Wednesday, April 23, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Lawmakers Call for Audit of Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Delay

spot_img

The Republicans who control the state legislature want to know why it’s taking so long for some people to get a professional license in Wisconsin.

The Legislature’s Joint Audit Committee on Tuesday ordered an audit of the Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, said the audit comes after months of stonewalling from DSPS leaders.

“The Department of Administration failed to provide the Audit Bureau with even the most basic documents and information used to make federal funding decisions. The public has a right to know how priorities for this funding were determined and why,” Wimberger said.

DSPS has been facing questions for months about the months-long backlog for some people to get the license they need to work in the state.

DSPS says the average wait time is 45 days, but many professionals say it’s much longer than that.

Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol on Tuesday said adding an audit to the to-do list at the department will only make things worse.

“DSPS is already understaffed and under-resourced and, given the limited resources available at the department as it is, conducting this audit will almost certainly require diverting those limited existing resources away from processing licenses and credentials and servicing professional organizations and workers across our state,” a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to the Audit Committee. “If an audit is going to be conducted, then there must be specific measures the Committee is prepared to take to ensure this decision will not get in the way of the important work the department is doing to issue Wisconsinites their licenses.”

Wimberger agreed. He said the people of Wisconsin do need their licenses.

“Our state’s professionals are stuck in limbo while waiting for the Department of Safety and Professional Services to approve their licenses. Families, businesses and our state’s industries deserve answers on how this process can be improved. Government should not be a barrier to gainful employment,” Wimberger added.

cavalier johnson

Mayor Cavalier Johnson Calls Froedtert’s Treatment of Milwaukee Cop ‘Very Clearly Inappropriate’

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is calling Froedtert Hospital's treatment of Milwaukee police officers "very clearly inappropriate." We reached out last Friday to Johnson through his...
hannah dugan

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Accused of Helping Illegal Immigrant ‘Evade ICE’: Report

Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Hannah Dugan "is under FBI investigation for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant defendant evade ICE agents who came to...
tony evers

The Wisconsin Supreme Court Just Allowed Tony Evers to Raise Taxes for 400 years

In case you missed it, the liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court just allowed Tony Evers to raise taxes for the next 400...
mpd

Milwaukee Police Association Calls for Obstruction Charges Against Hospital Staff

The Milwaukee Police Association is calling for "obstruction charges for hospital staff" who demand that officers disarm and/or interfere with police investigations. "Recent news stories...
mpd

Sick Milwaukee Police Officer Was Turned Away by TWO Froedtert Clinics

A sick Milwaukee police officer was turned away by TWO Froedtert "FastCare" clinics because he had a department-issued firearm while in uniform, the memo...

Froedtert Hospital Apologizes For Denying Treatment to Milwaukee Police Officer

The president of Froedtert Hospital’s south region apologized Wednesday to a Milwaukee police officer and the law enforcement community, admitting that the officer was...

Froedtert Denied Sick Milwaukee Cop Treatment Because He Had a Gun: MPD

"I'm appalled" - Milwaukee Police Association President Alex Ayala. A Milwaukee hospital's clinic denied a sick on-duty police officer medical treatment because the officer had...

My Visit to Hillsdale College

I had a unique opportunity to visit Hillsdale College in lower central nowhere, ah hum, Michigan, a week ago.  They held a conference on...
Trump Expects Indictment White House Cocaine president trump covid-19

Trump Expands Gulf of America Oil & Natural Gas Production

Reversing Biden administration policies that halted offshore leasing, prompting lawsuits and restricting oil and natural gas development, the Trump administration is expanding offshore capabilities.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to hold the administration’s first offshore lease sales in the Gulf of America, with the first proposed notice of sale slated for June.

“By continuing to expand offshore capabilities, the United States ensures affordable energy for consumers, strengthens domestic industry and reinforces its role as an energy superpower,” the Interior Department says. “Opening the Outer Continental Shelf is central to this strategy as it unleashes domestic energy potential that had been blocked under the previous administration,” and is expected to generate tens of thousands of high-paying jobs throughout the industry.

The BOEM also released a new analysis stating that a significant increase of estimated oil and natural gas reserves exists in the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM’s updated assessment evaluated more than 140 oil and natural gas fields, identifying 18 new discoveries, and analyzed more than 37,000 reservoirs across 1,336 fields in the Gulf.

It says there’s an “additional 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2021, bringing the total reserve estimate to 7.04 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This includes 5.77 billion barrels of oil and 7.15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas – a 22.6% increase in remaining recoverable reserves.”

“This new data confirms what we’ve known all along – America is sitting on a treasure trove of energy, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’re unlocking it,” Burgum said. “The Gulf of America is a powerhouse, and by streamlining permitting and expanding access, we’re not just powering our economy – we’re strengthening our national security and putting thousands of Americans back to work.”

The comprehensive review added 4.39 billion barrels of oil equivalent in original reserves, BOEM found. “After subtracting production of 3.09 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2020–2021, the net increase reflects continued opportunity and momentum in offshore development,” it says.

“The Gulf of America is delivering 14% of the nation’s oil,” BOEM Gulf of America Regional Director Dr. James Kendall said. “These updated estimates reaffirm the Gulf’s vital role in ensuring a reliable, affordable domestic energy supply.”

The BOEM oversees nearly 3.2 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, with roughly 160 million acres located in the Gulf.

“Energy dominance is a pillar of U.S. economic strength and global leadership,” the Interior Department argues. “By expanding offshore capabilities, the United States ensures affordable energy for consumers, creates high-paying jobs, and reduces dependence on foreign adversaries. … Expanded leasing is projected to create tens of thousands of jobs across exploration, production, logistics and supply chains — revitalizing coastal economies and fueling American innovation.”

Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, also announced it is beginning production at Dover, a second subsea tieback connecting new wells to existing infrastructure of its Appomattox production hub in the Gulf of America. Dover’s estimated peak production is 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, it says.

Shell is the leading deep-water operator in the Gulf of America; Dover was discovered under the first Trump administration in 2018.

It’s located in Mississippi Canyon, roughly 170 miles offshore southeast of New Orleans.

Shell estimates that Dover will “contain 44.5 million barrels of oil equivalent recoverable resources, adding stable, secure energy resources.”

Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities have generated billions of dollars in revenue from lease sales, rental fees and royalties to the federal government and states, helping to fund infrastructure, education and public services and wildlife conservation. They also help strengthen U.S. energy independence, national security and global stability, by reducing reliance on foreign producers, the Trump administration argues.

Offshore production in the Gulf of America accounts for the third greatest volume in the country, of nearly 1.8 million barrels of oil per day, according to Energy Information Agency data from January. The greatest volume is produced in the Permian Basin in west Texas, which leads the U.S. in oil and natural gas production, The Center Square reported.

josh kaul

Wisconsin Judge Slams Josh Kaul, Says He ‘Abused’ Justice System & Made ‘False Representations’

A Wisconsin judge slammed Attorney General Josh Kaul in a blistering order on Friday, accusing Kaul of abusing Wisconsin's justice system and of making...

Why Brad Schimel Lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

There's one big reason that Brad Schimel lost on Tuesday. The blame game will erupt in earnest today, but the Supreme Court election was probably...
uw-eau claire

UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Say Professor Flipped Their Table With Brad Schimel Lit

"I was very scared to continue tabling. I knew we had to because backing down would be worse" - UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Chair...
bridget schoenborn

Evers’ Appointees Bridget Schoenborn, Fred Strampe on Waukesha Ballot Today

Two appointees of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are on the ballot today (April 1, 2025) seeking Waukesha County judgeships. They are Bridget Schoenborn and...
susan crawford

Wisconsin Judge Susan Crawford Was Doyle’s Top Lawyer When He Implemented Mass Early Release of Criminals

Liberal Judge Susan Crawford was Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle's top lawyer when Doyle implemented the mass release of criminals from state prisons. In response to...
elon musk

Elon Musk in Green Bay: Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Could Determine Control of U.S. House

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took a stage in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sunday, and warned Wisconsin voters that he believes the control of the U.S....

WATCH: Elon Musk Town Hall Rally in Green Bay [FULL Video]

Tesla CEO and free speech advocate Elon Musk is appearing at a Town Hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin tonight, with the state Supreme Court...
elon musk

Elon Musk Accuses Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul of Trying to Restrain His Free Speech

A lawyer for Tesla CEO and free speech advocate Elon Musk is accusing Wisconsin's partisan liberal Attorney General Josh Kaul of trying to curtail...
Brad Schimel

Retired Waukesha Cop Tells Moving Story About Brad Schimel

By: Paul Paikowski, retired Waukesha Police detective Editor's note: We first saw this post that Paikowski made on Facebook, and we decided to bring it...
elon musk

Josh Kaul’s Blunder: How His Lawfare Against Elon Musk Helps Brad Schimel

Josh Kaul, you've been had. Elon Musk just rolled you. While the liberal media are (predictably) all aflutter about Musk's petition (against activist judges), average folks...

The Great American Company [Up Against the Wall]

I love the show The Food That Built America, in which they go through the history and rise of dead flat broke entrepreneurs who...