Yearly Archives: 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday night, reshaping the Republican primary field and forcing Republicans to take sides.

Former President Donald Trump welcomed DeSantis to the primary race with a barrage of attacks on his platform of choice, TruthSocial.

“‘Rob,’ My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!),” he wrote.

Trump posted several videos of DeSantis as well. One video points out how a Trump endorsement likely propelled DeSantis to victory in his Florida governor’s race in 2018. The video features old campaign videos where DeSantis held a Trump sign, praised Trump, and thanked him for standing by him, even "when it wasn't necessarily the smart thing to do."

DeSantis secured billionaire Elon Musk’s endorsement as well as praise from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., during the Twitter Spaces event. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wore a “Make America Great Again” hat to Capitol Hill Thursday morning, hours after DeSantis’ announcement.

On Twitter, pundits and popular conservative voices chose sides, posting in favor or against DeSantis through the night and into the morning depending on their allegiances. The announcement has divided the party more than any other.

Many Republicans hope DeSantis can provide the party with a more effective, drama-free, post-Trump future while others think Trump is the only way to take on the deep state and liberal establishment.

DeSantis was widely mocked for the technical glitches of his announcement, which was delayed more than 20 minutes as Musk and entrepreneur and author David Sacks, who moderated the Twitter Spaces event, tried to get the production working.

Sacks waved off the technical glitches, saying they were likely "melting the servers" and likely breaking records with their Twitter announcement. There is dispute over the actual number of online attendees with different outlets reporting different figures, but DeSantis had several hundred thousand users listening in for his event to begin before many gave up because of the technical difficulties. DeSantis' team claimed that within 15 hours of the announcement, it had more than 30 million views.

DeSantis’ camp tried to reframe the technical issues as “breaking the internet,” a sign of overwhelming interest. Musk said on the broadcast that breaking new ground online, especially while live, naturally comes with these kinds of issues.

Liberal media outlets poured in criticism of DeSantis for the launch with a string of blistering headlines. Politico called the tech failures "horrendous" while the Washington Post said it "didn't work." CNN called the launch "embarrassing," and NBC said the launch "melts down."

It is worth noting, though, that both Trump and DeSantis have built their brands by mocking and disregarding those very same media outlets.

Trump jumped on this opportunity as well, sharing a video on Truth Social of one of Musk’s rockets failing to launch and then exploding with DeSantis’ logo overlaid on the crashing missile.

“I know Ron,” Trump said. “The way he handled his announcement, he will handle the Country!”

During the Twitter event, DeSantis took subtle shots at Trump without naming him, saying he had frustration with the former president's inability to enact his agenda and blasted the "culture of losing" in the GOP.

DeSantis hit on several key issues for Republican voters during his announcement, namely the border crisis, rising crime, critical race theory, media bias and censorship as well as the government response to COVID-19, saying his response in Florida kept states around the country from "rolling lockdowns."

"First, we need an honest reckoning about what happened during COVID," DeSantis said, calling the federal pandemic response "authoritarian" and not in line with the data. "I saw an interest in the narrative and politics over evidence..."

The first GOP caucus is in Iowa on Jan. 22, 2024, while the first GOP primary is Jan. 30 of the same year in New Hampshire. The first group of states holding their presidential primary votes is in March of next year.

Polling from Morning Consult surveyed Republican primary voters and put DeSantis in second place among the contenders with 18% support, though far behind Trump, who came in at 61% support.

Radio host and commentator Larry Elder, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have announced their 2024 ambitions as well. The Morning Consult poll put Haley and Ramaswamy both at 4% support. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced he is running on Monday.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is still considering a bid.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his 2024 presidential bid Wednesday evening.

DeSantis, who currently ranks second in the latest Republican primary polling, is expected to make the announcement during a live stream video on Twitter as part of a conversation with billionaire Elon Musk.

Morning Consult polling of Republican primary voters released last week puts former president Donald Trump at 61% support with DeSantis in second at 18% support.

“Governor DeSantis has been the primary vessel for conservatives looking for a different direction post Trump,” Colin Reed, Republican strategist and Co-founder of South & Hill Strategies, told The Center Square. “He’s earned his place atop the pack, now he’s got to prove he is up to the task in a growing field of other talented contenders.”

DeSantis built his reputation and conservative following by taking on the “woke establishment” by pairing his tough rhetoric on critical race theory and the LGBT agenda with tangible policy wins. DeSantis took on Disney after the company made clear it wants to advance an LGBT agenda in its programming for kids, and he had some success, working with local leaders to strip the company of special tax and governance protections in his state of Florida. DeSantis still faces legal challenges from the company, but his battle was largely seen as a victory among Republican voters.

“I will not allow a woke corporation based in California to run our state,” DeSantis said last year. “Disney has gotten away with special deals from the State of Florida for way too long.”

After the Black Lives Matter riots and following push to defund police, DeSantis offered bonuses to police officers who would come to his state, drawing attention and praise from conservatives by flying in the face of mainstream media’s narrative around race and policing.

He also took heavy fire from the media for supporting legislation to prevent educators from discussing gender and sexuality topics for young children in the Florida school system. Opponents labeled it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in the initial controversy, but DeSantis navigated through it, fighting publicly with the media, which was later forced to admit the bill does not include those words.

DeSantis’ decision to stand firm and his Trump-esque battling with reporters bolstered his reputation among conservatives.

Trump, though, has already started attacking DeSantis, calling him “DeSanctimonious” and “unelectable.”

Whether DeSantis will return fire with the same intensity remains to be seen and may be the deciding factor in the primary campaign.

After news broke of the coming announcement, DeSantis’ wife, Casey, posted on Twitter, “Big if true,” apparently a joke giving a nod to the news.

The news comes after U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced Monday that he is also running for president. Scott comes in well behind at 1% support in the Morning Consult poll.

The first GOP caucus is in Iowa on Jan. 22, 2024, while the first GOP primary is Jan. 30 of the same year in New Hampshire. However, the first cohort of states holding their presidential primary votes is in March of next year.

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee’s mayor is predicting bankruptcy within two years, as well as possibly hundreds of layoffs for police officers and firefighters if Wisconsin lawmakers can’t come to terms on a shared revenue deal.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson was one of several people to speak at the Senate’s first hearing on the plan to send as much as $500 million to local governments across the state,

“Without question, my city’s budgetary situation is dire,” Johnson told senators. “My city is on a path to catastrophic budget cuts.”

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley warned of similar dire circumstances in a weekend op-ed.

“In the County alone, our structural deficit is expected to exceed $100 million by 2028 without any action; under that scenario we would not have money for local needs,” Crowley wrote. “A projected deficit of this size will inevitably lead to drastic service reductions, which will fall disproportionately upon those who rely on county services the most.”

The Senate’s shared revenue proposal would allow city and county leaders to raise local sales taxes to find the money Johnson and Crowley say they need .

The Assembly’s plan would have voters decide if the local sales taxes should go up.

There is real fear, however, that Milwaukee and Milwaukee County voters will vote "No" on the tax hike.

Republican Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, said that would lead to a disaster in Milwaukee.

“"At some point cuts are going to happen [in Milwaukee],” Felzkowski said Tuesday. “They can cut the library by $25 million, 545 police officers, or 209 firemen to offset their pension costs."

Assembly Republicans approved their version of the shared revenue plan last week. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos then declared the plan final, and said he was done negotiating.

The top Democrat in the Wisconsin Senate, Melissa Agard, D-Madison, said she hopes more hearings and more testimony from leaders like Milwaukee’s mayor will change Vos’ mind.

“My conversations with Senate Majority Leader LeMahieu have been productive and we both recognize the need for a sustainable solution. While Speaker Vos may have drawn a line in the sand, my caucus certainly hasn’t and we will continue to negotiate in good faith for the betterment of our local communities and our state,” Agard said.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s two largest school districts are likely looking at massive budget shortfalls next year, despite millions from local tax increases and tens of millions of dollars from the federal government over the past two years.

A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum lays out the fiscal cliff that both Milwaukee Public Schools and Madison Metropolitan Schools face.

“MPS and MMSD largely avoided using the temporary COVID-19 aid for ongoing expenses such as paying teachers. Yet as the state’s two largest districts budget for no increase in state revenue caps next year, they are proposing for now at least a greater reliance on the one-time pandemic relief funds for ongoing spending – an ominous sign,” the Forum report states.

There are two immediate concerns for both school districts. One, is the end of the federal coronavirus stimulus money. The other is the continued drop in enrollment for public schools in Milwaukee and Madison.

The Policy Forum report says Madison Metropolitan Schools received over $70 million in coronavirus money since the spring of 2020, all that has to be dedicated by 2024. Milwaukee Public Schools saw the most coronavirus money in the entire state, at over $740 million. That money too must be earmarked by next year.

The report notes that Milwaukee Schools have lost the most students in the state as well.

“MPS lost more than 1,600 students and had the largest decline at 2.3% of any of the [10 largest] school districts,” the report notes. “Madison Metropolitan Schools’s enrollment declined by 260 students, or 1.0%, a slightly higher rate than the state as a whole. Overall this year, 164 school districts gained enrollment, five saw enrollment stay the same, and 252 experienced a drop in enrollment.”

Fewer students, the Police Forum said, leads to less state funding for public schools.

Some of the students moved to other public school districts, but in Madison in particular, the report says many of the students went to new charter schools.

The Policy Forum Report says while an increase in state money for public schools could stave-off the worst of the fiscal cliff, the drop in students and the loss of federal money could lead to new tax increases.

“With enrollment falling in both districts (thus portending continued cuts in both revenue limits and potentially state equalization aids), unassigned general fund balances shrinking, and the state budget unlikely to provide enough additional support to fully offset the loss of ESSER monies, property taxpayers in both districts likely will be under pressure to pay more to sustain existing levels of staff and services, and more cuts may still be needed in 2025,” the report states in its conclusion.

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court is not going to stop a ruling that orders Mequon-Thiensville Schools to turn over a secret email list.

The high court this week refused an appeal from the school district that sought to keep the list from a former Mequon alderman who wanted to email parents and alumni.

The case started back in 2021 when former Alderman Mark Gierl sued Mequon-Thiensville Schools after the district sent an invitation to "The Talk: A Necessary Conversation on Privilege and Race with Our Children."

Gierl wanted to offer a counter point, but the school district said the email lists were private.

“Government records are our records,” Tom Kamenick, president and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project said at the time. “That goes for distribution lists government officials use to send out its preferred messages, as the Attorney General has advised for decades.”

An appeal court agreed with Gierl in December of last year.

This week, Kamenick said he is “glad the Supreme Court decided to leave the Court of Appeals decision in place.”

Mequon-Thiensville Schools, however, continue to promise to fight to keep the lists secret.

“Please understand we have exhausted all efforts to protect the release of your personal information. We stand firm in our belief that releasing your private email addresses does nothing to shine a light of transparency on our operations or communications, which is the intent and purpose of the Public Records Law. Nevertheless, in this case, the lower court and the Court of Appeals took issue with the MTSD’s use of the email distribution list to announce a voluntary virtual presentation on race relations following an incident in our community,” the school district said in a statement on its website.

There is still a pending case, and Lamenick hopes that judges will agree with all of the other courts in the earlier cases

“We hope the Court of Appeals reaches the same decision in the still-pending second case between my client and Mequon-Thiensville," Kamenick said.

(The Center Square) – Two of Green Bay’s state lawmakers are asking for millions of dollars to welcome the NFL Draft to town.

The NFL on Monday announced that Green Bay will host the 2025 Draft.

On Tuesday, state Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, and state Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, submitted a formal request for $2 million to help “offset” the costs.

“A $2 million investment for a $94 million return is phenomenal,” Steffen said. “I am proud to have advocated for state support of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, given the significant positive financial impact this event will have on our state. I’m excited for Green Bay to show off all it has to offer and give attendees and viewers a top-notch, Wisconsin-style experience.”

Steffen and Cowles say the NFL Draft will bring a nearly $100 million economic impact to Green Bay, $20 million of which they say will go to the city itself.

Steffen and Cowles say the Packers will contribute $5 million of their own money to the draft celebration.

The NFL said just over 300,000 people turned out for this year’s draft in Kansas City.

Cowles said the league expects 240,000 visitors to Green Bay, as well as 54 million people to watch the draft on TV.

He said $2 million to help bring the draft to Green Bay is an investment that will pay off.

“The history of the Packers and the history of Wisconsin go hand in hand. With the announcement of the 2025 draft taking place in Titletown, we’re continuing to build on that history while producing new opportunities for people throughout the country to understand and appreciate all that Northeast Wisconsin has to offer,” Cowles said. “With a reasonable request to ensure the event goes off without a hitch and that we put our best foot forward, Northeast Wisconsin and the entire state would be able to see a great return on our investment.”

The 2024 NFL Draft will be in Detroit. The NFL has not yet said just when the draft in Green Bay will be held.

(The Center Square) – The prospects for Wisconsin’s shared revenue plan got a bit dimmer Thursday after the top Republican in the State Senate said his half of the legislature wants a slightly different plan of their own.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told reporters Thursday morning that the Senate will hold some public hearings, then vote on a version of the shared revenue proposal that Senators agree upon.

“It's unfortunate that [Assembly Speaker Robin Vos] is drawing a line in the sand now with his version of the bill and stopping negotiations on the bill that not everybody's in agreement on,” LeMahieu said.

Vos declared on Wednesday that the Assembly is “done negotiating,” and would not be “accepting changes” to the shared revenue legislation.

That means the plan to share about $500 million with local governments across the state may not pass this spring.

One of the issues is whether Milwaukee and Milwaukee County voters should have a say in whether their sales taxes are raised.

Vos says yes, while LeMahieu is worried a tax hike vote could fail.

"It likely won't include a referendum vote, because I think that would not fix the problems in my view, because I think a referendum vote would fail," LeMahieu said. "So I think the way to do it is through a vote by the common council and the county board."

Vos said the Assembly considered a city council and county board vote, but also said Milwaukee’s mayor rejected the idea because Republicans wanted that vote to be unanimous.

LeMahieu on Thursday sent a not-so-gentle reminder to Vos that the Assembly doesn’t own the legislative process.

"You know, there are two houses in the state Legislature," he said. "We're going to do our due diligence, make sure we have a bill that at least all the stakeholders can get behind, and if the Assembly at some point refuses to take up that bill, a bill that was going to make generational changes to townships, counties, municipalities all around the state, he's going to have to answer to his caucus."

Gov. Tony Evers has stayed out of the intra-Republican feud, and is sticking with his statement from Wednesday that said he is optimistic about future negotiations.

Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez said Thursday that he too is “optimistic that we will see additional improvements” in the shared revenue plan.

The latest political polling shows that former President Donald Trump holds a significant lead in the Republican presidential primary as the party's primary draws nearer.

Trump leads his challengers by a wide margin in polling released Tuesday by Morning Consult, which compares Republican candidates’ support from GOP primary voters.

The poll put Trump at 61% among Republican voters, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not yet announced his candidacy, in second place at 18%.

The poll showed DeSantis' support declined while Trump's popularity hit a new high for this cycle.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has also not announced, is in third place with 6% of those voters’ support.

“Anyone who claims the former president is not the frontrunner is denying reality,” Colin Reed, Republican strategist, former campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and co-founder of South and Hill Strategies, told The Center Square. “The real question is whether the status quo can sustain itself throughout the nominating process, or whether a candidate can consolidate a plurality of support that rivals the strength of the 'always Trump' wing of the party.”

Trump’s chances were likely propelled by a recent CNN Town Hall that was widely seen as a win for Trump and a loss for the network. Trump was accused of lying and fact-checked in real time but drew cheers from the crowd when he pushed back and attacked the moderator.

“Call this town hall what it is: a CNN sponsored Trump 2024 fundraiser,” the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political group, wrote on Twitter. “Disgraceful.”

The day after the town hall, CNN’s Anderson Cooper made a point of noting Trump’s prominence.

“That man is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, and according to polling, no other Republican is even close,” Cooper said, adding that “he may be president in less than two years, and that audience that upset you, that’s a sampling of about half the country. They are your family members, your neighbors, and they are voting, and many said they are voting for him.”

Trump will have to hold his lead against an array of qualified candidates. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, is expected to formally announce his candidacy later this month.

Radio host and commentator Larry Elder, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have already announced their candidacy. The Morning Consult poll put Haley and Ramaswamy tied at 4% support. Scott came in with 1% support.

There is still time for potential challengers to gain ground on the former president. The first GOP caucus is in Iowa on Jan. 22, 2024. The first GOP primary is Jan. 30, 2024, in New Hampshire. But the first tranch of states holding their presidential primary votes is in March of next year.

For now, though, Trump holds a sizeable lead.

“History shows us that Trump is not going to implode or fade away on his own, and he has a low ceiling and a high floor - a floor that gets even higher when the rest of the pie is split up amongst a slew of other names,” Reed said.

President Joe Biden announced he is running for reelection in April. Author Marianne Williamson andRobert F. Kenney Jr., an environmental lawyer who became famous for attacking the COVID-19 vaccine, are running against Biden.

They have gained little traction, though, and blame the Democratic National Convention, pointing out the DNC plans to host no debates before the primary votes.

In typical Trump fashion, the former president hit Biden immediately upon his announcement.

“You could take the five worst presidents in American history, and put them together, and they would not have done the damage Joe Biden has done to our nation in just a few short years,” Trump said in his video response on TruthSocial to Biden's announcement. “Not even close.”

Twenty-four Republican governors have responded to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for help to secure its border with Mexico.

“The federal government’s response handling the expiration of Title 42 has represented a complete failure of the Biden Administration,” the governors said in a joint statement, referring to the end of the public health authority, Title 42, which expired at midnight on May 11.

Title 42 allowed for the quick expulsion of foreign nationals who’d entered the U.S. illegally during the COVID-19 pandemic. With its end, an estimated 150,000 foreign nationals from all over the world are waiting in Mexico to illegally enter the U.S. at any moment, border officials say.

This is after at least more than 7 million people have been apprehended or reported evading capture by law enforcement since President Joe Biden’s been in office.

The Biden administration recently sent 1,500 military personnel to the border and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent several thousand federal employees to help Border Patrol agents expedite processing of foreign nationals into the U.S., not to block their entry, administration officials have explained.

While doing so, the president and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas continue to argue the border is closed.

Within the past few days, groups of tens of thousands of foreign nationals arrived in the Rio Grande Valley and in other areas of Texas, overwhelming Border Patrol agents, officials said. Abbott has already sent more than 10,000 Texas National Guard troops to the border as border communities continue to declare emergencies.

“While the federal government has abdicated its duties, Republican governors stand ready to protect the U.S.-Mexico border and keep families safe,” the group of 24 governors said.

“Texas Governor Greg Abbott has exemplified leadership at a critical time, leading the way with Operation Lone Star, and deploying the Texas Tactical Border Force to prevent illegal crossings and keep the border secure,” they said. “We support the efforts to secure the border led by Governor Abbott.”

The governors pledging support in addition to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is deploying troops and resources in the next 24 hours, include those of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

They pledged their support within hours of Abbott’s request for help Tuesday afternoon.

In his letter to his fellow 49 governors, Abbott wote, “The flood of illegal border activity invited by the Biden Administration flows directly across the southern border into Texas communities, but this crisis does not stop in our state. Emboldened Mexican drug cartels and other transnational criminal enterprises profit off this chaos, smuggling people and dangerous drugs like fentanyl into communities nationwide.

“In the federal government’s absence, we, as Governors, must band together to combat President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and ensure the safety and security that all Americans deserve.”

The 24 governors agreed. No Democratic governors have responded as of publication. The Democratic governors of the three neighboring border states – New Mexico, Arizona and California – have made no similar requests as Abbott’s.

The Republican governors say they are sending support as the former ICE chief argues Biden administration policies are the greatest national security threat since 9/11 and the former CBP chief argues the issue isn’t about immigration but about national security, crime and terrorism. At least 125 known, suspected terrorists have been caught illegally entering the southern border this fiscal year so far.

Previously, in September 2021, 26 Republican governors, led by Abbott and former Arizona governor Doug Ducey, sent a letter to Biden requesting a meeting to discuss the border crisis. They say Biden never replied.

One month later, in October 2021, Republican governors then released ten policy solutions for the president to adopt to immediately secure the border, which he also ignored.

Last April, 26 Republican governors signed an agreement, the American Governor’s Border Strike Force, to commit to a cross-state law enforcement effort including sharing intelligence, strengthening analytical and cybersecurity efforts, and improving humanitarian efforts to protect children and families.

Republican governors have also previously sent personnel and resources to Arizona and Texas in response to requests from Abbott and Ducey through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). They’d again be sending support through EMAC, which allows participating states to provide resources to those that request aid in times of emergency. The governors argue the border crisis is such an emergency. The EMAC process also ensures resources and personnel deployed for emergency situations are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

In response to a Tuesday SOS from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to fellow governors seeking help at the southern border, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the first to answer the call. Florida is sending more than 1,000 personnel, including 800 National Guard troops, to help secure the Texas-Mexico border.

“Florida stands ready to help defend the southern border and is deploying assets to aid Texas’ border security crisis,” DeSantis announced within an hour of Abbott’s call on Tuesday.

“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” he said. “At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis."

Florida is sending more than 1,100 assets and resources, including 101 Florida Highway Patrol troopers, 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers in teams of 40, 20 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, 800 Florida National Guard soldiers, and 20 Emergency Management personnel, including radio technicians, logisticians, mechanics and planners.

The state also is sending five available fixed wing aircraft with monitoring equipment and downlink capabilities with two aviation crew teams, two Mobile Command Vehicles and two command teams, 17 available unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and support teams, and 10 vessels – including airboats, shallow draft vessels, and mid-range vessels.

“We stand with Texas as they work to repel illegal aliens at the border,” Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said. “We are prepared to assist however needed.”

The Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida National Guard, Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are ready to deploy within the next 24 hours, he said.

Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, Abbott notes in his letter to the 49 governors, states can provide resources, including personnel, to other states to assist in times of emergency, which the GOP governors who responded agree the border crisis warrants.

Texas and Florida are both parties to the EMAC and accept support from each state at any time through an EMAC request. The EMAC process also ensures resources and personnel deployed for emergency situations are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

In July 2021, DeSantis also sent troops and reinforcements, meeting with Abbott in Del Rio, Texas, to discuss joint border security operations.

DeSantis is again sending assistance now after the Florida legislature passed extensive border security measures. Florida is continuing to be negatively impacted by Biden administration policies, state lawmakers and law enforcement chiefs have argued. Biden administration policies have directly resulted in increased crime, human and drug trafficking and smuggling and are burdening taxpayers in other ways, they have argued.

Groups of tens of thousands of foreign nationals have already arrived in the Rio Grande Valley and other areas of Texas, overwhelming Border Patrol agents to a breaking point, officials said. Abbott has sent over 10,000 Texas National Guard troops to the border as Texas border communities continue to declare emergencies.

The Texas governor also asked for help after at least 125 known, suspected terrorists have been caught illegally entering the southern border this fiscal year to date and as the former ICE chief argues Biden administration policies are the greatest national security threat since 9/11.

The Biden administration continues to claim the border is closed, something Abbott and DeSantis argue is verifiably false.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent an SOS to his fellow 49 governors Tuesday asking for help to secure the state's 1,254-mile-border with Mexico.

Abbott sent a letter to every governor of every U.S. state asking for their help after the public health authority Title 42 ended on May 12 and roughly 150,000 people are estimated to be congregated on the Mexican side approaching to enter the U.S. illegally.

Groups of tens of thousands have already arrived in the Rio Grande Valley and other areas of Texas, overwhelming Border Patrol agents. Gov. Abbott already has sent more than 10,000 Texas National Guard troops as border communities continue to declare emergencies.

The call for help comes after at least 125 known, suspected terrorists have been apprehended illegally entering the southern border this fiscal year and as the former ICE chief argues Biden administration policies are the greatest national security threat since 9/11.

While the Biden administration has sent 1,500 military personnel to help Border Patrol agents process illegal foreign nationals into the U.S., they aren’t acting in a law enforcement capacity.

“Since taking office, President Biden has willfully refused to enforce our nation’s immigration laws while systematically dismantling every effective border security policy that previously led to the lowest number of illegal border crossings in decades,” Abbott wrote the governors. “The resultant surge in illegal immigration and transnational criminal activity is a direct consequence of these misguided actions.

“The flood of illegal border activity invited by the Biden Administration flows directly across the southern border into Texas communities, but this crisis does not stop in our state,” Abbott wrote. “Emboldened Mexican drug cartels and other transnational criminal enterprises profit off this chaos, smuggling people and dangerous drugs like fentanyl into communities nationwide.

“In the federal government’s absence, we, as Governors, must band together to combat President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and ensure the safety and security that all Americans deserve.”

Referring to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, he said the states are empowered to provide assistance to each other “in times of disaster or emergency, both of which accurately describe the current border crisis.

“Join us in the mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers,” Abbott urged his fellow governors.

He also explained that the Texas legislature first allocated $4.5 billion on border security operations from 2021-2023 through Operation Lone Star. The current budget is allocating an additional $4.6 billion over the next two years. Texas also began building its own border wall using hundreds of millions of Texas taxpayer dollars and private donations totaling over $55 million so far.

Since March 2021, Operation Lone Star officers have apprehended more than 376,000 illegal foreign nationals and made over 28,000 criminal arrests, with over 25,000 felony charges reported. They’ve also seized more than 416 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill more than the entire U.S. population.

“Texas alone should not have to shoulder the financial burden of protecting our nation," Abbott wrote.

He also thanked the governors of Idaho and Florida for already committing to send assistance to secure the Texas-Mexico border.

(The Center Square) – Apprenticeship programs across Wisconsin are on the rise, as companies fiercely compete for talent in the post-pandemic era.

Wisconsin Apprenticeship Deputy Director Liz Pusch pointed to an ongoing surge in business engagement with the state Department of Workforce Development (DWD), adding that more students and even college-educated workers now view the program as an avenue toward better job opportunities.

“Our average age of a registered apprentice is 28 years old,” Pusch shared during a recent speech at the Madison Region’s Economic Development and Diversity Summit hosted by the Madison Region Economic Partnership and the Urban League of Greater Madison, according to WisBusiness.com. “So people are starting in their career route, and then they’re figuring out, ‘This is not what I want to do.’”

In April, DWD announced a new record-high 8,357 high school junior and senior students were taking part in the Youth Apprenticeship programs during the 2022-23 school year, and just weeks before then state officials highlighted that a record 15,900 apprentices took part in the Registered Apprenticeship program last year. While many of the programs typically train workers for a specific occupation, the youth program is structured to open participants to a growing list of career choices.

“Employers are starting to see some increased retention because you’re making and building this bond with the workers,” said Seth Lentz, executive director of the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, adding that more businesses are starting to internalize the long-term advantages of investing in their own workers’ skills.

Americans’ views of the housing market have plunged as interest rates continue to rise because of government-fueled inflation.

Gallup released new polling data showing that only 21% of Americans say now is a good time to buy a house, down 9 percentage points from the previous year. This year and last year during the Biden administration are the only times that fewer than half of Americans said it was a good time to buy a house since Gallup began asking in 1978.

Even during the housing market crash of 2008, numbers did not drop nearly as low as they are in this latest survey.

“Gallup first asked Americans about their perceptions of the housing market in 1978, when 53% thought it was a good time to buy a house,” the group said. “Thirteen years later, when the question was asked again, 67% held that view. The record high of 81% was recorded in 2003, at a time of growing homeownership rates and housing prices.”

The change in perspective comes as the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates nearly a dozen times during the Biden administration, making borrowing money to buy a home far more expensive.

The problem is further complicated by the fact that millions of Americans currently have mortgages with an interest rate below 3%, pushing many to decide now is not the time to sell their house and lose that lower rate.

“In the past two years, as housing prices have soared and the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to try to tame inflation, houses have become less affordable for many Americans, and views of the housing market have tumbled,” Gallup said.

The higher inflation rates are driven in large part by a surge in the money supply and federal debt spending to the tune of several trillion dollars in recent years.

The federal government also recently enacted controversial policies to punish home buyers with good credit and help those with poor credit, akin to policies enacted ahead of the 2008 financial crisis, fueling fears first sparked by several bank collapses earlier this year.

All these factors have helped to contribute to Americans’ banking fears hitting the worst point since the 2008 financial crisis. Gallup released the survey data earlier this month, which showed that 19% are “very” worried about the safety of their funds in banks and another 29% are “moderately” worried.

The survey shows nearly half of Americans are concerned about the safety of their money in banks, a figure that is reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis.

“The latest readings are similar to those in 2008,” Gallup said. “In September of that year, shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which remains the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history, 45% of U.S. adults said they were very or moderately worried about the safety of their money. Several months later, in December, after Congress’ Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) bailed out other banks in danger of failing, Americans were slightly less concerned about the safety of their personal financial accounts, as 41% said they were very or moderately worried.”

(The Center Square) – University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said the “war for talent” is driving his vision for the school, which he says is necessitating both a tuition increase and a request for $200 million more in the next state budget.

Rothman told WisPolitics’ Newsmakers program that Wisconsin must do both in order to compete in that war.

“We’re not graduating enough people in the state right now to fill the jobs that are there,” Rothman said. “That war for talent is in this state. If we are not successful in graduating the number of people that this state needs, the state’s long term economy is going to suffer. Those jobs will leave the state.”

Rothman uses the “war for talent” to justify not only the recently approved tuition increase for students, but his request for an 8% budget increase over the next two years.

“We need more nurses, and engineers, and educators, and data scientists,” Rothman added. “So our budget request, which is 4% on the operating side in each year of the biennium, is really to address those needs. To build the capacity we need to educate students in those high-demand areas, as well as to attract them, get them enrolled, and get them graduated.”

Enrollment is an issue for Rothman and the University of Wisconsin. A Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported that enrollment declined nearly 10% between 2012 and 2021. The same report said four-year campus enrollment is down 5.7%, the lowest since 2000.

Rothman said enrollment is starting to bounce back after COVID, noting that last fall’s freshman class was the largest since 2018, and the new class for the fall of 2023 is even larger.

But Rothman also came back to his “war for talent” stock answer.

“All of the states around us are having more people go on to some form of higher education. That ought to be very concerning to the state of Wisconsin,” Rothman explained. “If we don’t [reverse that trend] Wisconsin is going to fall behind in the Midwest. But we’re not just competing in the Midwest. We are competing nationally, and we are competing globally.”

Rothman’s focus on the “war for talent” is so encompassing, that it’s his answer to questions about diversity, equity, and including concerns on UW campuses.

“I keep going back. We are in a war for talent,” Rothman again said. “We need to be as inclusive as we possibly can to get our students and prospective students interested in coming on to our campuses, and feeling they are included.”

Wisconsin’s Assembly Speaker, Robin Vos, this month hinted at withholding some state money from the UW System to push Rothman to rein-in DEI efforts on campuses.

Vos said he’d rather see the university spend its $13 million DEI budget on in-demand degree programs.

Rothman last week told lawmakers the UW System will no longer require DEI statements as part of the hiring process, which was welcome news to the Republican-controlled legislature.

It remains to be seen, however, just how much of a budget increase (if any) lawmakers will provide to the university system in the new budget.

Instead of U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehending, detaining and deporting people who’ve illegally entered the U.S., they will be implementing a plan decided on last year to release them en masse into local border communities.

The public health authority Title 42, which has given Border Patrol agents an additional tool to deport certain individuals, was slated to end last May. On May 20, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana enjoined the repeal of Title 42 in a case filed by 24 states, issuing a nationwide injunction.

The federal court order was the only thing that stopped CBP from enacting its policy of releasing foreign nationals en masse into local border communities. The federal injunction imposed last May halted the administration from ending Title 42.

After President Joe Biden ended the national public emergency implemented under the Trump administration to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Title 42, which can only be utilized during a public health emergency, will expire Thursday (May 11).

While Fox News reported on Tuesday that CBP and Border Patrol made a decision Monday night to “authorize all Border Patrol sectors to begin ‘safe’ street releases of migrants to communities across the border *if* NGO shelters and CBP facilities do not have the capacity to hold them,” this isn’t a new plan.

It’s been a plan in place for over a year, which The Center Square first reported on last September. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody uncovered the plan as part of discovery in a lawsuit Florida filed against the administration over its “catch and release” policy.

Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez also told local Texas law enforcement last December she was working with local municipalities to learn where foreign nationals should be released into their communities when shelters, NGOs and nonprofits assisting them were at capacity. A recording of her remarks was provided to The Center Square, which broke this story ahead of her giving testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in February.

In a May 19, 2022, memo, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz instructed Border Patrol agents to release “processed noncitizens in the vicinity of nongovernmental organizations” and coordinate with NGOs in advance as to the specific locations where they’d be released, “paying particular attention to the availability of services and transportation options.”

“If safe locations are not available” to release illegal foreign nationals, instead of processing them for removal, Ortiz said agents would “engage with nearby cities and local governments to identify alternate safe locations for release.”

Foreign nationals were also instructed to be released into the U.S. in a “safe, humane and orderly manner,” not “late at night in an unpopulated area or in circumstances in which the individual would face a known safety risk.”

On Dec. 20, 2022, Chavez told local law enforcement that she was coordinating with local mayors and NGOs to move people into the U.S., saying the NGOs “are phenomenal.” She was learning of “particular areas they [mayors, local officials] want us to drop them off at.”

Many Texas border counties first issued declarations of disaster in early 2021 after their communities were inundated with people committing crimes and burdening local taxpayers with services they didn’t have the resources to provide – including thousands infected with COVID-19 who were released into local communities even while Title 42 was in place.

By July 5, 2022, the first county judge and later judges and commissioners of over 40 Texas counties declared an invasion, arguing Mexican cartels are bringing in drugs, terrorists and criminals through the southern border using “migrant warfare” and “nonconventional warfare” to do it. The amount of fentanyl being seized by law enforcement in single vehicles over 100 miles from the border in Texas, Arizona and California is enough to kill entire populations of small cities and towns. The amount of fentanyl Texas Operation Lone Star officers have seized since March 2021 is enough to kill everyone in the United States.

More counties are likely to issue disaster and invasion declarations as the Biden administration continues to facilitate “legal pathways” for people from all over the world to illegally enter the United States. An estimated 13,000 are expected to arrive a day when Title 42 ends, officials have estimated, or roughly 4.6 million within a year.

(The Center Square) – The latest plan to limit the books on school library shelves in Wisconsin could lead to lawsuits over "obscene materials."

State Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, and Republican state Sen. Andre Jacque, R-DePere, are looking for support for their plans to ban material they deem obscene from school libraries, as well as allow parents to sue librarians if they break the law.

“LRB-0522 prohibits schools from using the tax-payer funded common school fund to purchase obscene materials. LRB-0423 removes the exemption for school employees to be held liable for displaying obscene material,” the two wrote on a note to possible co-sponsors in the state legislature.

Allen calls the pieces of legislation the Protect Childhood Innocence plans.

“When you look at the definition of obscene material in state statute, there is no reason for that type of material to be in our schools,” Allen said.

Wisconsin state law defines obscene material as something that describes or shows sexual conduct in an offensive way with no educational or literary value.

Allen said he got a complaint from a parent in his district about a “book in which characters describe how to perform oral sex.”

“Since the pandemic, parents have been paying more attention to what material their students are encountering at school,” Allen added. “There is a demand to ensure that students are not encountering sexually explicit material in school.”

There are worries that allowing parents to sue will lead to a flood of lawsuits against school districts or individual teachers or librarians.

But Allen said state law requires both local prosecutors and the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office to sign-off on any possible lawsuits.

He said he’s not worried about, or looking for, lawsuits. He, instead, said he wants to make sure kids aren’t exposed to graphic sexual content while in school.

“Schools that are focused on teaching students have nothing to fear from this legislation,” Allen said. “Accountability is important, and these bills create healthy accountability for schools.”

The two bills are out for co-sponsorship, and have not yet been assigned a hearing date.

It is highly unlikely that either plan would ever become law. Gov. Evers is expected to veto both bills if they ever make it to his desk.

Members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability said Wednesday the panel uncovered evidence of influence peddling and financial deception by the Biden family, claims the White House said lack merit.

"Many of the wire payments occurred while Joe Biden was vice president and leading the United States' efforts in these countries," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said at a news conference Wednesday.

He said the payments show "a pattern of influence peddling."

The committee's memorandum said the Bidens and their business associates formed a series of companies, the majority of which were created while Joe Biden was the vice president. The memo said the Biden family, their associates and their businesses were paid more than $10 million by foreign companies, including companies in China and Romania.

"The committee has identified over 20 companies affiliated with certain Biden family members and their business associates, formed mostly in Delaware and Washington, D.C," according to the memo. "The services provided by some of these companies, the purpose for creating such a complicated corporate structure, and whether ethics/financial disclosure laws should require a public official to publicly disclose the identities of such companies remain under scrutiny by the committee."

The committee wants to change government ethics and disclosure laws to provide transparency regarding presidents and vice presidents immediate family members’ income, assets and financial relationships, the memo said.

Existing financial disclosure laws and regulations don't require non-dependent family members of senior elected officials to provide any information to the public. The committee plans to write legislation that would change reporting requirements related to some foreign transactions involving senior elected officials’ family members and financial disclosure requirements that show ownership of corporate entities, according to the memo.

The White House has dismissed the claims as baseless.

"They're really just microwaving old debunked stuff," White House spokesman for oversight and investigations Ian Sams said on Twitter.