MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin lawmakers are considering introducing highway tolling in the state as part of the next state budget. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the tolls would help pay for road construction and repairs. The state’s business lobby and members of the tourism, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors say tolls could deter tourists, increase the cost of transporting…
(Photo: Newsfile)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature are headed to court in their dispute over the governor’s veto of the Legislature’s funding. Dayton’s veto following a special session was aimed at reopening negotiations on tax changes that he says favor the wealthy. Republican legislative leaders say his move is unconstitutional. Without the money, paychecks will eventually…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin’s craft brewers and wineries are trying to head off a plan they fear legislators will tuck into the state budget that would prevent them from selling their products on-site and force them into contracts with distributors. The Wisconsin Tavern League and the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association have been trying to convince lawmakers to adopt legislation clearly…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans released their long-awaited bill Thursday to dismantle much of Barack Obama’s health care law, proposing to cut Medicaid for low-income Americans and erase tax boosts that Obama imposed on high-earners and medical companies to finances his expansion of coverage. The bill would provide less-generous tax credits to help people buy insurance and let states get…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he “did not make” and doesn’t have any recordings of his private conversations with James Comey — his fired FBI director. Trump also tweets that he has “no idea” whether other “tapes” or recordings exist. Trump has disputed Comey’s assertion that Trump asked Comey for a pledge of loyalty during…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Republican-controlled state Assembly has passed a bill designed to prohibit people with pre-existing health conditions from being excluded from health insurance coverage. Republicans brought the issue up after midnight on Thursday. It was not scheduled for debate and there was no notice that the Assembly planned to take up the issue. It passed on a…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s 72 county tour of the state stopped in Douglas County Wednesday. His message to local leaders: we know you exist, and we want to help. The A.G. held a round-table discussion where officials told him about Douglas County’s serious drug problem. Douglas Co. is Wisconsin’s only county ranked in the top ten…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill into law that eliminates requirements that 16 and 17 year olds get parental permission to work. Walker signed the bill Wednesday. Republicans in the Legislature who supported the measure argued it would make it easier for children without parents to work. Democratic opponents countered that doing away with the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Budget talks among Republicans who control the state Legislature remain stalled over how to pay for roads. Budget committee co-chair Rep. John Nygren said Wednesday that Senate Republicans want to increase the level of borrowing to pay for roads beyond the nearly half billion dollars that Gov. Scott Walker proposed. Nygren says transportation funding is the…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is pulling out of the federal health care exchange in Wisconsin. Anthem blames a volatile market for its exit from the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Anthem spokesman Jeff Blunt says making pricing plans is increasingly difficult because of a shrinking and deteriorating individual market. The Associated Press says Anthem also cites…
DULUTH, Minn. – A new boating safety law was expected to be in effect right now in Minnesota, but there’s been a hold up. Sophia’s Law was passed last year by the Minnesota legislature. The law is named after a seven-year-old girl who died in 2015 from carbon monoxide poisoning while napping on her family’s boat on Lake Minnetonka, near the Twin…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Public School District will pay $45 million out of its general fund over the next 15 years. The district took on the debt in the form of bonds which went to a variety of projects including construction of the new Duluth East and renovations at Denfeld High School. The city currently pays roughly $23 million a…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-Longtime Rep. Paul Thissen joins an already crowded field of DFL candidates for governor. Thissen plans to formally launch his campaign Thursday to replace Gov. Mark Dayton, who decided against a third term. He’s in his eighth two-year term representing southwest Minneapolis. Thissen joins U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, state Reps. Erin Murphy of St. Paul and Tina Liebling…
Michael Gableman MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman will not seek a second term next year. Two individuals have announced their candidacy for the seat. A person with direct knowledge of his decision, but who was not authorized to speak publicly about it told The Associated Press of Gableman’s decision Thursday. Gableman released a statement late…
UPDATE: President Donald Trump says the assailant in the congressional shooting has died from his injuries. Trump said Wednesday morning that the gunman who shot Rep. Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, had died. The assailant has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson. Scalise was shot at a congressional baseball practice just outside of Washington. Officials said several other people were also…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is again highlighting the stories of people whose healthcare premiums have skyrocketed as he tries to push a GOP replacement plan. Trump met with what the White House has been referring to as “victims” of former President Barack Obama’s health care law after landing in Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon. Trump says too many people have…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday that he had any undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador or conversions with Russian officials about the U.S. elections. He vowed to defend his honor “against scurrilous and false allegations.” Testifying at a Senate hearing, Sessions said it was a “detestable and appalling lie” to…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump will be touring a technical school in Wisconsin Tuesday as part of his push to boost jobs by increasing apprenticeships. Trump says the learn-and-earn arrangements are going to be “a big, big factor” in his effort to add jobs that employers are having trouble filling. The idea is for students to work at paid…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council voted Monday night to rezone property near Proctor from residential to mixed-use, which allows a Kwik Trip development to move forward. The vote came down to a 5-3 vote with councilors Joel Sipress, Gary Anderson and Howie Hanson voting against the rezoning and Elissa Hansen absent. The parcels of land are at Boundary…
SEATTLE (AP) – Another federal appeals court has upheld a decision blocking President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban. The ruling Monday from a unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals deals the administration another legal defeat as the Supreme Court considers a separate case on the issue. The judges say the president violated the U.S. immigration…
DULUTH, Minn. – There is big news for the City of Duluth, as $200,000 is coming its way in an effort to bring the community together. Some Duluth city leaders submitted the idea of “Making Canal Park Pop” to the Knight Cities Challenge. Canal Park is known for its great view of the lake, shops and also the many cars driving…
CLOQUET, Minn. – After a three-month investigation, Cloquet’s police chief, Steve Stracek, is cleared of that “vote of no confidence” complaint by officers of his own department. It’s part of a separation agreement between Stracek and the city, which includes Stracek retiring Thursday. And now, for the first time since the investigation began in March, a longtime police commander is…
WASHINGTON (FOX NEWS) – President Trump on Wednesday said he intends to nominate former assistant attorney general Christopher Wray to be the next FBI director. Wray, currently a litigation partner at King & Spalding, would replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, who took over when James Comey was fired by Trump in May. “I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray,…
AP Photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Former FBI Director James Comey will say in his opening statement at a congressional hearing that President Donald Trump told him, “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty” during an “awkward” conversation at a January dinner at the White House, according to documents released a day ahead of his highly anticipated testimony. Comey is set to…
Superior, Wis. After more than a month of emotions, anger and frustrations the Superior City Council has turned a new chapter involving the open council seat Graham Garfield resigned from. Garfield who is facing those serious charges of domestic abuse. The council chambers were packed mostly with support for Tylor Elm who the council ultimately appointed tonight seven to two….
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump will not assert executive privilege to block fired FBI Director James Comey from testifying on Capitol Hill, the White House said Monday, setting the stage for a dramatic public airing of the former top law enforcement official’s dealings with the commander in chief. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president’s power to…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker is keeping up the pressure on fellow Republicans to find a road-funding solution. Walker scheduled a news conference Monday alongside the ongoing work on the Highway 151/Verona Road reconstruction on the southwest side of Madison. Walker’s budget would keep that project on schedule and he’s warned that it and others could be delayed…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A group of Republican legislators are circulating a bill that would create gun safety classes for high school students. Under the bill, the state superintendent would have to work with the Department of Natural Resources or police or an organization that specializes in firearms safety or certifies firearm instructions to develop the curriculum for an elective…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A legal battle is brewing between Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota lawmakers. Dayton zeroed out the Legislature’s budget while signing the rest of a $46 billion budget earlier this week. It was a response to the Legislature forcing him to sign a $650 million package of tax cuts that Dayton now wants to slim down….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker is signaling his opposition to a bill that would allow Wisconsin residents to carry concealed handguns without obtaining a permit or going through training. Walker told reporters Thursday that he was “comfortable” with the current law requiring people who want to carry a concealed weapon to get training and obtain a license. A…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, striking a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat climate change and distancing the country from many allies abroad. He said the U.S. would try to negotiate re-entry on better terms. “As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Thousands of state employees may still get access to paid parental leave for the next year even though Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill containing the policy. Minnesota Public Radio reports that state officials plan to continue offering the policy, arguing that Dayton’s veto doesn’t matter and that the Legislature’s approval was enough. Dayton had…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The application deadline is over in Superior, and two candidates are officially in the running to be appointed to the former council seat of Graham Garfield who resigned. Tylor Elm handed in 232 signatures of support with his application. Elm lost to Garfield in a recent election by one vote. The other candidate is Kara Schmidt who…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota governor Mark Dayton signed the state’s budget and bonding bills Tuesday to avoid a state government shutdown, but now, he’s taking some serious heat after deciding to veto funding to the house and senate as a way to get lawmakers to fix some key issues included in the bills. House republicans are calling this move unconstitutional…
DARLINGTON, Wis. (AP) -A Wisconsin judge has overturned a ban on selling homemade baked goods in the state. Lafayette County Judge Duane Jorgenson ruled Wednesday afternoon in favor of three women who’d challenged a state law they say made it impossible for home bakers to legally sell their treats. Jorgenson said in his oral ruling the ban primarily serves business…
BELOIT, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker says he’s open to the idea of tolling Wisconsin interstates, but only if the revenue helps reduce the state’s gas tax, which is nearly 31 cents a gallon. Walker made his comments Tuesday in Beloit where he warned that the $1.2 billion expansion of Interstate 39-90 from the Madison area to the Illinois…
DULUTH, Minn. — The podium was well-lit at “The Garage,” in the Kirby Student Center at University of Minnesota Duluth. Students have recently departed for the summer, and just last week the Minnesota State Legislature completed a marathon session that included an overtime vote for a billion-dollar bonding bill. Now, arriving early Tuesday morning at that podium at UMD, the…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has announced his decisions on the budget bills passed during a 75-hour special session that ended just before Memorial Day weekend. The governor has signed the nine budget bills and the bonding bill, and he will allow the tax bill to become law without his signature. The governor stood by his…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican lawmakers want to sweeten the deal for Wisconsin beekeepers. A proposal from Rep. Amy Loudenbeck and Sen. Steve Nass would eliminate the state sales tax on bees and equipment used by beekeepers. Loudenbeck said at an Assembly committee hearing Tuesday the bill would extend exemptions given to farmers to beekeepers and help address the rapidly…
MADISON (AP) – Wisconsin’s transportation budget picture has improved by $93 million. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau on Tuesday told lawmakers that the roads fun will end the two-year budget cycle with nearly $102 million due to higher gas tax collections and lower debt service costs. The fund was originally projected to be just $8.4 million. The positive re-estimate comes…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is still on the hunt for a new FBI director after firing James Comey, and is conducing more meetings to address the vacancy. White House press secretary Sean Spicer says trump is scheduled to meet Tuesday with John Pistole, the former head of the Transportation Security Administration. Trump also is meeting about the FBI…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-Minnesota’s Court of Appeals has upheld a state law allowing counties to hire private firms for financial audits. It’s the second such court ruling involving the Legislature’s 2015 law that ignited controversy. State Auditor Rebecca Otto challenged the law, arguing it was an unconstitutional breech of her duties that puts taxpayers at risk. Republicans who spearheaded the change…
WASHINGTON (FOX NEWS) – Veteran GOP strategist Michael Dubke resigned as White House communications director on Tuesday, Dubke confirmed to Fox News. Asked about reports announcing his exit, Dubke told Fox News, “It is true.” He added: “It has been a privilege to serve this president.” Dubke said in a message to friends and associates that his reason for leaving…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – It’s time for Gov. Mark Dayton to decide: Should he sign the Legislature’s budget bills or veto them? The Democratic governor set himself a Tuesday deadline to act on budget bills. The Republican-controlled Legislature sent Dayton the remainder of a $46 billion budget last week during a three-day special session. Dayton has expressed some reservations…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Assembly Corrections Committee has approved two Republican bills that could send more kids to Wisconsin’s troubled youth prison for longer stints. Currently judges can sentence children 14 and older to the prison for up to three years for certain serious crimes. One bill would expand the list of crimes to include all felonies. The other…
DULUTH, Minn. – State lawmakers wrapped up a special legislative session by passing a state budget and a nearly billion dollar bonding bill. With the bill awaiting Governor Dayton’s signature, local lawmakers are calling this session a success for projects in Duluth and northeast Minnesota. “There was a lot of uncertainty, so we worked really hard the last few days…
NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump’s budget proposal weakens insurance coverage for drug addiction treatment and cuts back funding for research and prevention programs. Some see that as a betrayal of those who trusted his campaign pledge to make the opioid epidemic a top priority. Those most frustrated include parents of those lost to the epidemic who shared their…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s Legislature has finished passing a $46 billion budget in a special session. It took three extra days and some horse-trading to win crucial Democratic votes. But the Republican-controlled Legislature passed its final budget bills early Friday morning. The overtime began Tuesday morning after lawmakers passed the constitutionally mandated deadline to finish a budget by…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban “speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination,” a federal appeals court said Thursday in ruling against the executive order targeting six Muslim-majority countries. Trump’s administration vowed to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 10-13 vote, the 4th…
ST. PAUL, Minn.-Legislative leaders have released a bill to borrow more than $1 billion for public construction projects that includes more than $250 million for transportation infrastructure. The bonding bill is expected to the final piece of legislation that lawmakers take up during the special session, which was envisioned as a one-day event for Tuesday but entered its third day…
