Today 230 national, state, and local groups released a letter in opposition to calls to convene a new Constitutional Convention.The letter comes as wealthy special interests groups are increasing their efforts to call a convention for the first time since 1787, and are now just six states away from reaching their goal.The letter focuses on the threat of a “runaway convention,”.... Read More
Judge Neil Gorsuch played a masterful game of hide-the-ball during his confirmation hearings, deftly dodging scores of questions from senators to reveal as little as possible about his judicial leanings and positions on any of the critical legal issues facing the nation.“If I indicate my agreement or disagreement with a past precedent of the United States Supreme Court, I’m signaling to fu.... Read More
Arkansas must halt the execution of eight death row prisoners, seven of whom are due to be killed in an 11-day period this month.Arkansas has not put anyone to death for more than a decade, but plans to execute two men per day on 17, 20 and 24 April, and one man on 27 April, because its supply of the controversial execution drug midazolam will expire at the end of the month.“The cl.... Read More
Republican lawmakers have introduced a Koch brothers-backed bill that would fully repeal the state’s prevailing wage law, which sets minimum pay requirements for companies that are chosen for state building projects.The measure follows a successful 2015 effort by the GOP-controlled legislature that eliminated the prevailing wage for local public works projects beginning on Jan. 1, 2017, and .... Read More
On April 10, about 6 a.m., a man in a car pulled up alongside a woman who was walking home from prayer services near 13th and Layton on Milwaukee's south side.The man exited his vehicle and attacked the woman, ripped off her headscarf, beat her with his fists, and slashed her arm with a knife.The woman was hospitalized and released the next day.The attacker fled and remains at large.Superv.... Read More
Whose interests are served by repealing existing regulations and curbing future ones? In light of recent anti-regulation efforts pushed by Congress and the Trump administration, Economic Policy Institute labor counsel Celine McNicholas and director of policy Heidi Shierholz raise the question with a new fact sheet.The following is comment from the Economic Policy Institute.Regulations oft.... Read More
On behalf of the State Governing Board and the more than 12,000 members and activists of Common Cause in Wisconsin, we respectfully request that the Wisconsin Supreme Court consider and adopt Rule Petition 17-01 on recusal, submitted to you in January by 54 retired jurists, including two former members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Rule Petition 17-01 requests that the Court amend t.... Read More
When Philippe Bianconi took the Overture Hall stage with the Madison Symphony Orchestra Friday, he may not have been quite what some audience members expected.Of medium build and height – about 5’10” — and dressed in an open-necked shirt and unassuming gray suit, the French pianist and Van Cliburn competition silver medalist strode deliberately toward the orchestra’s Steinw.... Read More
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the Senate’s confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States:The confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court is an unhappy day to those Americans committed to justice and equality for all. His confirmation will forever be tainte.... Read More
On Feb. 13, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker spoke via Skype with Republican legislators in Iowa and urged them to crush collective bargaining rights for public employees, just as Walker did back in 2011. Don’t worry about the protests, he said, according to a report by Jessie Opoien of the Capital Times in Madison.Well, they took his advice. Iowa Republicans rolled back collective bargaining.... Read More
