Monthly Archives: April, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted a lower court's ruling restricting an abortion pill until Wednesday night. The hold will give the Supreme Court time to review the controversial legal battle over mifespristone, the drug in question, and is the latest chapter in an ongoing battle on this issue since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

The Friday ruling came after the Biden administration requested the high court preserve access to the abortion pill, seen by many as a way for Americans to skirt state laws limiting abortion.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor last week of more restrictions on mifespristone, an abortion-inducing pill, notably that it can no longer be distributed via mail.

That court found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ignored alarming data about the safety of the pill and removed safeguards, possibly for political reasons, in the last year of the Obama administration.

“Imagine that an agency compiles studies about how cars perform when they have passive restraint systems, like automatic seatbelts,” the court said. “For nearly a decade, the agency collects those studies and continues studying how cars perform with passive safety measures. Then one day the agency changes its mind and eliminates passive safety measures based only on existing data of how cars perform with passive safety measures. That was obviously arbitrary and capricious in [an earlier 1983 case] State Farm. And so too here.”

The court also said that the FDA misrepresented data in a troubling way.

“Second, the 2016 Major REMS Changes eliminated the requirement that non-fatal adverse events must be reported to FDA. After eliminating that adverse-event reporting requirement, FDA turned around in 2021 and declared the absence of non-fatal adverse-event reports means mifepristone is ‘safe.’ This ostrich’s-head-in-the-sand approach is deeply troubling.”

The FDA took fire after the fifth circuit court’s ruling.

“The FDA put politics ahead of the health of women and girls when it failed to study how dangerous the chemical abortion drug regimen is and when it unlawfully removed every meaningful safeguard, even allowing for mail-order abortions,” Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Denise Harle said.

Democrats were quick to blast the ruling.

“This is a step toward a nationwide abortion ban,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that he “strongly disagrees” with the ruling, and the filing to the Supreme Court came in soon after.

“The course of this litigation has been troubling at every level,” that filling reads.

The litigation in question, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, began in November of last year when a coalition of pro-life groups filed a lawsuit in Texas against the FDA over the abortion pill.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the battlefield has majorly shifted on this issue.

Given new latitude by the Supreme Court, states have been passing laws either clamping down or opening up abortion access, depending on their political leanings.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Heartbeat Protection Act” that banned abortions after a heartbeat is detectable, at about 6 weeks of life. Women who have experienced rape, incest, or human trafficking have longer, up to 15 weeks, to have an abortion. The law allows exceptions for when the life of the mother is at risk as well.

“Thank you [DeSantis] for having the courage to do the right thing,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life. “You are setting the standard for GOP and they should follow your lead.”

These debates likely mean whichever party controls the next majority, and the White House, will have the ability to codify federal restrictions, or protections, for abortion pills and abortion access generally during that Congress, meaning Roe v. Wade’s overturning did not end the abortion fight but increased it.

In July, President Joe Biden decried the decision and doubled down, pledging to use the full force of his administration to increase abortion access as much as possible in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“HHS will increase outreach and public education efforts regarding access to reproductive health care services – including abortion – to ensure that Americans have access to reliable and accurate information about their rights and access to care,” the White House said at the time.

Two Democrats in Congress from North Carolina are working to boost the number of women in law enforcement, which they predict will improve outcomes for crime victims.

Reps. Deborah Ross and Valerie Foushee unveiled their Supporting Women with Career Opportunities in Policing Services Act in Durham this week. Ross and Foushee were joined by police chiefs Patrice Andrews of Durham, Estella Patterson of Raleigh and Celisa Lehew of Chapel Hill among others.

“Across the country, women only make up 12% of full-time police officers, a statistic that has not changed in more than two decades,” Ross said. “Despite this, we know that when more women serve in law enforcement, law enforcement departments are more effective and better support their communities.”

The Supporting Women COPS Act aims to incentivize more women to join law enforcement by addressing hiring practices Ross and Fouschee say are biased, and by establishing standards for female officer retention and promotion. The bill would establish a task force on women in law enforcement to make recommendations on hiring standards that do not disadvantage based on sex, and female officer retention and advancement.

Other aspects of the legislation would offer a 5% funding increase as an incentive to hire more women.

“Women are underrepresented in law enforcement, and the Supporting Women COPS Act will ensure that our law enforcement agencies have officers that reflect the people and communities they serve,” Foushee said. “This pivotal bill will not only help advance the role of women in law enforcement, but it will also eliminate barriers they face due to biased and outdated hiring practices. As a former administrator for the Chapel Hill Police Department, I am proud to join Congresswoman Ross in this effort that will support women in law enforcement and make a lasting systemic change.”

“This legislation coupled with the 30x30 initiative are necessary steps towards increasing women in law enforcement,” said Andrews, of Durham Police.

The 30x30 Initiative is a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who are pushing to increase female representation in law enforcement to 30% by 2030.

The group’s website includes research that “has shown women officers are associated with more positive outcomes for communities.

The initiative reports, “Women officers use less force and less excessive force; are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits; are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate; see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases; and make fewer discretionary arrests.”

With home prices declining for over six months, some U.S. housing market conditions have shifted to favor buyers. Still, other conditions stack up against homebuyers, particularly mortgage rates. As inflation began to surge, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates nine times in 12 months in an attempt to stem rising prices. The cumulative 475 basis points Fed rate hike sent mortgage rates soaring, forcing many homebuyers to reevaluate their budgets and consider exactly how much house they can afford.

Since September 2022, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage has been above 6%, the highest it has been in nearly a decade and a half. With historically high borrowing costs, many homebuyers are seeking more affordable markets. And in some parts of the country, a relatively modest housing budget goes a lot further than in others.

According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the median list price for a home in Wisconsin was about $195 per square foot as of March 2023. Based on price per square foot, a homebuyer with a $200,000 budget can afford a 1,026 square foot home, the 23rd largest of any state. A year earlier, the size of a $200,000 home in the state was 9.7% bigger than it is today.

Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey, the typical home in Wisconsin is worth $230,700, compared to the national median home value of $281,400.

RankStateApprox. sq. ft. of a $200k home, March 2023Median home list price per sq. ft., March 2023 ($)Approx. 1 yr. change in size of a $200k home (%)Median home value ($)1West Virginia1,600125-13.6143,2002Mississippi1,515132-12.1145,6003Ohio1,493134-7.5180,2004Indiana1,351148-8.1182,4004Arkansas1,351148-15.5162,3006Louisiana1,316152-5.3192,8006North Dakota1,316152-10.5224,4008Kansas1,290155-18.7183,8009Kentucky1,282156-9.6173,30010Alabama1,274157-10.8172,80011Oklahoma1,250160-16.3168,50012Missouri1,235162-7.4198,30013Michigan1,220164-4.3199,10014Illinois1,163172-0.6231,50014Pennsylvania1,163172-2.3222,30016Nebraska1,143175-12.6204,90017Georgia1,111180-3.3249,70017Iowa1,111180-10.6174,40019Wyoming1,099182-12.1266,40020Texas1,081185-4.9237,40021New Mexico1,064188-12.2214,00022South Carolina1,058189-8.5213,50023Wisconsin1,026195-9.7230,70024South Dakota1,010198-9.6219,90025Minnesota980204-14.2285,40026North Carolina966207-2.9236,90027Virginia952210-4.3330,60028Maryland913219-4.1370,80028Tennessee913219-8.2235,20030Delaware893224-6.7300,50031Vermont855234-10.3271,50032Alaska851235-7.7304,90033Utah8032494.0421,70033Maine803249-12.9252,10035Nevada7872543.1373,00036Connecticut775258-3.9311,50037Arizona7632620.8336,30038Idaho7552659.4369,30039New Jersey746268-1.5389,80040Florida727275-1.8290,70041Colorado699286-1.4466,20041New Hampshire699286-10.8345,20043Oregon6623022.0422,70044Washington6313172.5485,70045Montana629318-7.2322,80046Rhode Island625320-7.8348,10047New York5243821.8368,80048Massachusetts498402-0.2480,60049California4614344.6648,10050Hawaii3006664.7722,500

(The Center Square) – Nearly every U.S. state recognized increased backlogs for new Social Security disability benefit applications since 2019, And the Great Lakes states were no different.

In fact, Wisconsin’s backlog more than doubled, ranking in fifth nationwide for increased backlogs. From 2019 to 2023, Wisconsin’s backlog grew 130%, with an increase of 11,500 backlogged applications. It has the fifth highest backlog increase in the nation.

Michigan’s backlog rose 21% (4,810 more), and Iowa’s increased 7% (315 more), and Minnesota’s rose 5% (327 more).

Nonpartisan civic data organization USAFacts found in its report that as of March, for the first time since 2008, more than 1 million initial applications are pending review.

The average wait time increased from 133 days in February 2020 to a record 222 days in March 2023, according to the report, which was last updated April 10.

USAFacts Data Visualization Engineer Amber Thomas said in a statement USAFacts wants Americans to have deeper, more accessible government data so they can make more informed decisions regarding policies.

“We encourage residents to look at current and proposed policies with the data and facts in mind to help guide their actions,” she said. “The best thing residents in these states as well as across the country is continue to spread the facts and data to others. Ensure whatever action you take and those around you is rooted in verifiable facts and data. It can start by sharing our report with family and friends who want to learn more about the topic but continue with seeking out more information to educate and inform you and your communities.”

She said residents should contact their political representatives and ask them to look into the issue.

Thomas said the analysis didn’t include socioeconomic factors, but the backlog data can be downloaded from the report or the SSA’s website.

“We encourage others to build upon our work to answer questions like this one,” she said.

Each year, about 8,000 applicants file for bankruptcy and about 10,000 die while waiting for a decision on their disability benefit application, and there’s no monetary assistance for applicants during the application process, according to the report. About 60% of applicants are denied benefits after that period. If they choose to appeal, that process, which has about a 50/50 chance of success, could take months or years. A 2020 Government Accountability Office study found that the median wait time for a final decision on claims filed in 2015 was about two years and three months.

The backlog has been at least this high since April 2022, the report found. The last time it was near this level was in August 2010, when there were 821,633 pending applications.

SSA officials asked Congress for an $800 million budget increase for the 2023 fiscal year to help reduce backlogs, as they said that without more funding for employees and IT updates, backlogs and wait times would increase and make the service deteriorate further, to unacceptable levels, the report said.

The SSA had the lowest staffing level in 25 years, and attrition rates in state DDS are more than 25%, SSA Deputy Commissioner for Operations Grace Kim testified in May 2022.

The SSA can’t compensate staff for overtime, the report said.

Florida had the greatest percentage increase (156%), the report found. The backlog also more than doubled in South Carolina, Texas, North Dakota, Kansas, Arizona, New Hampshire and Mississippi.

Seven states experienced a drop: Nevada, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Washington, Vermont and Alaska. Alaska had the greatest decrease, 51%.

With over 50 countries involved, and fighting that spanned three continents, World War II was the most devastating and consequential conflict in human history. When the United States was drawn into the war in December 1941, two years after it began in Europe, the country put every resource it could spare into the effort. The American contribution to the victory over the Axis powers was not only in its industrial scale weapons and material production, but also in manpower.

Dubbed the great arsenal of democracy, the U.S. manufactured more than 96,000 bombers, 86,000 tanks, 2.4 million trucks, 6.5 million rifles, and billions of dollars' worth of supplies in the Second World War. The U.S. also mobilized more troops during the conflict than any other Allied power other than the Soviet Union. In the final year of the war, the number of active-duty American military personnel totaled 12.2 million, up from less than 500,000 in 1940.

Of the 16.3 million Americans who are estimated to have served in WWII, more than 400,000 were killed in action. Today, only 167,284 American veterans who returned home are still alive.

According to The National WWII Museum, there are still 3,700 World War II veterans living in Wisconsin, the 17th most of all states. WWII veterans comprise 1.2% of the state's total veteran population of 303,641. Nationwide, WWII vets account for 1.0% of the total veteran population.

Nearly 80 years have passed since the war's end, and currently, an average of 180 veterans of the conflict die each day in the United States. Over the next year, the number of WWII veterans is expected to fall by roughly half, and by 2034, a little more than 1,000 are likely to still be alive, according to projections from The National WWII Museum.

Data on the number of World War II veterans living in each state is from The National WWII Museum and is current as of 2022. Data on the total number of veterans in each state is from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey.

RankStateLiving WWII veterans, 2022All veterans, 2021Share of veterans who served in WWII (%)1California15,9461,342,3371.22Florida14,8231,356,8821.13Pennsylvania9,675641,5251.54New York9,635614,2891.65Texas8,2001,408,4640.66Ohio6,919621,8901.17Illinois6,114496,3521.28Michigan5,989474,6451.39North Carolina5,061615,4520.810Massachusetts5,006238,0392.111New Jersey4,712283,4851.712Indiana4,583335,2481.413Washington4,176490,7170.914Arizona3,986454,3750.915Virginia3,914641,1440.616Minnesota3,845265,9201.417Wisconsin3,700303,6411.218Missouri3,406355,4241.019Georgia3,299595,7430.620Maryland2,876332,5910.921Connecticut2,810140,6842.022Oregon2,769259,2071.123Colorado2,699348,4850.824Kentucky2,478237,5971.025Tennessee2,372394,6040.626Oklahoma2,301240,1461.027South Carolina2,142353,0560.628Nevada1,791193,3400.929Iowa1,767162,3581.130Louisiana1,600221,3160.731Kansas1,596147,7211.132Alabama1,576315,1420.533Mississippi1,259155,2720.834Utah1,230114,8031.135Maine1,18198,7031.236Arkansas1,144177,1760.637New Mexico1,131128,9240.938Nebraska1,086109,2251.039Rhode Island1,03349,2062.140West Virginia1,021107,2711.041New Hampshire1,00487,6041.142Idaho788122,3310.643Montana75880,9530.944Hawaii67287,3570.845Delaware64855,5161.246South Dakota46354,4030.947North Dakota30740,2500.848Wyoming13640,9100.349Vermont13331,9710.450Alaska9958,4310.2

(The Center Square) – There was one group at Wisconsin's budget hearing pushing for less. Americans for Prosperity warned Wisconsin lawmakers about spending too much of the state's record $7.1 billion surplus.

Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin this week waited through hours of requests for more money at the legislature’s public budget hearings to make the simple case to spend less.

AFP’s Megan Novak told The Center Square Wisconsin cannot afford to recklessly spend over $100 billion like Gov. Tony Evers has suggested.

“From tax hikes, to spending increases in every section of the budget to handouts for professional sports teams, Governor Evers’ proposal was a fantasy budget from the start. The Joint Finance Committee was right last time to scrap Governor Evers’ tax and spend wish list budget, and we are glad to see they will be doing the same this time around,” Novak explained.

The Joint Finance Committee, which will actually write Wisconsin's new two-year spending plan, hosted two budget hearings this week. Both saw a cavalcade of local government leaders, local school leaders, and advocates press lawmakers for more money.

Novak said the Republican-controlled JFC needs to keep a lid on state spending.

“AFP’s grassroots activists showed up at budget hearings across the state to make sure the Joint Finance Committee knows there are hardworking taxpayers out there who support their efforts to return the surplus to the taxpayers, expand education freedom, and stop handouts to out-of-state millionaire sports team owners,” Novak added.

JFC members have been relatively silent about the Brewers’ ballpark finding deal. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said last week that he wants a separate vote on the American Family Field plan, saying he wants to keep it out of the state budget.

Novak also warned lawmakers about spending Wisconsin’s record $7 billion surplus too quickly, or too frivolously.

“Gov. Evers’ proposed budget would recklessly and irresponsibly spend our state’s record surplus, somehow managing to turn a $7 billion surplus into a deficit in two years,” Novak said. “[We] strongly support reining in this proposed out of control spending, and instead focusing the state’s next budget on meaningful tax reform, smart government spending, preventing stadium bailouts for out-of-state millionaires, and education freedom.”

(The Center Square) – The push for a universal free school lunch program in Wisconsin is running into opposition at the State Capitol.

Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction on Monday shared the testimony it plans to deliver to the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee about its Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids initiative.

“As adults responsible for the well-being of Wisconsin’s children, we must ensure they are fed. This shows care, humanity, and a connected community,” Duy Nguyen, assistant state superintendent for the Division for Academic Excellence at the Department of Public Instruction, said. “Children should have access to free school meals.”

DPI wants to fully fund a free school lunch program, at the cost of $120 million for the second year of Wisconsin’s two-year state budget.

DPI claims that “over 40% of Wisconsin students are economically disadvantaged, and nearly 21% of the state’s children are considered food insecure."

Kids from families who make less than $36,000 a-year currently get free school lunches, and kids from families making as much as $51,000 currently get reduced-price school lunches.

Sen Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, who sits on the JFC, told The Center Square that families able to pay for their kids’ lunches should pay for their kids' lunches.

“Taxpayers should not be on the hook for paying school lunches for families that could otherwise afford it. Wisconsin has finite resources – it’s important to make sure that students who are in the most need of free and reduced-price lunches are able to take advantage of this program as it was originally designed,” Stroebel said.

Stroebel said the expansion of school lunches during the pandemic is driving DPI’s desire. But he noted that he’s not the only one pushing back on the idea of universal free school lunches.

“I don’t recall anyone who thought this was a compelling cause before COVID-19, so returning to the pre-pandemic status quo should not be considered an affront to Wisconsin schoolchildren and their families. In fact, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards’ Delegate Assembly recently rejected a proposed resolution that called for increased state funding to establish a universal free school lunch program,” Stroebel added. “ Schools cannot and should not attempt to replace parents, but the adoption of a universal free school lunch program would be one more step in that direction.”

DPI will present its push for the new free lunch program at JFC’s budget listening sessions this week.

(The Center Square) – There is a plan at the Wisconsin Capitol that would allow teachers and school workers to carry a gun inside a school.

State Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, is circulating the legislation for co-sponsors this week.

Allen said the idea is to allow local school boards to set their own rules about guns in school.

“The bill avoids a state-wide solution, and instead gives each school district the ability to make a choice that is currently prohibited by state law. The bill also would eliminate the concealed carry license fee for teachers,” Allen said in a statement.

Allen added that the idea came from Germantown’s school board which asked him to change Wisconsin’s concealed carry laws.

“This bill came about at the request of the Germantown School Board who wrote that the ‘gun free school zone’ signs do nothing but notify a criminal that there will be few, if any, people in the building that can defend themselves,” Allen explained. “Schools provide soft targets for those looking to do harm, and this bill gives school boards the option to change that.”

Current Wisconsin law prohibits anyone but a police officer from carrying a gun inside a school.

Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol, however, have looked to change that law since the shooting at that middle school Uvalde, Texas.

Gov. Evers on Monday made it clear that even if Allen’s plan makes it through the legislature, it will never become law.

"Wisconsinites have been desperately demanding commonsense proposals that will reduce gun violence and keep our kids, our schools, and our communities safe. This bill isn’t among them. This bill shouldn’t make it to my desk — but if it does, I'll veto it. Plain and simple," the governor said on Twitter. “I already vetoed Republicans’ bill to allow loaded guns on school grounds because increasing firearms on school grounds won’t make our schools or our kids safer. So, let me be clear: I’ll veto any bill that weakens Wisconsin’s gun-free school zone law. Period.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal and science technology office, has made race and gender speech codes for its scientists a top priority.

The guidance, for example, tells federal employees not to use the words "blacklist" or "whitelist" because of the racial connotations and also cautions against "using terms that assign a gender to inanimate objects, such as male/female connectors."

The NIST is a little-known government agency tasked with helping the U.S., among other things, stay technologically ahead of rivals like China. Congress appropriated about $1.65 billion for the group for 2023.

Lawmakers recently hammered the Pentagon for investing heavily in critical race theory and gender ideology. The National Institutes of Health has done so as well, along with other agencies.

The NIST is one of many federal agencies putting its attention and taxpayer funds into these efforts as it struggles to keep pace with its key mission. The NIST sparked controversy for its "Inclusive Language Guidance," which tells scientists which words or phrases they can or cannot use in reports.

From the document:

- Consider that biased terms, such as blacklist/whitelist, also may introduce comprehension issues.

- Avoid terms such as master/slave that perpetuate negative stereotypes or unequal power relationships.

- Avoid identifying an individual’s gender unless necessary for comprehension, or using terms that assign a gender to inanimate objects, such as male/female connectors.

- Avoid descriptive terms that are condescending or reductive in favor of language that the groups being described would prefer.

Steven Lipner, chair of the Congressionally authorized Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, sent a letter to NIST in 2020 recommending the whitelist and blacklist changes as well as the changes for master and slave usage.

"Many technology and security standards contain racially insensitive language that is both offensive to many of our colleagues and is also, in many respects, ambiguous – technically and culturally," the letter said. "Examples of such language include using the terms blacklist and whitelist instead of block-list and allow-list and using the terms master and slave."

Jennifer Huergo, a spokesperson for NIST, told The Center Square the guidance "was created primarily for the benefit of NIST staff experts who participate in the development of documentary standards as expert collaborators and leaders."

"Use of inclusive language helps to avoid potential gaps in understanding that could arise from the use of colloquial or idiomatic expressions that are rooted in particular historical events or regional dialects," she said.

The NIST’s DEI office also promotes liberal ideas around gender and sexuality. The DEI staff page features the preferred pronouns of its employees as the first priority in the bios.

The issue has regularly been thrust into the forefront because while Americans are largely split on the debate over gender identity and critical race theory, federal agencies have largely embraced it and put millions of taxpayer dollars behind it.

A Pew Research report released last summer found that while most Americans say there is discrimination against transgender people, "60% say a person’s gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth, up from 56% in 2021 and 54% in 2017."

The NIST speech code also links to the American Psychological Association’s webpage on "biased language," which goes on at length about the myriad of possible genders, and the need to cater to them.

"Transgender is used as an adjective to refer to persons whose gender identity, expression, and/or role does not conform to what is culturally associated with their sex assigned at birth," APA says. "Some transgender people hold a binary gender, such as man or woman, but others have a gender outside of this binary, such as gender-fluid or nonbinary. Individuals whose gender varies from presumptions based on their sex assigned at birth may use terms other than 'transgender' to describe their gender, including 'gender-nonconforming,' 'genderqueer,' 'gender-nonbinary,' 'gender-creative,' 'agender,' or 'two-spirit,' to name a few."

The taxpayer-funded speech guidelines also quote racial theory from a book written by Tukufu Zuberi, a professor of Race Relations and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania steeped in critical race theory. The book is titled "White Logic, White Methods." Zuberi also penned an article titled, "Critical Race Theory: A Commemoration."

While the U.S. is a world-leader in developing intellectual property, it lags behind in the ability to manufacture it. For example, the source of electric batteries, seen as the future of the green energy movement, is largely overseas. In fact, China made about three quarters of the world's lithium ion batteries in 2021, while the U.S. made only 7%.

(The Center Square) – It appears Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate have secured enough votes to out-vote the governor.

Current state Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, ended Tuesday night with a nearly 1,000 vote lead over his Democratic challenger Jodi Habush Sinykin.

The Associated Press reported that Knodl had 38,594 compared to Habush Sinykin’s 37,208 with 99% of the votes counted Tuesday night.

If Knodl’s win holds, Republicans will have a supermajority in the Wisconsin Senate and will have enough votes to both override Gov. Tony Evers, and oust some of his cabinet secretaries if they chose.

A spokesperson for Habush Sinykin said the margin is too close, and said they are not ready to concede in the race.

Bail Reforms Pass

Voters in Wisconsin on Tuesday said they want to change how bail works in the state.

Both of Wisconsin’s bail reform constitutional amendments passed by overwhelming margins.

The first question that would change the constitution to allow judges to keep people in jail, or set higher bails for people accused of serious, violent crimes passed with about 67% of the vote. The second question that allows judges to look at more than just a suspect’s likelihood of returning to court passed with about 68% of the vote.

The amendments come after years of working to update the Wisconsin Constitution’s bail requirements, and after the state’s cash bail system came under fire because of the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack.

The changes will now go forward, though there is some uncertainty. The Republican-controlled legislature passed a plan last month to clarify just what the constitutional amendment means by “serious bodily harm” and “violent crime,” but Gov. Evers has yet to sign that legislation.

Welfare Work Requirement Passes

Just over eight-in-10 voters in Wisconsin want people on welfare to have to work to receive public benefits.

The advisory question on Tuesday’s ballot that asked "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded benefits?" got just over 80% of the vote.

Preliminary returns show that more than 1.4 million people voted to require some work in exchange for welfare.

The vote doesn’t really matter. State law will not change, and anyone receiving public benefits in Wisconsin will not need to find a job. The question was advisory only.

(The Center Square) – Liberals have won another landslide statewide election in Wisconsin, pushing judge Janet Protasiewicz on to the state Supreme Court.

Protasiewicz won the closely watched, and massively expensive race for Supreme Court by nearly 11 points Tuesday. She got 55% of the vote, compared to conservative former Justice Dan Kelly’s 44%.

“I will bring the fairness and impartiality that you all have been waiting for, and I will be a part of the solution to make our Supreme Court something that you all feel proud of and protected by,” Protasiewicz said in her victory speech.

“I wish Wisconsin the best of luck because I think it’s going to need it,” Kelly said in his speech on election night.

Wisconsin’s 2023 race for the Supreme Court is the most expensive in U.S. history. Some estimates have the race costing at least $45 million. That crushes the former record of $15 million spent on the Illinois Supreme Court race back in 2004.

Turnout was huge, and played a huge role in the race.

Early numbers suggest that 36% of voters cast a ballot for Tuesday’s election. That would beat the previous high turnout for a Wisconsin judicial race, and would beat the turnout numbers from the 2020 court race and presidential primary.

The race was Kelly’s second defeat for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He lost in the 2020 race by a similar double-digit margin.

“Judicial campaigns are supposed to be about constitutional principles and legal scholarship, which has been the focus of my conversations with the people of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, my opponent made her campaign about cynical appeals to political passions, serial lies, and a blatant disregard for judicial ethics and the integrity of the court. But the judgment of the people of Wisconsin is paramount, and this is what they have chosen,” Kelly said.

The Protasiewicz-Kelly race was a national draw, bringing in millions of dollars from out-of-state supporters, because it is seen as a proxy election on abortion.

Protasiewicz has made it clear her “values” include a woman’s right to choose. Kelly accused her of all but promising to strike down Wisconsin’s pre-Roe abortion law.

That law, which outlaws abortions in every case except for the health of the mother, is being challenged by Wisconsin’s Democratic governor and Democratic attorney general.

Protasiewicz will hear arguments in that case next month.

Protasiewicz ‘s win gives liberals a 4-3 majority on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, their first majority in 15 years.

Now there’s an expectation that Protasiewicz will rule on cases that involve Wisconsin’s election maps, Act 10, school choice, and a list of other issues that Democrats in the state have not been able to succeed on through the legislature.

The 34 count indictment of former President Donald Trump has been unsealed.

Read it below: