Yearly Archives: 2023

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(The Center Square) – A judge in Waukesha County issued a ruling that sides with parents in the debate over how school districts handle transgenderism in schools.

Judge Michael Maxwell on Tuesday sided with two parents in the Kettle Moraine School District after they sued in 2021 because the district did not tell them that school leaders and teachers were calling their middle school-aged daughter by a different name at school.

“This court has before it what modern society deems a controversial issue –

transgenderism involving minors within our schools. Clearly, the law on this issue is still developing across the country and remaining largely unsettled. However, this particular case is not about that broad controversial issue. This particular case is simply whether a school district can supplant a parent’s right to control the health care and medical decisions for their children. The well-established case law in that regard is clear – Kettle Moraine cannot,” the judge wrote. “The School District abrogated the parental rights of [the parents] on how to medically treat [their child] when the district decided to socially affirm [the child] at school despite [the parents] requesting it does not. Through its policy of disregarding parental wishes on a medical or health related decision and with how fast questioning one's gender can arise, [the parents] are at real risk of being harmed.”

Kevin Marine Schools defended the decision to keep gender decisions from parents, saying informing all parents of all children's decisions to change gender could put some students at risk.

The judge said that argument didn't cut it.

Kettle Moraine Schools said it handles things on a case-by-case basis.

The judge took issue with that.

“Rather than doing what the voters have elected them to do, the Kettle Moraine School Board abrogated their responsibility to either pass judgment on a policy regarding these serious issues or to affirm the actions of their employee, the superintendent. Instead, the School District has hidden behind claims of no parental right or unfounded Title IX issues rather than give

parents in their district what they deserve – clear guidance on how the district intends to handle these controversial issues,” the judge wrote.

Luke Berg with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, one of the law firms that handled the case, said this is the first time a judge has come down on the side of the parents in a case like this one.

“This victory represents a major win for parental rights. The court confirmed that parents, not educators or school faculty, have the right to decide whether a social transition is in their own child’s best interests. The decision should be a warning to the many districts across the country with similar policies to exclude parents from gender transitions at school,” Berg added.

The parents in the case removed their daughter from school but have two children who remain in the school district.

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A law took effect in Texas this month that bans transgender women from playing a woman's sport at the college level. It was similar to a 2021 law that banned athletes in public schools in that state from playing on any team that differed from the sex they were assigned to at birth.

This year has been the battleground for the debate on whether biological males who identify as females should be allowed to play female sports as politicians and the courts have grappled with the issue.

Many government agencies and transgender advocacy groups are pushing to allow boys who say they are girls to participate in sports previously reserved for females while polling shows that a majority of Americans are against it.

According to The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll of 2,500 registered voters across the U.S., a 2-to-1 majority oppose transgender women student-athletes competing in women's sports. The poll was released in August and conducted by Noble Predictive Insights.

A Gallup poll released in June found 69% say transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that align with their biological sex at birth.

At the core of the debate is the accusation of discrimination, transgender women being victims of it by those wishing to keep girls' women's sports played among women; and the accusation of fairness, girls and women being the victims when forced to compete against biological males.

“Women and young girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. When laws ignore biological reality and allow males to compete on girls’ sports teams, girls are harmed and denied athletic opportunities," Christiana Kiefer, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, wrote in an email to The Center Square. "Science and common sense tell us that males are generally bigger, faster, and stronger than females. They have larger hearts and lungs, denser bones, and stronger muscles. No amount of testosterone suppression can undo all those advantages. We hope that states continue to protect fairness in women’s sports by adopting laws and policies that reflect biological reality.”

The Alliance Defending Freedom is involved in a 2020 lawsuit in which it represented four female Connecticut high school athletes. They filed a lawsuit challenging the state athletic association's policy to allow boys to play girls' sports.

U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny ruled against the female athletes in December. The Heritage Foundation reported that Chatigny ordered attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom to use the term "transgender females" when referring to boys who identify as girls.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals initially ruled in favor of Connecticut's policy in 2022, but has since said it would reconsider the case; it is pending.

The Movement Advancement Project analyzes transgender sports policies across the country. It says the nation is split on the issue.

It found that 24 states and two territories have policies that are fair or favorable to transgender athletes and 26 states and three territories have policies that are not.

ESPN has tracked transgender legislation and reported that 23 states had passed laws restricting transgender athletes' ability to play sports since 2020.

In March, Democrats in the U.S. House introduced the Transgender Bill of Rights, a resolution that would "ensure" transgender athletes could participate in the sport of their choice. The Transgender Bill of Rights calls on the federal government to take action.

In April, Republicans in the U.S. House introduced House Resolution 734, the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act 2023." It would ban boys, who call themselves transgender women, from playing in female sports. The House passed the bill; its road in the Senate is considered uphill with a Democratic majority in place.

In August, the North Carolina House and Senate overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto and passed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act. The law "prohibits male students from playing on middle school, high school, or collegiate athletics teams designated for females, women, or girls." It also "requires a student's sex to be recognized solely based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth for purposes of athletic participation."

The U.S. Department of Education supports transgender athletes being able to play on the sports team gender in which they identify. The department says banning transgender athletes from playing on a sports team due to gender is discrimination.

Discussion of the issue escalated around Lia Thomas, a swimmer at Penn University who competed on the men's team as William Thomas for three years. The athlete switched to Lia for a senior season, and was allowed by the university and the NCAA to compete in 2022.

Thomas was the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in 2022. Thomas was ranked 65th in the 500-meter freestyle in 2018-19, the last season Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvania men's team, according to Swimming World Magazine. Thomas won the NCAA championship in the women's 500 freestyle in 2022 while competing for the Penn women's team.

Other men competing in women's categories have lifted visibility for events from volleyball, to weight lifting to cycling to running.

The website SheWon.org tracks "achievements of female athletes who were displaced by males in women’s sporting events" all over the world. As of Sept. 22, it had 608 entries.

A 2010 report conducted by authors affiliated with the Women's Sports Foundation and The National Center for Lesbian Rights called concerns that transgender females playing female sports would dominate as "not well founded." The report stated that "medically guided hormonal treatment prior to puberty" neutralized any advantage.

Thirteen years later, the polls, many women athletes and lawyers like Kiefer disagree.

In Michigan, the high school association states it will determine eligibility on a "case-by-case" basis. The Michigan High School Athletic Association does ask for documentation of a student's medical and psychological records as well as whether they have undergone hormone therapy and gender-affirmation surgery.

In Ohio, the high school athletic association allows transgender athletes to compete for girls' teams, but the athlete must be taking a medically prescribed hormone treatment related to gender transition and have completed a minimum of one year of hormone treatment. The athlete must also "demonstrate" to the high school athletic association that the athlete "does not possess physical (bone structure, muscle mass, testosterone, hormonal, etc.) or physiological advantages over genetic females of the same age group."

The Women's Sports Foundation and AthleteAlly.org didn't respond to emails seeking comment.

Few voters think children should undergo transgender interventions even with parental permission.

That's according to The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll of 2,500 registered voters across the U.S., conducted by Noble Predictive Insights. The poll found that 58% of those surveyed are against medical interventions such as gender-changing surgery or puberty blockers for children younger than 18 years old.

There were just 10% who said children should have the ability to undergo these inventions if they choose and another 21% who said children should be able to undergo these interventions, but only with parental permission.

The poll found 62% of men and 54% of women were against gender-changing surgery or puberty blockers for children.

Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, said it was noteworthy how little public support there is for transgender interventions of minors.

"What's surprising – for how much you hear about it, how much it is in your face – you look at the public opinion data and there's definitely not a majority who are in support of this," Noble said. "Six in ten are saying, 'That's a non-starter.'"

There was support for gender-changing surgery or puberty blockers among those voters who identified themselves as "a strong Democrat." There were 22% of that voting bloc who said children should have the ability to undergo those inventions and another 40% who believe it should be allowed but only with parental permission. Just 23% of "strong Democrats" were against the interventions and another 15% were unsure.

Sixty-four percent of voters who said they had children under the age of 18 said minors should not be having these transgender medical interventions. And 40% of voters who said children should be able to have the medical interventions, with 25% of that group saying it needed to come with parental approval.

"The people who were the least on board were people who had children under the age 18," Noble said. "The ones who are the most supportive are the ones who never had children."

State legislatures across the country have debated laws either banning such procedures for minors or preventing such bans from being put in place, with laws varying widely.

States such as Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Georgia and at least 10 other states have put restrictions in place, with many facing legal challenges.

California is leading a coalition of 20 mostly blue states, including Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington in opposing such restrictions.

The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from July 31 to Aug. 3. Unlike traditional national polls, with limited respondent count of about 1,000, Noble Predictive surveyed 1,000 registered Republicans, 1,000 registered Democrats, and 500 independents, culminating in a sample size of 2,500. The margin of error for the aggregate sample was ±2.4%, with each political group independently weighted. For information about the methodology, visit www.noblepredictiveinsights.com.

(The Center Square) – There is immediate pushback to a proposal at the Wisconsin Capitol that would ban sex change surgeries and gender-affirming care for children.

The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus condemned the plan from a handful of Republicans, calling it “cruel.”

“Once again, Republicans are interfering with private medical decisions that belong in the hands of patients and their doctors – not politicians. Gender-affirming care reduces gender dysphoria and helps people live healthy and authentic lives,” caucus members said in an open letter.

The legislation would ban any surgery that results in sterilization, a mastectomy, puberty blocking drugs and other hormone treatments for children.

Rep. Scott Allen, R-Waukesha, is the lead sponsor of the bill, which he is calling the Help Not Harm Act.

“There are too many studies that show the harm of these procedures, and there are too many stories of young people regretting their transition later. We need to help minors by giving them the inherent blessing of time,” Allen said. “This is why the state bans minors from voting, joining the military, getting a tattoo, signing a contract or buying alcohol or tobacco. “Why should the state depart from this prudent policy when it comes to minors engaging in untested, harmful and irreversible procedures?”

The LGBTQ+ Caucus counters that doctors and medical groups support gender-affirming care.

“Every major medical organization – including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychological Association – attests that gender-affirming care is safe, medically necessary, and saves lives,” the caucus members said. “We remain committed to protecting our LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin and will continue to be a voice for the LGBTQ+ community throughout our state. We will continue to fight to ensure that this bill – and any future legislation that harms LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites – will never become law in Wisconsin.”

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A group of 20 attorneys general want the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule a lower court's restrictions on local governments enforcing homeless camping bans.

In their petition regarding Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, the attorneys general wrote that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong to prohibit state and local governments from enforcing laws that bar public spaces from being used as homeless encampments.

“The Constitution nowhere strips States of the power to regulate use of public spaces,” the attorneys general wrote. “It empowers States and guarantees an inviolable sovereignty meant to address local issues like homelessness.”

Meanwhile, the attorneys general said the 9th Circuit “relied on this Court’s ‘evolving standards of decency’ jurisprudence,” something they said “lacks textual, historical, or structural support.”

“The Court should put that troublesome jurisprudence to bed once and for all,” they added.

In 2018, the 9th Circuit ruled that the Eighth Amendment allows for the right to sleep and camp in public spaces. Earlier this year, the appeals court held that the amendment also prevents fines for people “engaging in involuntary, unavoidable life-sustaining acts.” However, the attorneys general argue that cities – especially those across the western U.S – are having a difficult time combating homelessness because of the ruling.

“When it comes to public encampments, States have significant land interests,” the attorneys general said. “States regulate public encampments to protect natural resources, prevent wildfires, preserve the value of recreation, and maintain an area’s dignity and public value.

The petition was filed by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom also submitted a brief for the Supreme Court to review the case.

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Online commerce giant Amazon said Tuesday that a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission could lead to higher prices and slower deliveries for customers.

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Amazon.com Inc. alleging the company uses "anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power."

Amazon said the FTC was misusing its authority and that the agency failed to understand the retail marketplace.

"Today’s suit makes clear the FTC’s focus has radically departed from its mission of protecting consumers and competition," David Zapolsky, senior vice president of Global Public Policy and general counsel for Amazon, said in a statement. "The practices the FTC is challenging have helped to spur competition and innovation across the retail industry, and have produced greater selection, lower prices, and faster delivery speeds for Amazon customers and greater opportunity for the many businesses that sell in Amazon’s store. If the FTC gets its way, the result would be fewer products to choose from, higher prices, slower deliveries for consumers, and reduced options for small businesses – the opposite of what antitrust law is designed to do."

The complaint alleges that Amazon violates the law by engaging "in a course of exclusionary conduct that prevents current competitors from growing and new competitors from emerging."

The complaint alleges Amazon stifles competition on price, product selection, quality, and "by preventing its current or future rivals from attracting a critical mass of shoppers and sellers, Amazon ensures that no current or future rival can threaten its dominance." Amazon's practices affect hundreds of billions of dollars in retail sales every year, according to the FTC.

"Our complaint lays out how Amazon has used a set of punitive and coercive tactics to unlawfully maintain its monopolies," FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. "The complaint sets forth detailed allegations noting how Amazon is now exploiting its monopoly power to enrich itself while raising prices and degrading service for the tens of millions of American families who shop on its platform and the hundreds of thousands of businesses that rely on Amazon to reach them."

Amazon's Zapolsky offered a full defense of the company's practices in response.

"The FTC's complaint alleges that our pricing practices, our Fulfillment by Amazon offering, and Amazon Prime are anticompetitive," he wrote. "In so doing, the lawsuit reveals the Commission’s fundamental misunderstanding of retail."

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday joined a chorus of calls from top Democrats for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was indicted last week on bribery and corruption charges.

In a statement, Booker called the allegations against Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife Nadine "shocking" and "disturbing" and said stepping down from "is best" for Menendez's constituents.

"The details of the allegations against Senator Menendez are of such a nature that the faith and trust of New Jerseyans as well as those he must work with in order to be effective have been shaken to the core," Booker said in a statement.

"Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair," he added. "But I believe this is a mistake."

On Friday, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a 39-page indictment accusing Menendez and his wife of accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes in exchange for using his political influence to benefit the Egyptian government and business associates in New Jersey.

Menendez and his wife received bribes including cash, gold, luxury vehicles and vacations, mortgage payments and other forms of compensation, prosecutors say. Federal agents said a search of his home found more than $480,000 in cash – some of it in envelopes stuffed into a jacket with his name on it – gold bars and a Mercedes Benz.

This is the second time Menendez has been indicted on allegations of bribery while a senator. In 2015, he was charged with illegally accepting favors from a Florida physician, including trips on a private jet, vacations to Paris and more than $700,000 in political contributions.

But unlike the previous allegations of bribery, when Democratic colleagues rushed to defend the longtime senator, his support is waning following the latest indictments.

Booker joins a group of 17 Democratic senators — including Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Jon Tester of Montana — who have publicly called on Menendez to step down.

Menendez is also facing calls to resign from other top Democrats including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who said in an interview that it would be a “good idea” if he stepped down.

On Monday, Menendez defended himself in public remarks and predicted that despite the charges he would be "exonerated" and retain his post as New Jersey's senior senator.

Menendez is up for reelection in the 2024 elections when Democrats will be seeking to retain control of the Senate. In 2018, he was elected to a third term with 54% of the vote, according to New Jersey election results.

On Saturday, Rep. Andy Kim, a third-term Democrat from South Jersey, announced that he will challenge Menendez in next year’s Democratic primary.

Milwaukee Police are requesting the public’ s assistance in identifying and locating the suspect and vehicle wanted in connection to a fatal hit and run that occurred on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at approximately 1:55 a.m., on the 2100 block of W. Canal St. The suspect vehicle is described as an unknown 2018-2020 white SUV, possibly a Kia Sportage. The suspect vehicle struck a pedestrian that was crossing the street. The unknown driver fled the scene in the vehicle. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414)224-Tips / or P3 Tips App. [cid:[email protected]] [cid:[email protected]] [cid:[email protected]] The City of Milwaukee is subject to Wisconsin Statutes related to public records. Unless otherwise exempted from the public records law, senders and receivers of City of Milwaukee e-mail should presume that e-mail is subject to release upon request, and is subject to state records retention requirements. See City of Milwaukee full e-mail disclaimer at www.milwaukee.gov/email_disclaimer

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(The Center Square) – There is another proposal to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin, but there aren't any expectations this one will finally be the one.

State Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, introduced legislation she says would allow for “responsible adult use” of marijuana in the state.

“I’ve said this time and time again – we know that the most dangerous thing about cannabis in Wisconsin is that it remains illegal,” Agard said in a statement.

Agard has been one of the most vocal supporters of legal marijuana in Wisconsin for years. she recently wrapped up the second leg of her Grassroots Tour.

“For the past decade, I have worked to undo Wisconsin’s antiquated and deeply unjust marijuana policies and put our state on a prosperous path forward.”

State Rep. Darren Madison, D-Madison, is joining Agard in this latest legal marijuana pitch. He said legalizing marijuana is not just about tax money, or drug use, he said there is an issue of social justice at hand.

““Legalizing cannabis is a matter of public safety and racial justice here in Wisconsin. People in Wisconsin indulge in cannabis use and deserve the ability to buy safe cannabis and use it responsibly without being criminalized,” Madison said.

Agard agrees.

“This proposal will not only allow Wisconsin to right past wrongs, it will bring us in line with our neighbors and create countless opportunities to grow our economy and attract people to our state,” Agard said. “Wisconsin is ready to legalize it – 69% of Wisconsinites, including a majority of Republicans, support the full legalization of marijuana. It is way past time that our state honors the will of the majority and seizes the many positive economic and social benefits that cannabis legalization has to offer.”

A Marquette law school poll from February of last year showed 61% of people in the state want to see marijuana legalized, while 31% want to keep it illegal.

Republican lawmakers at the Wisconsin capital have said they could support a medical marijuana program, but there is little support among the Republican controlled legislature for full marijuana legalization.

Twenty-three states across the country already have fully legal marijuana, including Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

Federal judge Roger Benitez overturned California's ban on standard-sized ammunition magazines, with California Attorney General Rob Bonta filing an immediate notice of appeal. The injunction on the ban will be stayed for 10 days, which means that the ban's overturn will likely not take effect as the decision is appealed.

“Unless we enshrine a Right to Safety in the Constitution, we are at the mercy of ideologues like Judge Benitez,” said California Governor Newsom in a public statement responding to the decision. “This is exactly why I’ve called for a Constitutional amendment, and this is why I’ll keep fighting to defend our right to protect ourselves from gun violence.”

Standard-capacity magazines have been illegal to manufacture, import, keep or offer for sale, give, or lend since 2000, and illegal to purchase or receive in any way since 2013. Proposition 64, passed by California voters in 2016, made it illegal to possess even legally-acquired standard-capacity magazines with more than 10 rounds under the rationale such a measure would limit mass shootings. Anyone who did not turn in their standard-capacity magazines by July 1, 2017 could have faced up t o a year in prison before an earlier inunction by Benitez. The most popular firearm sold in 2022, a Sig Sauer P320 pistol, comes with a 15 round magazine except where otherwise limited, such as in California.

“There is no American history or tradition of regulating firearms based on the number of rounds they can shoot, or of regulating the amount of ammunition that can be kept and carried,” wrote Benitez in his latest ruling.

Benitez first struck down Proposition 63’s rule in June 2017 right before enforcement began, noting only six mass shootings between 2006 and 2013 used the banned magazines, and that “entitlement to enjoy Second Amendment rights and just compensation is not eliminated simply because they possess ‘unpopular’ magazines holding more than 10 rounds.” In 2018, a 2-1 panel of the Ninth Circuit Court affirmed Benitez’ ruling on the confiscations.

In 2019, Benitez ruled against the ban on the acquisition of standard-capacity magazines, citing varying outcomes of women’s self-defense cases where having additional bullets made the difference between life and death. This decision was upheld in a 2020 panel of the Ninth Circuit Court, then overturned by an en banc decision of the same court in 2021. The United States Supreme Court vacated the Ninth Circuit Court’s en banc decision in 2022 and remanded it back to Benitez for a new decision. Benitez’ latest ruling, if upheld in the appeals process, could allow for the resumption of legal sale of standard-capacity magazines in California.

Connecticut lawmakers are calling for an investigation and changes in state election laws following allegations of absentee ballot fraud in a mayoral election.

Following the Sept. 12 primary, John Gomes, a Democrat who challenged incumbent Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, released video footage showing a woman depositing absentee ballots into a dropbox a week before the election. Gomes lost to Ganim by 251 mail-in or absentee votes despite beating him at the polls, according to the election results.

Gomes' campaign has filed a complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission as well as a lawsuit asking a state Superior Court judge to prevent the certification of last Tuesday's primary results and order a new election.

But the growing scandal has prompted Connecticut's top elected officials to call for investigations, changes in state elections laws, and tougher penalties for voter fraud.

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora said the Bridgeport incident confirms GOP concerns about voting by mail and "poses a direct threat to the public’s fragile confidence in our state’s voting process."

"Bridgeport residents, and voters statewide, deserve a swift, transparent response to this crisis with strong backing from Democrats at the capitol who promote themselves as defenders of democracy – including taking action in the upcoming special session to suspend use of absentee ballot drop boxes until the investigation is complete," he said in a statement.

Gov. Ned Lamont has said he wants investigators to "leave no stone unturned" looking into the claims of election fraud in Bridgeport but urged voters "not to jump to conclusions" about the video showing a Ganim supporter – identified by some news outlets as a city worker – stuffing ballots into a dropbox.

In a statement, Ganim denied any wrongdoing and said he doesn't "condone, in any way, actions taken by anyone including any campaign, city, or elected official, which undermines the integrity of either the electoral process or city property."

"The Bridgeport Police Department is actively investigating all these matters, and my administration will continue to update the public as we are able to obtain more information," he said.

Under Connecticut law, absentee ballots can only be returned by the registered voter who filled it out, a family member, law enforcement officers, local election officials or an individual caring for an ill or physically disabled person who received an absentee ballot. Violators face up to five years in prison and $5,000 fines.

Lawmakers, who will meet in a special session this week to deal with unrelated matters, are expected to approve the appointment of a special monitor for Bridgeport's next mayoral election.

Ben Pronto, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, has also called for an investigation and said Lamont and other top Democrats "should be screaming that it is time to charge the people seen on the video who are violating the law."

He called for stricter punishment "and actual jail time and larger fines for individuals who attempt to manipulate elections and destroy voters’ confidence in our electoral process."

"Our elections are too important to be wishy washy or to try to distract voters by pointing to national figures who have nothing to do with this debacle in Bridgeport," he said in a statement. "It is time for Democrat leaders across Connecticut to join with Republicans and work to make this practice a thing of the past."

Former President Donald Trump would defeat President Joe Biden by nearly 10 points in a head-to-head general election matchup, a newly released poll shows.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll was done in conjunction with Langer Research Associates and found that in a hypothetical 2024 matchup, Biden has 42% support compared to Trump’s 51% support.

“Joe Biden’s job approval rating is 19 points underwater, his ratings for handling the economy and immigration are at career lows, a record number of Americans say they’ve gotten worse off under his presidency, three-quarters say he’s too old for another term and Donald Trump is looking better in retrospect – all severe challenges for Biden in his re-election campaign ahead,” the group said in a news release.

The survey found 62% of Democrats say the party should pick someone other than Biden as their nominee.

“Among the 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who oppose Biden for the nomination, 16 percent say they’d vote for Trump over Biden,” Gary Langer of Langer Research Associates said in his analysis.

Trump, who maintains a healthy lead over his Republican primary challengers, has slightly improved in his support while Biden has slightly declined, according to the poll.

Trump faces an array of state and federal charges with expected court dates to interrupt his campaigning in 2024. Biden faces an impeachment inquiry and ongoing questions about his son Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings and just how much the president was involved.

The developments in all of those cases will likely significantly impact the race.

The survey queried more than 1,000 adults in September with a margin of error of 3.5%.

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(The Center Square) – A national government watchdog a complaint over the group of former Wisconsin Supreme Court justices who are offering the state's assembly speaker advice on impeachment.

American Oversight, which says it’s a nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog, filed a complaint with Dane County's district attorney, asking him to void any action that comes from the panel.

The group says Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is breaking the state’s open meetings rules by asking the former justices for their advice on how to possibly move forward with an impeachment of Justice Janet Protasiewicz.

“Speaker Vos has convened a secret panel to quickly craft recommendations for the potential impeachment of a newly elected state supreme court justice – a fundamentally anti-democratic action that is of great public importance and interest. His efforts to shroud the work and the identities of the panelists in secrecy violates Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law as well as the state’s strong and well-established commitment to government transparency,” American Oversight Executive Director Heather Sawyer said in a statement.

Vos last week said he was reaching out to former justices to get a sense of how the state could move forward with an impeachment proceeding.

“I am asking a panel of former members of the state Supreme Court to review and advise what the criteria are for impeachment,” Vos said at the time. “And to be able to go to the next step of this process if we’re not able to determine an off path.”

Vos has not said just which justices he has reached out to.

American Oversight says Wisconsin's open meeting laws require he make that information public.

“According to reports, the panel comprises three people, including former Justice David T. Prosser, but Vos has refused to disclose the identities of the other members. Vos has announced that the secret panel will complete its work within “the next few weeks,” Sawyer said. “The Wisconsin Open Meetings Law requires that governmental bodies provide advance notice of every meeting and hold those meetings in open session unless specific exemptions apply.”

Wisconsin's open meetings law generally applies to the state legislature, though there are exemptions for party caucuses, and rules set by the legislature itself.

(The Center Square) – Wolf hunters in Wisconsin say the state needs a population number, not for hunters and trappers but to help manage the health of the state’s wolf packs.

Luke Hilgemann, executive director of the International Order of T Roosevelt told state lawmakers the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is making an error by leaving a wolf population goal vague.

“Scientific research has shown that setting a numeric population goal for wolves can help ensure their survival while also addressing concerns about their impact on livestock and game species,” Hilgemann said.

As opposed to a specific wolf number, the DNR is considering wolf population ranges.

The population range proposal sets a goal of between 800 and 999 wolves in the state. If wolf numbers fall below 800, DNR says more protections may be needed.

If the wolf numbers top 1,000, DNR said hunting and trapping could be considered. If Wisconsin’s wolf population tops 1,200, the state would order a hunting and trapping season.

Hilgemann said those vague ranges could lead to problems down the road.

“The DNR currently estimates our wolf population to be around 1,000. However,

without a specific numeric goal, it is challenging to determine whether this number represents a healthy population size. A numeric goal would provide a benchmark for assessing the status of our wolf population and guide management decisions,” Hilgemann said.

Hilgemann said other states rely on specific wolf numbers, and Wisconsin should follow those models.

“In Wyoming, for instance, the state has set a goal of maintaining at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation,” Hilgemann said. “Idaho has set a population goal of 150 wolves, while Montana's goal is 100 wolves. These goals have not only provided a clear direction for conservation efforts but have also helped to balance the needs of the wolves with those of the local communities, including ranchers and farmers.”

The DNR scheduled two more listening sessions for the wolf management plan, both for early next month. The DNR board is expected to finalize Wisconsin's wolf management at its next meeting Oct. 25.

The Department of Homeland Security has sparked controversy by adding to its Intelligence Board multiple members who signed on to the now debunked 2020 letter saying the Hunter Biden laptop story was “Russian disinformation.”

Now, House Republicans want answers, saying the new additions bring into question the federal group’s credibility and impartiality.

“Your decision to appoint members to this group who have demonstrated political bias suggests misplaced priorities,” the letter said.

House Committee on Homeland Security Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., and August Pfluger, R-Texas, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, sent the letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the appointees.

The appointments in question include former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan, and former Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice Tashina Gauhar.

The letter points out they were among the intelligence officials that influenced the last presidential election when they “incorrectly implied the New York Post’s reporting about Hunter Biden’s political influence peddling was the product of Russian disinformation.”

“That statement was used by various media organizations and social media businesses to downplay and censor the Post’s reporting before the 2020 presidential election,” the letter said.

These new members were added to DHS’ new Homeland Intelligence Experts Group, which is tasked with providing advice to DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

“Another member of this newly-created group, then-Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice Tashina Gauhar, was extensively involved in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into baseless allegations that former President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia,” the letter said “These are just a few notable examples of concerning actions by some of the members appointed to the group that call into question the group’s neutrality.”

The controversy comes as the border remains in crisis with millions of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. in recent years. As The Center Square reported, in the Texas town of Eagle Pass, Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. declared a state of emergency this week as thousand of migrants have poured into his town.

So far, more than 50 counties in Texas alone have declared a state of emergency. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott officially has declared an invasion of his state citing the millions of migrants, a sentiment he reiterated earlier this week.

Other border states have had similar troubles, but it is not just an issue in border states.

New York City mayor Eric Adams has raised the alarm about his city’s difficulty in keeping up with the influx of migrants, one of several large metro areas north of the border feeling the impact of the increase in migrants.

The high number of migrants has become a political thorn in President Joe Biden’s side, and for now it seems likely to remain into the next presidential election.

“Rather than focus on addressing the catastrophic border crisis or I&A’s shortcomings to live up to its original purpose to equip the Homeland Security Enterprise, especially, our State, Local, Tribal and Territorial law enforcement partners, with timely intelligence and information, these actions appear to politicize the Department’s homeland security mission,” the letter said.

DHS did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

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