learning in school? What books are they reading? What are the supplemental materials?”

The Parents Bill of Rights is on track to be approved in the Wisconsin Senate. But as with most education legislation in Madison this year, it is also on track to be vetoed by Gov. Evers.

(The Center Square) – It is another round of education changes from Assembly Republicans in Madison.

And much like the first time around, the plans are likely doomed.

Republicans on Tuesday moved ahead with a series of plans that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says focuses on learning and makes it clear that parents are in charge of their child’s education.

“That’s really what the focus is,” Vos told reporters at the Capitol. “Making sure that parents have every single right to ensure what happens with their own kids.

Vos is pushing one plan, AB 995, that would require an in-person option for all kids if schools ever decide to try remote-learning again. The plan would also spell out that parents will decide on vaccinations for their kids.

The plan that may get the most attention is AB 446, which would begin early literacy screenings for kids in kindergarten.

Rep. Bob Whitke, R-Racine, said the plan is unpopular because it comes with consequences for schools that don’t get kids reading at grade level by the third grade.

“Generally, those schools that have children who can’t read by the third grade would have to hold those students back until they are proficient enough to move on,” Whitke explained. “That is an uncomfortable conversation to have. But that is the reality of where we are at.”

Whitke said nearly two-thirds of school kids in Wisconsin cannot read, write, or do math at grade level.

“How many students are we going to fail?” Whitke asked. “This has got to stop. We are at a point in history where parents are demanding that we stop. That is why we are bringing up a number of these policy bills. That is our responsibility.”

Another Republican plan would require school resource officers if a school sees over 100 police calls or 25 arrests in one semester.

Two other proposals focus on free speech and Critical Race Theory at universities and technical colleges in the state.

All of the plans are expected to pass the Republican-controlled legislature. All of the plans are expected to be vetoed once they reach Gov. Evers’ desk.

(The Center Square) – Newly uncovered federal grant documents show that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded roughly $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars to a Florida-based education program that trains education future teachers in, among other things, critical race theory.

The funding came through two grants, one in 2017 and another in 2021. Both grants went to faculty at Florida State University, which has partnered with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Grant documents from the federal Institute for Education Sciences database show that the DOE awarded $1,020,800 in the first grant and $1,498,620 in the second grant. The program offers participants 1-year fellowships.

The program in question is called Partners United for Research Pathways Oriented to Social Justice in Education (PURPOSE).

“The PURPOSE training program's P–20 theme focuses on researching social justice issues within educational contexts,” the grant says. “Throughout the year fellows will participate in proseminars, within which they will learn about social justice issues.”

Those proseminars include teaching and training on critical race theory.

From Purpose’s website:

The theme of the PURPOSE program is, “Social Justice: Using Research to Address Inequities in Education.” Students from FSU and FAMU will have opportunities to develop their own research projects during the yearlong fellowship by engaging research problems targeting educational injustices. One of our program outcomes is a value for participating in the process of social justice, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all groups of people can fully participate in a society that meets their needs, beginning with an equitable education.

In the spring and summer semesters, fellows will participate in proseminars that focus on social justice topics including culturally relevant pedagogy and research design, tools for analyzing oppression, critical race theory, multicultural leadership, and tools for social change and action, which are led both by PURPOSE mentors and guest speakers from both institutions.

Alysia Roehrig, a professor of Educational Psychology at FSU who is listed as the “principal investigator” for the 2017 grant, acknowledged that critical race theory is taught in the taxpayer-funded program. She defended PURPOSE, saying it focuses on training education researchers, not teachers, though some of the fellows do go on to be teachers.

“The purpose of our project is to train minoritized students in education research methods so that they may obtain a PhD and perhaps become university professors,” Roehrig said. “We talk about CRT as one of many frameworks that can be used in conducting research with minoritized populations to address social justice issues in education. It is important to spend federal research money on understanding social justice issues because those from racially minoritized populations (who also pay taxes) are underrepresented in the education sciences.”

Roehrig also said it is important to inform teachers about “structural racism.”

“Without diverse perspectives in the field, it is very difficult to address research questions and issues that are relevant to our diverse U.S. population, or to overcome the pipeline problem (increasing the representation of minoritized students in graduate school and university faculty),” Roehrig said. “CRT has been taught in universities for a while (typically at the grad not undergrad level), but I think it has not been taught or used in K-12 schools.

“Teaching young children directly about the theory does not seem developmentally appropriate to me, but the theory can inform their teachers about structural racism and hopefully reduce deficit thinking about their students,” she added.

The principal investigator faculty member at FSU for the 2021 grant, Jeannine Turner, did not respond to a request for comment.

The office of U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., responded to a press inquiry on the program, calling it “inherently racist.”

“Last year, Senator Scott introduced a resolution condemning the use of Critical Race Theory in K-12 schools and teacher training, and he believes any taxpayer dollars spent to push the far-left’s narrative that America is inherently racist and evil in our classrooms, from Pre-K through higher education, is a gross and unacceptable misuse,” Scott’s office said in a statement.

Other critics also attacked PURPOSE, saying it rebuffs Democrats’ argument that CRT is not an issue in K-12 education.

“This is another example of how critical race theory – by name – finds its way into K-12 schools,” said Jonathan Butcher, an education expert at the Heritage Foundation. “These programs train graduate students to apply critical race theory’s discriminatory concepts to classroom teaching.”

The grant falls under the federal “Pathways to the Education Sciences Research Training Program.” The Pathways program’s website says it seeks to “increase the number of fellows from groups underrepresented in doctoral study including racial and ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, economically disadvantaged students, veterans, and students with disabilities and provide greater diversity in the types of institutions that provide IES-funded research training.”

That research training, though, often includes controversial critical race theory curriculum, training educators who then go on to teach at all levels of secondary and higher education. The federal program has not just pushed CRT in Florida.

The Center Square previously reported that the DOE awarded millions of dollars to a North Carolina based program that trains future educators in critical race theory.

In two federal grants, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) received more than $2.6 million for training college students in critical race theory. That program is named “The Research Institute for Scholars of Equity," or RISE. As part of the taxpayer-funded program, students receive a travel allowance, a $5,000 stipend, and money for housing and food. According to the program’s promotional materials and grant documents, RISE students are taught to use critical race theory as a framework by which to evaluate teacher quality, among other things.

News of that program sparked controversy.

“Critical Race Theory is inherently bigoted and it is a lie,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in response to news about that grant funding. “The federal government should not be funding the training for a Marxist ideology that teaches people to hate America. That’s why I introduced legislation earlier this year to block federal funding for CRT.”

(The Center Square) – Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are pointing to another report as proof their policies are working.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu on Wednesday released a memo from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that shows Wisconsin’s tax burden has fallen by $22 billion since 2011.

“In 2010, Wisconsin had the 5th highest tax burden in the nation. Residents were sending far too much of their earnings to Madison. On top of high taxes, the state had a $3.6 billion structural deficit, no Rainy Day Fund, and businesses were leaving in droves,” LeMahieu said.

Wisconsin is headed toward a record $4 billion surplus, plus a $1.7 billion rainy day fund.

“After twelve years of consistent tax cuts, fundamental reforms of government, and responsible budgeting, we’ve reduced the tax burden on Wisconsinites by $22 billion,” LeMahieu said. “As a result, our economy is more competitive and our state is attracting more people.”

Wisconsin’s tax burden, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, was the fifth highest in the nation back in 2011. Now, the Policy Forum reports Wisconsin’s tax burden is the 23rd highest in the country.

LeMahieu said none of the tax changes or savings would be possible if Gov. Evers had his way. He points to Gov. Evers’ first two budgets that would have raised taxes by over $1 billion, and increase state spending by up to $3 billion.

LeMahieu has expressed some support for using Wisconsin’s record surplus to lower or eliminate the state’s personal income tax.

He hinted at that again on Wednesday.

“The Legislature will continue our work to reduce the tax burden and the size of government so the people of Wisconsin can keep moving our state forward,” LeMahieu added.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up a challenge to Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

The lawsuit, filed in August by the Florida-based Liberty Council on behalf of more than 2,000 Maine health care workers, alleges that the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is violating federal law by requiring vaccinations for health care workers without allowing a religious exemption for those who object.

On Tuesday, the justices rejected the group's motion to present oral arguments in the case without comment, per the high court's practice. The high court has rejected two previous requests for injunctions against the vaccine rules.

An executive order signed by Gov. Janet Mills, which went into effect in October, requires health care workers in the state to be fully vaccinated against the virus. The requirement includes health care workers in nursing homes and other long term care facilities, firefighters, emergency medical service and dental workers.

Only medical exemptions are allowed, not religious or philosophical.

The Mills administration said the rules, which were enacted during a surge of COVID-19 cases last year, are needed to prevent further outbreaks.

The vaccine mandate is backed by the Maine Medical Association and Maine Hospital Association and several other health care groups, which say it will protect public health.

But the Liberty Counsel argued that religious objections to the vaccines must be allowed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the First Amendment.

"Many people hold sincere religious beliefs against taking any vaccines, or taking those derived from aborted fetal cell lines, or taking those sold by companies that profit from the sale of vaccines and other products derived from abortion," the group's lawyers wrote in court filings.

The Supreme Court's decision not to take up the Maine case follows it's rejection of President Joe Biden's proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal health care workers and a similar mandate for large companies. Maine was not one of the states that joined those legal challenges.

(The Center Square) – Florida’s former governor and current U.S. senator, Rick Scott, and eight other Republican senators introduced a bill to exempt all non-U.S. citizen commercial truck drivers from vaccination requirements as a condition to transport goods into the U.S.

It was filed one month after the Department of Homeland Security’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all foreign travelers entering the U.S. became effective Jan. 22.

Canada also began requiring proof of vaccination for all essential travelers, including truck drivers crossing the Canadian-U.S. border, on Jan. 15.

“Starting on January 22, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security will require that non-U.S. individuals entering the United States via land ports of entry or ferry terminals along our Northern and Southern borders be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be prepared to show related proof of vaccination,” DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said when announcing the mandate. “These updated travel requirements reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protecting public health while safely facilitating the cross-border trade and travel that is critical to our economy.”

Before the cross-border vaccine mandates were put in place last month, essential workers, including truck drivers, have been able to transport supplies to the U.S. freely crossing the border during nearly two years of the pandemic. Putting the mandate in place now, amid a supply chain crisis, doesn’t make any sense, critics argue.

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said the senators introducing the bill was “an important effort to reverse an arbitrary mandate that has slowed the movement of freight across our borders and made the already difficult job of trucking even more challenging. Truckers are essential workers and federal policies should reflect the critical role they play in our daily lives.”

The Terminating Reckless and Unnecessary Checks Known to Erode Regular Shipping (TRUCKERS) Act would exempt non-U.S. citizen commercial truck drivers traveling from Canada or Mexico who are seeking to temporarily enter the U.S. for business through a land port of entry from proof of vaccination requirements.

Cosigners include Republican senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven of North Dakota, Mike Lee of Utah, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Marco Rubio, also from Florida.

“Truck drivers are the backbone of America’s economy. My dad was a truck driver and I know firsthand how critical these men and women are to getting products flowing to American families and businesses again,” Scott said. “President Biden’s inflation and supply chain crises are devastating so many Americans, especially our poorest families like mine growing up. By pushing these ridiculous mandates, he is only making things worse.

“The government has no business pushing mandates on families and our hardworking businesses and my TRUCKERS Act will help stop this nonsense in its tracks,” he added. “Joe Biden would be wise to take note of what’s happening in Canada and see that the top-down, ‘government controls all’ approach doesn’t work,” referring to the Freedom Convoy organized by Canadian truckers in protest of Canada’s ongoing mandates.

Scott also urged Canada’s government “to drop its ridiculous mandates on foreign drivers.”

Instead, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergency Services Act for the first time in Canadian history. The government also began freezing protesters’ and supporters’ bank accounts, prompting several U.S. attorneys general to take action.

“When I ran my business, a third of my employees were truck drivers, so I know firsthand how important they are to our economy and our country,” Braun said. “Federal government vaccine mandates are wrong and we should not make our supply chain problems worse by turning away commercial truck drivers temporarily entering the country for business for not showing their vaccination papers.”

Blackburn added, "If the Biden administration is that worried about unvaccinated individuals entering into the USA, they should secure the southern border and stop the millions of unvaccinated illegal aliens from flooding into our country.”

The bill was filed after 12 Republican senators urged President Joe Biden to abandon his plans to impose a vaccine mandate on non-citizen truck drivers.

Led by Montana Sen. Steve Daines, they argued that keeping the mandate would hinder the transportation of goods across the norther border and exacerbate the ongoing supply chain crisis.

"Trucking is the largest mode of surface trade with Canada; every day, there are approximately 14,000 total truck entries along the U.S.-Canada border hauling more than $846 million of goods. Any disruptions to the continuity of U.S.-Canada trade would likely have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond our shared border," they wrote.

"In March of 2020, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency classified truck drivers as essential to the continued viability of our nation’s infrastructure because trucking is an indispensable component of North American trade and the linchpin of America’s domestic supply chain.”

They urged the president to “reengage our northern neighbor and leading export partner to establish a reciprocal policy for cross-border truck drivers that does not include a vaccine mandate and will not disrupt the North American supply chain."

They didn’t get a response, and the mandate went into effect.

Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Giménez, who’s introducing a companion bill, said, “Time and time again, Joe Biden has made catastrophic decisions that have hurt the American people. By imposing an unnecessary vaccine mandate on truckers from Canada and Mexico conducting trade with the United States, Biden has further stifled our supply chains and made trade with our most important partners too costly. It is time for us to end this ridiculous vaccine mandate on truckers and begin taking steps to return America back to normal.”