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Category: State news

Farmers fear more pain from Trump’s trade war

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Time

About 20% of U.S. milk production is exported annually, with about 40% of that going to Canada, Mexico, and China, according to Chuck Nicholson, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If the domestic dairy industry gets only a little more milk than traders were expecting, prices drop as a result, Nicholson says. So if the dairy industry started trying to sell that 20% domestically instead of exporting it, prices would plummet, making it difficult for farmers to continue to operate.

As measles outbreaks spread, Wisconsin could be vulnerable

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Wisconsin Public Radio

“We need really, really high vaccine coverage in order to protect a community from a measles outbreak,” said Malia Jones, a public health researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It is the most infectious disease on Earth. Nearly everyone who is exposed to measles and has not been vaccinated will get it.”

When will hummingbirds migrate back to Wisconsin this year?

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A few birds have already started to arrive in the state for the spring, such as robins and red-winged blackbirds, according to Anna Pidgeon, a professor of avian ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Though hummingbirds are a little further behind, there are a few steps you can take in the coming weeks to encourage them to your yard later in the spring.

DOGE, the Wisconsin version: Here’s what it could look like

Posted on
The Capital Times

In announcing the committee, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told the Cap Times he wanted to better tailor the work of government to a 21st century context.

“We need to deliver services in a different way than we have,” Vos said. “You know, how many (Universities of Wisconsin) campuses do we need? How many school districts do we need? How many townships do we need? All the things that we’ve never really thought about.”

Why has Wisconsin public health declined despite millions in funding?

Posted on
The Capital Times

UW-Madison has funded efforts to prevent farmer suicides, expand access to health services for Black men through barbershops and improve Alzheimer’s disease detection among Latinos. The school has trained medical students to work in rural communities and sought to increase Indigenous representation in medicine. Researchers have studied new ways to treat melanoma and prevent opioid misuse.

Tony Evers on budget compromise, Trump and DOGE. Takeaways from the governor’s meeting with county leaders

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Evers highlighted his “Year of the Kid” designation and said a focus needs to be on schools during the budget season. An ongoing battle over literacy funding from the last budget is yet to be squared away and he called for setting aside funds for youth mental health. Though funding for public schools, the University of Wisconsin and the state’s technical schools is large, it’s a necessary investment, especially because of the uncertainty at the federal level, he said.

This Wisconsin county keeps roads clear, saves money by using cheese byproduct. Here’s why

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Wisconsin State Farmer

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) lab have found liquid brine in water highway maintenance cleared the state’s highways faster, provided better friction on roadways and reduced overall salt usage.

“The data tells a very positive story for winter highway safety in Wisconsin,” says Andrea Bill, associate director of the TOPS Lab, which is housed in the UW-Madison College of Engineering. “Liquid brine is an effective tool, and along with training, education and technology, our storm fighters are making effective reductions in the amount of chloride on our roads and improving the performance of winter roads.”

Musk-backed SCOWIS attack ad features wrong Susan Crawford

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

It’s a sign of an increasingly negative campaign environment, said Michael Wagner, an expert on political communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“One thing that we’ve seen in our politics over the last several election cycles is an increasing willingness to take the shot, even if the candidate isn’t sure that the shot is accurate,” Wagner said. “The rush to get on air with negative ads, the appetite some audiences seem to have for them, all kind of contribute to the environment where mistakes like this can happen.”

Measles vaccination rates have fallen across Wisconsin, data shows

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Wisconsin Public Radio

There are several reasons for Wisconsin’s low and declining measles vaccination rates, said Jim Conway, a pediatric infectious disease professor at the University of Wisconsin’s medical school. A “recency phenomenon” is one of them, he said.

“These ‘old-fashioned diseases,’ as one parent said to me a couple weeks ago, just aren’t as concerning,” he said. “Because they’re considered diseases that affected all our parents, but they don’t see them as a current threat.”

Finnish saunas are having a moment in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Arnold Alanen is a professor emeritus of landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he researched the history of sauna structures. Alanen told “Wisconsin Today” that as a Finnish American, sauna has been a way of life for him from the beginning. He said he was first brought into a sauna as a very young baby, and then he caught on to the ritual when he was about 8 years old, living on his grandparents’ farm in Minnesota.

“The weekly sauna tradition was something that we did on our farm, just without interruption. We would do it every Saturday evening,” he said. “It became such an integral part of my life, as well as of our family.”

An election for a single state Supreme Court seat becomes the ‘blockbuster’ political fight of 2025

Posted on
CNN

“It’s going to be a blockbuster,” said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In a state where a Democrat controls the governor’s mansion and Republicans hold the legislative majority, the state Supreme Court “is the center of the action,” he said. “It’s become a place where a lot of hot-button issues people care about get decided.”

Gov. Tony Evers’ budget calls for tax cuts, protection against ‘needless chaos’ of Trump policies

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Wisconsin State Journal

Evers proposed $856 million in new operational funding for the UW system, more than the $800 million he pledged to the UW Board of Regents last August. His proposed budget also includes $60 million in new state aid for Wisconsin’s technical college system, $10 million of which is meant to support the 16 two-year colleges in investing in artificial intelligence.

Would Susan Crawford have to recuse from any abortion case? Why experts say she wouldn’t.

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Howard Schweber, a professor emeritus of political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted many judges previously worked as criminal prosecutors or defenders.

“It would be absurd to suggest that those judges must recuse themselves from any case involving a crime,” Schweber said.

Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone.

Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison’s backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation.

Outsourcing in Wisconsin state government expands under Evers

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The Capital Times

Andrew Reschovsky, a professor emeritus of public affairs at UW-Madison, said sometimes it makes sense for a state agency to contract out services when it doesn’t have the staff or knowledge for the work. Without the outcome of cost-benefit analyses or other information, it is impossible to know when contracting out makes sense without querying each agency, he said.

2 GOP state lawmakers pushing to advance nuclear energy in Wisconsin

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

Two Republicans who chair state legislative committees on energy and utilities say they want to bring more nuclear power online in Wisconsin in the coming years.

To start that effort, they introduced a resolution calling on the Legislature to publicly support nuclear power and fusion energy.

Lawmakers debate measure requiring state employees to return to in-office working

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Last year, an analysis released by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found most state agencies and University of Wisconsin institutions allowed employees to work from home up to five days a week and one-third or less of workstations in state offices were being used during auditors’ visits.

Based on six visits to 15 agencies and University of Wisconsin System offices between July and August 2023, the highest percentage of workstations being used was 34.5% at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The audit was released in December 2023.

More Wisconsin communities rejecting fluoride in water. Health groups say fears unfounded.

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Patrick Remington, emeritus professor at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health who began his career at the CDC, said some who oppose fluoride because of its risks aren’t weighing them against the benefits — something people do every day when they choose to drive a car, have a drink or make other choices.

The benefits of fluoride are clear: less tooth decay, Remington said, while the science doesn’t yet show neurodevelopmental problems for children who ingest fluoride at the level in the U.S. water supply.

Housing Inventory Report: Madison leads Midwest, Texas leads nation

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Wisconsin Public Radio

From 2005 to 2023, Madison stands out as a top performer in the Upper Midwest in addressing the housing shortage, according to a new analysis. Yet, Texas has 15 cities out-pacing the nation in housing stock growth. Kurt Paulsen, a UW-Madison urban planner, examines the report and offers takeaways.

How do Trump’s executive orders affect climate and clean energy funding in Wisconsin?

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

Greg Nemet, energy expert and public affairs professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the president doesn’t decide what to do about spending that Congress has authorized.

“This could end up just being more of a power struggle between Congress and the president,” Nemet said. “But in the meantime, it does reduce some confidence in the funding and the expectations that would go to our state.”

These Wisconsin specialty license plates were the most popular in 2024

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Anyone can show their love for the Wisconsin Badgers with this plate — it’s not just available to alumni. While the UW-Madison plate is the most popular, you can choose a plate logo for any of the other UW System campuses.

The annual donation associated with the plate is $20, less than the typical $25. Proceeds support scholarship programs at the selected campus.

Public charging tax now in effect for electric vehicle owners in Wisconsin

Posted on
FOX 11, Green Bay

Others like Chris McCahill, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and managing director of the State Smart Transportation Initiative, point out one negative to the tax — is electric vehicle owners already pay more than those with gas powered vehicles when registering their vehicle each year.

“So now with this new surcharge, the folks will be paying the state twice to try and compensate for those lost gas tax revenues,” said McCahill.

Embattled UW-Madison engineering building back on track after Republicans hit pause

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The embattled University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering building is back on track.

The State Building Commission unanimously approved the project’s new $420 million budget during a Friday meeting, a few weeks after Republican lawmakers stalled the project last month over transparency concerns related to increasing the project’s budget.

Crawford, Schimel set to square off in another high-profile Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

“The court continues to be a place in Wisconsin politics where big issues are decided,” said Barry Burden, a political scientist and elections expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The state still has a Democratic governor and Republican Legislature who don’t get along and don’t do much productive lawmaking together … so a lot of the disputes between the parties end up being settled in the courts and eventually in the state Supreme Court.”

Missing all the political ads? With no primary, Supreme Court race will kick into high gear

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The same issues that animated the 2023 race in which liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly are likely to come up again this year, said Howard Schweber, professor emeritus of political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Opinion | GOP takes another kick at the University of Wisconsin

Posted on
The Capital Times

Despite losing 14 seats in the fall election, GOP legislators still feel empowered to hold the state’s largest economic engine hostage to the whims of its most petty members. Republicans on the state Building Commission ganged up on UW-Madison last week and threw another obstacle in the path of the long-awaited and already-approved new engineering building.