Capitol Notes: Recent Episodes
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There's never a shortage of political news in Wisconsin, from the governor's office to the Legislature to the state's elected officials in Washington, DC. Join WUWM's Marti Mikkelson and Wispolitics.com editor JR Ross each week as they highlight and provide context to the latest developments.
On this special edition of Capitol Notes, learn about a new politics podcast from WUWM — Swing State of the Union.
Millions of dollars in state funding to clean up groundwater contamination are going unused in Wisconsin. Why? We also look into how Democrats and Republicans are trying to leverage their candidates in the state's competitive congressional districts.
Do you want to know about the candidates for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, what U.S. Senators actually do for people on the ground here, and how the candidates are approaching their campaigns? Tune into Capitol Notes this week!
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com gives the big picture on the upcoming presidential primary election in Wisconsin, the new lawsuit over drop boxes and the latest in the recall effort against GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and ten Wisconsin Republicans who served as false electors had to affirm President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Find out more about that settlement, important 2024 potential legislative races and this week's upcoming senate floor session.
Wisconsin's Ethics Commission referred former President Trump's joint fundraising committee, GOP legislator Janel Brandtjen and other Republicans to local district attorneys for potential felony charges involving fundraising during the 2022 midterm elections.
Last week brought developments in the redistricting lawsuit in the state supreme court over state legislative lines. With ongoing litigation in the court, Legislative Republicans weigh the idea of passing Democratic Governor Tony Evers' maps. This week's episode explores why.
Divided Republican lawmakers attempt a referendum on an abortion ban and don't exactly like legislative redistricting maps submitted by Gov. Tony Evers.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Racine County) is in the thick of state political news—again.
JR Ross of WisPolitics has been making a list of political stories to watch in 2024, and it's lengthy.
Seven unions representing teachers and other public workers in Wisconsin have sued to end the state’s near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees.
Wisconsin's state supreme court takes up a lawsuit that could affect how state legislative lines are drawn. Find out what's key to know, from the big picture to the nitty gritty.
Three important political stories in Wisconsin right now involve the courts, whether they're taking up lawsuits between the other branches of government or they're the subject of legislation themselves.
Freshman Wisconsin U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden is likely to have a key race for reelection in 2024. This week's Capitol Notes explains the importance of that race and how it could be impacted by the struggle over house speaker.
A new week brings new efforts to challenge the state's nonpartisan top elections official. Jeff Mayers, president of WisPolitics.com gives a round up of where we're at.
Hear the latest on the GOP Brewers' stadium proposal and their "Iowa-style" redistricting reform plan.
Weeks into Justice Janet Protasiewicz's tenure as a state Supreme Court justice, and before she has even ruled on a case, Wisconsin Republicans have pulled out the "I" word. Impeachment. It's something they can do with a two-thirds majority in the state Senate.
This Tuesday, the State Senate has scheduled votes to confirm or reject top elections official Megan Wolfe. The state's Democratic attorney general says the law doesn't support such a vote, and she gets to stay in her post indefinitely. What can we expect this week?
Within a week of liberals taking control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, law firms and groups representing mathematicians and statisticians filed two redistricting lawsuits. This week's Capitol Notes digs into what they're hoping to get out of it.
Liberal-backed State Supreme Court justice Janet Protasiewicz gets sworn into the role on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Litigation is already in the works for Democrats as Republicans defend a conservative legacy in place since the 2010s.
This week's Capitol Notes looks at taxes: Milwaukee's vote to raise sales taxes and Evers' actions on GOP tax breaks for the wealthy in the 2023-2025 budget. How will this affect Milwaukeeans and what can we expect going forward?
JR Ross, of WisPolitics.com, looks at how Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers might apply vetoes to the state budget.
After baseless complaints of fraud by former President Donald Trump and a tumultuous pandemic election cycle in 2020, Wisconsin Republicans have reportedly "lost confidence" in the state's top election official. JR Ross of WisPolitics.com explains the politics behind this, and what the GOP might do going forward.
This week's Capitol Notes digs into the partisan discord over the state's capital budget, which funds state-building projects and looks into what's next for the GOP-controlled Joint Committee on Finance as they look to finalize the budget before the end of June.
Milwaukee is facing a fiscal cliff in 2025. What will the state government do about it (and for money to other counties and municipalities, as funds have been frozen for 30 years)? Hear about shared revenue politics, progress, and procedure on this week's Capitol Notes.
It's all things budget and shared revenue in the Wisconsin state capitol as local governments try to stave off fiscal cliffs after years of frozen state funding.
The end of April has been busy for state legislators, the Assembly and State Senate have been taking up bills on everything from public safety to open records, and Republicans opened the door slightly to medical marijuana.
This week's Capitol Notes looks at GOP attempts in the state Legislature to advance their positions on school safety and welfare work requirements. Democrats are not on board. Also, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announces reelection run.
With the Supreme Court election over, JR Ross guides us through other big matters ahead in Madison.
What is staggering spending telling us about the Wisconsin Supreme Court race? Where's it coming from? Who's doing it better? How is it related to the outcome?
This week's Capitol Notes looks into Republican calls for a special election for secretary of state, a GOP rejection of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' capital budget proposal and the state of anti-LGBTQ laws in Wisconsin.
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com explains why abortion law developments have been difficult for Republicans in the state.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and GOP Legislative leaders are pitching alternate takes on what to do to keep the Brewers in Wisconsin. JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com explains the politics behind that and details how the budget process works.
Spending in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is through the roof. JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, breaks down what that means for the campaigns, ads and voters. Meanwhile, the state budget is chugging through the system, and we'll break down the latest on that.
Turnout, money and messaging, it's all at play in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. This week's Capitol Notes looks into the prevailing campaigns.
Ahead of Election Day Tuesday, JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com lays out what to know about the statewide state Supreme Court primary race as it stands as well as a special election for the state's 8th Senate district.
Gov. Evers will unveil his full two-year spending plan to the GOP-controlled legislature on Wednesday and has already revealed several priorities. For example, he's calling for 20% of the state's sales tax collection to go toward municipalities and counties. What are the chances these will push through the legislature?
The ads buys are getting bigger in some key races ahead of voters going to the polls on Feb. 21.
WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross has his watchful eye on the Supreme Court race and the state spending.
WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross analyzes Tuesday's speeches and gets out the crystal ball.
After Tuesday's swearing-in, comes the intrigue of speeches and future political roles.
JR Ross, of WisPolitics.com, recaps the 2022 elections and the 2022 probe of the 2020 election.
State agencies and some members of the public are making their wish list for the next two years.
Plus, there are major changes in Wisconsin GOP leadership and in the race for 8th state Senate district.
Four candidates are now running for Wisconsin Supreme Court. JR Ross takes a look on Capitol Notes.
River Hills GOP Sen. Alberta Darling leaves the legislature this week, prompting political intrigue.
State Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls) and GOP Chairman Paul Farrow are in the news.
GOP proposals for abortion restrictions and school vouchers may be headed for difficulty in Madison.
In this bonus edition of Capitol Notes, JR Ross looks at Tuesday night's election results.
This final Capitol Notes before the midterm elections looks into what to monitor on Tuesday.
A former president visits Milwaukee, and current candidates fan out across the state, seeking votes.
JR Ross of Wispolitics.com sorts out in-person absentee voting and why so many candidates encourage it.
WisPolitics.com editor JR looks at recent developments in Wisconsin elections and what's ahead.
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, analyzes what's at stake for the candidates running for governor and U.S. Senate.
Five weeks ahead of Wisconsin's midterms, there are lawsuits over absentee ballots, get out the vote efforts and even a suit by a top Republican to quash a congressional subpoena.
We dive into how the candidates for Wisconsin governor are faring financially, a rebuked effort by Evers to get the Wisconsin legislature to create a new referendum process for voters by special session and the start of a review of Wisconsin's rules for election observers.
In negative attack ads, incumbent GOP U.S. Senator Ron Johnson attempts to paint Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes as "dangerous." What is that all about? JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com explains the rationale, the messaging in that race and the governor's race, voting rights litigation and what's at stake in the attorney general's race.
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, explains how the Wisconsin governor's race is similar, yet different to 2018, talks Barnes-Johnson and unpacks several Wisconsin voting law cases.
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, weighs in on President Joe Biden's order on student loan forgiveness, the big news on the campaign trails for Wisconsin governor and U.S. Senator, and the latest on the Republican election probe.
JR Ross of WisPolitics.com addresses the week's big political news from the latest on write-in and independent candidate challengers in big races to the litigation that remains after the firing of the special counsel of the GOP-led election probe.
The primary is over, what's next? This week's Capitol Notes breaks down what to expect from the big races for U.S. Senate and Wisconsin governor.
The Democratic U.S. Senate primary may have fizzled out, but the Republican race for governor and all the down-ballot races are still game-on. Hear more from WisPolitics.com editor JR Ross.
WUWM speaks with the president of WisPolitics.com, Jeff Mayers, about frontrunners in key Wisconsin races.
This week's Capitol Notes takes on the debate between GOP candidates for Wisconsin governor. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed one of the candidates, will the Wisconsin Republican base get behind him as well?
On return of Capitol Notes this midterm election year, we hear about Sunday night’s debate of Democratic senate candidates and get some insights into Milwaukee’s potential Republican National Convention hosting gig.
In this week’s Capitol Notes conversation, WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson asked JR Ross of wispolitics.com why U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson could announce a decision to run for a third term earlier than in the past.
The latest Marquette Law School Poll shows the incumbents in Wisconsin’s most high-profile elections next year are losing support. According to the survey of about 800 registered voters, Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ approval rating slid from 50% in August to 45%. Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s approval numbers remained at 36% from August.
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who has formally announced she is running, called on Republicans to “hire mercenaries” and practice “ballot harvesting” in the same aggressive way she believes Democrats did in the 2020 presidential race. That prompted Republican Kevin Nicholson, who is considering getting into the race, to slam the idea, saying anyone who supports it is “dumb as a bag of hammers.”
A nonpartisan audit of the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin has turned up no evidence of widespread fraud. In this week’s Capitol Notes conversation, JR Ross of wispolitics.com tells Marti Mikkelson that both sides are parsing different takeaways from the findings.
Former President Donald Trump shook up the Wisconsin governor’s race over the weekend by urging former Republican Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy to challenge Democratic incumbent Tony Evers next November. Trump's endorsement of Duffy could make things difficult for the only high-profile Republican candidate in the contest so far — former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
There’s been a whirlwind of developments in former State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman’s quest to investigate the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. Gableman abruptly canceled plans last week to interview the mayors and election clerks of the state’s five largest cities, just days after he subpoenaed them.
The investigation into the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin is heating up. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired former conservative state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to lead the probe.
Republican state lawmakers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a redistricting lawsuit that Democrats brought, which asks a federal court to draw the political boundaries in Wisconsin for the next decade. The request came after the Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to directly take a redistricting case brought by a conservative group.
Former Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Bill McCoshen has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year. That leaves former GOP Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch as the lone Republican so far to formally challenge Democratic incumbent Tony Evers in 2022.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman wants the Wisconsin Elections Commission to preserve all 2020 presidential election evidence. Gableman is leading a GOP-requested investigation into the election. He sent a letter to commissioners last week, urging them to tell local clerks to preserve “any and all” voting records, so he can use them to determine whether any alleged fraud occurred in the state.
It appears former Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is going to formally announce her bid for governor on Thursday. She sent a notice to supporters that she’ll make a “special announcement” in Waukesha County.
Sparks flew last week between Interim UW System President and former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and GOP leaders in the state Legislature. Republican Sen. Steve Nass, who co-chairs the Rules Committee, threatened to file a lawsuit if Thompson doesn’t first get permission from the panel to enact any COVID-19 mandates on the campuses. Thompson rebuffed Nass' demand.
Longtime Democratic Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse shocked Wisconsin’s political world last week when he announced he won’t seek reelection next year. In this week’s “Capitol Notes” conversation, WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson asks JR Ross of wispolitics.com what he thinks are the chances of the GOP flipping this seat now that Kind has bowed out.
Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee has dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate. In this week’s Capitol Notes conversation, Marti Mikkelson asks JR Ross of wispolitics.com if he was surprised by the development.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has made it official — he’s in the race for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate seat next November. Barnes has the highest political profile so far and joins a crowded field of Democrats who have either announced they are running or are thinking of running.
Campaign finance reports are out, and they show Republican Sen. Ron Johnson raised more money between April and June than any of the Democrats who would want to run against him. But at least one potential Democratic challenger is close behind. Johnson hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll seek a third term next November.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is apparently getting closer to deciding whether he’ll run for Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s seat next year. Barnes has reportedly begun fundraising for a run, and would join a growing, crowded field of Democrats wanting to take on Johnson in 2022.
Both houses of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature have approved an $87 billion spending plan for the next two years. Now, it heads to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. A handful of Democrats in both the Assembly and Senate crossed over and voted with Republicans to approve the plan.
Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump threatened to find people to run against Wisconsin Republican legislative leaders Robin Vos, Devin LeMahieu and Chris Kapenga in Republican primaries next year.
The joint finance committee has wrapped up its work on Wisconsin's next biennial budget and now it’s expected to go to the full Legislature for a vote. Republicans who control the committee finished by proposing a $3.3 billion income and property tax cut.