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Category: State news

State lawmakers remain divided on UW-Madison encampment

Posted on
Daily Cardinal

While Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, told the Cardinal she acknowledges protest is a tool for change, law and regulations remain an important principle for protesters to follow. “You can certainly exercise your right to free speech and right to assemble without tents in a camp… there is protest and then there’s civil disobedience,” Subeck said. “Actions have consequences, so whatever it is the protest is about when they choose to set up an encampment such as these students did, there are consequences that can come with that.”

Wisconsin’s low-wage workers have seen gains in recent years, but challenges remain

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Wages for the lowest-paid workers in Wisconsin have risen faster than pay for higher earners in recent years, but workers still face challenges.

That’s according to the new “State of Working Wisconsin” report from the High Road Strategy Center, an economic think tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The report is released annually around Labor Day to provide insights into how workers are doing in the economy.

UW tuition promise programs finding success, but need funding

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

For years, national surveys of students and families have shown the cost to attend college heavily influences where high school students choose to enroll. Educators in Wisconsin have taken that seriously.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched Bucky’s Tuition Promise in 2018. The program covers a student’s tuition for four years if the family has a household income of $65,000 or less.

Wisconsin’s prison population swells as other states limit incarceration

Posted on
PBS Wisconsin

Extended periods of supervision after release from prison do little to improve public safety, according to Cecelia Klingele, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School professor of criminal law. The long terms “may interfere with the ability of those on supervision to sustain work, family life and other pro-social connections to their communities,” she wrote in a 2019 study examining 200 revocation cases.

“Fewer, more safety-focused conditions will lead to fewer unnecessary revocations and more consistency in revocation for people whose behavior poses a serious threat to public safety,” she added.

Main Street Agenda is hitting the road to hear from Wisconsin on issues that matter to you

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Main Street Agenda is here to help you navigate these times. It is an election-year project designed to provide information and civil conversations about the issues Wisconsin voters care most about. The topics come from a UW Survey Center survey, WisconSays, that asked residents about the top issues they face.

Wisconsin voter ID law still causing confusion, stifles turnout in Milwaukee, voting advocates say

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“It’s a small factor compared to not liking the candidates or not caring about the outcome,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Elections Research Center. His university colleagues published a 2017 study on the effect of the law.

Wisconsin’s inmate population swells as other states limit incarceration and close prisons

Posted on
Wisconsin Watch

Extended periods of supervision after release from prison do little to improve public safety, according to Cecelia Klingele, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School professor of criminal law. The long terms “may interfere with the ability of those on supervision to sustain work, family life and other pro-social connections to their communities,” she wrote in a 2019 study examining 200 revocation cases.

“Fewer, more safety-focused conditions will lead to fewer unnecessary revocations and more consistency in revocation for people whose behavior poses a serious threat to public safety,” she added.

UW System funding ranks 43rd nationally. A big budget request would move it to middle of pack

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The state public university system is leaning heavily on a low national ranking in a bid seeking $855 million from the Legislature.

Wisconsin ranks 43rd among 50 states in funding its public four-year universities, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. The advocacy group represents the UW System, as well as other state university systems.

Wisconsin DOT Secretary Craig Thompson to step down; deputy secretary to take over

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Wisconsin State Journal

Thompson, who took on the role as Wisconsin DOT secretary five years ago as one of Evers’ first department head appointees, will leave the agency on Sept. 11 to take a position at UW-Madison, Evers said. On Sept. 16, Thompson will begin his new role as vice chancellor for university relations at UW-Madison, university officials announced Friday.

Wisconsin voters reject ballot questions restricting governor’s power over federal funds

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Either the messaging from Republican and conservative leaders did not fully penetrate or the confusing legal language led some Republicans to vote ‘no’ rather than enact something they were unsure about,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center. “Democrats did put some money into the campaign to defeat the amendments and their message appears to have reached their primary voters.”

Wisconsin project digs through records and dirt to find MIA soldiers

Posted on
The Capital Times

Eighty years later, Stevens was finally buried in Florida National Cemetery. His daughter attended the service in March, along with Ryan Wubben and other members of a University of Wisconsin-Madison group who helped find Stevens’ remains.

“It’s an interesting feeling that the success of your project results in a funeral,” said Wubben, the field physician for the University of Wisconsin Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project.

2 Republicans compete for chance to take on Pocan in 2nd Congressional District

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

“It’s been a very quiet contest in a district that is not likely to elect a Republican anytime soon,” University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said of the GOP primary race. “But this is at least an opportunity for the party to pick a favorite and try to make a stab at winning a difficult seat.”

Wisconsin seeing record high employment, wage growth. Let’s break down what that means.

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In February, March, and May of this year, Wisconsin led the nation in “inflation adjusted hourly earnings growth,” the release said, citing data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That means “wages are going up faster than prices” — a very good thing, said Ross Milton, an assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in state and local finance.

Wisconsin’s largest cities have synergies to make tech hub flourish with new partnership

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison serves as the innovator – home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where research is king. The school ranks eighth in nation for research expenditures among public and private universities according to the National Science Foundation with more than $1.5 billion invested annually. UW also ranks high in patents granted – 12th in 2023. Additionally, the city’s startup scene is consistently ranked within the top-150 ecosystems globally. This innovation leads to products that need to be manufactured. Enter Milwaukee.

Wisconsin’s opioid crisis complicates an already troubled health care system

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Written by Christine Durrance ,a professor in the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who studies health economics and policy, with particular interests in risky behavior, including substance use and the opioid crisis; maternal, infant, and reproductive health; child maltreatment and domestic violence; and competition in health care markets.

Tom Still: Competitive federal grants aren’t target of Aug. 13 constitutional referendums

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

One such proposal will come from the WiSys, a nonprofit supporting organization of the Universities of Wisconsin. It is the technology transfer office for 11 public universities, meaning it protects the intellectual property of academic inventors and aims to move such discoveries into the marketplace. The WiSys proposal, which got a Phase 1 nod from NSF, seeks to make Wisconsin a global leader in sustainable agriculture and involves about 30 partners.

Should Wisconsin hold a sandhill crane hunt? A committee will study that and more.

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Wisconsin Public Radio

In Wisconsin, only 17 percent of 2,769 people surveyed last December support a hunting season on sandhill cranes. That’s according to a study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and funded by the International Crane Foundation. The organization has said crop damage by cranes should be solved by other means, saying a hunt wouldn’t have any significant benefit for farmers.

How many manure spills is too many? St. Croix County residents scrutinize big farm’s new owner

Posted on
Wisconsin Watch

Wisconsin researchers are among a select few to document manure spill trends.

In 15 years, reported incidents statewide jumped from about 40 to roughly 200 annually, but Department of Natural Resources and University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension staff don’t believe their frequency actually increased.

Evers’ broadband task force says ‘internet for all’ requires affordability, digital literacy

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

In addition to the cost of a monthly internet subscription, other barriers exist for households that have the internet infrastructure but don’t connect. Task force member Gail Huycke said barriers include a lack of digital literacy, not knowing how to use the technology, poor reliability and fear.

Huycke is a professor of practice and broadband specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension. As part of the Connected Aging Communities initiative, she worked with seniors on using the internet and found people over age 65 are the most likely to be disconnected.

Biden calls for ethics overhaul at SCOTUS. In Wisconsin, the rules are different.

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Howard Schweber, who for years taught political science and law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told WPR that Wisconsin once had a reputation for having “mostly apolitical courts, but that fell apart in the 2000s.” He said he believes the politicization of state Supreme Court elections started in 2007 with the election of conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler.

“It really took the Democrats Wisconsin a long while to realize that these were not your father’s judicial elections anymore, and they have indeed become highly politicized,” Schweber said. “Because, just as with the Supreme Court, people realize that if you can capture the court, you can promote your ideology in a very effective way.”

Artificial intelligence task force releases action plan for state labor force

Posted on
Channel 3000

“Very often these tools can invent false facts,” said UW-Madison Assistant Professor Annette Zimmermann. “That’s very misleading and very dangerous, particularly in professions that impact a lot of people.”

Zimmermann researches the ethical implications of AI at UW. She says it’s crucial to give workers a seat at the table when making decisions about how to use AI.

Dairy shows remain ‘status quo’ at Wisconsin State Fair despite additional hurdles of avian flu

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Wisconsin Public Radio

County fairs around the state have already gone through the additional testing requirements for avian flu this summer. The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has received nearly 400 samples every week since June, according to director Keith Poulsen.

Poulsen said they could accommodate more tests, but there hasn’t been the demand.

People in assisted living are getting sicker. Wisconsin isn’t ready to keep them safe.

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Barbara Bowers, a long-term care researcher and professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, said she is “astounded” by the medical complexity of the people in assisted living today.

“They look a lot like, 10 years ago, the people in nursing homes,” she said.

Climate change needs action. UW survey shows even Republicans want that.

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Co-authored by Morgan Edwards, an assistant professor with the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. She also leads the Climate Action Lab and holds an affiliation with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Zachary Thomas is a graduate student in UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and member of the Climate Action Lab.

Wisconsin, in a first, to unveil a statue of a Black woman at its Capitol

Posted on
The Associated Press

Phillips broke a long list of barriers as the first Black woman to graduate from the UW-Madison Law School, to win a seat on the Milwaukee City Council and to become a judge in Wisconsin. Then she became the first woman and Black person elected to statewide office in Wisconsin, serving as secretary of state from 1979 to 1983. She died in 2018 at age 95.

College network to nurture rural students set to expand

Posted on
Inside Higher Ed

The University of Wisconsin at Madison’s Student Success Through Applied Research lab, which has focused on rural college access since 2020, has expanded its work since joining the STARS network, Betley said. The lab has produced an interactive mapping tool and report to document which rural areas have access to postsecondary programs and provide new insights into rural college enrollment trends. The findings even helped the university identify districts where students can use support and launch a statewide college-access program called College for Rural Wisconsin.

Do Wisconsin Democratic delegates have to vote for Biden? Your delegate questions answered

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“It seems like Biden has released (the delegates from their pledges). He didn’t say that formally, but they’re also not formally bound to him,” Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.