The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> Supreme Court ruled on Friday that ballot drop boxes can be used for the 2024 presidential election, overturning a previous decision from the court saying the boxes were illegal after widespread use during the 2020 election. 
In a 4-3 <a href="https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&amp;seqNo=822752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision</a>, the liberals on the court said that Wisconsin law allowed for the use of ballot drop boxes for absentee voting and that city election clerks were free to use them to administer elections. The ruling was celebrated by Democrats but decried by Republicans. 
&#8220;Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what [state law] has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion,&#8221; Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote.
Friday’s decision overrules a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-bans-uses-of-drop-boxes-in-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 2022 4-3 decision</a> by a conservative majority banning the use of unmanned ballot drop boxes. Democrats again challenged the prohibition on ballot drop boxes after liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/liberal-wisconsin-judge-wins-supreme-court-race-flips-balance-of-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated a conservative candidate</a> in a Supreme Court election last year. 
The court&#8217;s conservatives strongly disagreed with the majority’s decision, arguing it was politically motivated and would be used to further weaken election integrity. 
“The majority again forsakes the rule of law in an attempt to advance its political agenda,” wrote Justice Rebecca Bradley. &#8220;The majority ends the term by loosening the legislature&#8217;s regulations governing the privilege of absentee voting in the hopes of tipping the scales in future elections.&#8221;
She added that the majority decision would “legitimize any method of getting absentee ballots to a municipal clerk that the clerk may choose.”
“An unattended cardboard box on the clerk&#8217;s driveway? An unsecured sack sitting outside the local library or on a college campus? Door-to-door retrieval from voters&#8217; homes or dorm rooms? Under the majority&#8217;s logic, because the statute doesn&#8217;t expressly forbid such methods of ballot delivery, they are perfectly lawful,” she wrote. 
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Democrat Governor Tony Evers celebrated the ruling, calling it a “victory for democracy&#8221; and said he would &#8220;keep fighting to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, securely, and as easily as possible to make sure their voices are heard.&#8221;
Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming expressed disappointment with the ruling.
“In a setback for both the separation of powers and public trust in our elections, the left-wing justices on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin have obeyed the demands of their out-of-state donors at the expense of Wisconsin,” he said. “This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters.”
Wisconsin is expected to be one of the key states that determine the 2024 presidential election.

Early Voting Begins In Swing State Of Wisconsin

Swing State Supreme Court Rules That Ballot Drop Boxes Can Be Used In 2024 Election

2024 Election

ballots

Courts

Mail-In Voting

Politics

Tony Evers

Voting

Wisconsin

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> Supreme Court struck down the state’s legislative maps on Friday just months after liberals took a 4-3 advantage on the court.
In a 4-3 decision, the liberal justices said that the current maps violated the state’s constitution and needed to be redrawn. The decision was celebrated by Democrats, who have claimed that the legislative maps in the state were rigged, while Republicans said that the liberal justices had decided the case before it was brought. 
“Given the language in the Constitution, the question before us is straightforward,” Judge Jill J. Karofsky <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/wisconsin-redistricting-maps-gerrymander.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> for the majority. “When legislative districts are composed of separate, detached parts, do they consist of ‘contiguous territory?&#8217; We conclude that they do not.”
Conservative Judge Annette Ziegler said that the liberals on the court had taken a “wrecking ball” to the state constitution.
“The court of four takes a wrecking ball to the law, making no room, nor having any need, for longstanding practices, procedures, traditions, the law, or even their coequal fellow branches of government,” she said in her dissent. “Their activism damages the judiciary as a whole.”
Liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz, who started a 10-year term on the court in August, voted to throw out the old maps. Protasiewicz, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/liberal-wisconsin-judge-wins-supreme-court-race-flips-balance-of-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed</a> by George Soros, campaigned for the court on the platform that the maps were “rigged” and “unfair.” Leftist groups <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/wisconsin-redistricting-maps-gerrymander.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> the Wisconsin maps a day after Protasiewicz was sworn into office. 
“We certainly expected this,” said Republican state Sen. Duey Stroebel. “She said while running for office that the maps were rigged. Now that they have control of the court, they legislate from the bench.”
The state legislature is currently controlled by Republicans, who nearly have a supermajority in the Senate and are just two seats away from a veto-proof majority in the Assembly. 
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In a statement after the decision, Democrat Governor Tony Evers <a href="https://twitter.com/GovEvers/status/1738319103704580594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he agreed with the court&#8217;s decision and claimed that Republicans had gerrymandered themselves into “comfortable, partisan majorities.”
“Wisconsin is a purple state, and I look forward to submitting maps to the Court to consider and review that represent the makeup of our state. And I remain as optimistic as ever that, at long last, the gerrymandered maps Wisconsinites have endured for years might soon be history,” he said.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said that the issue would likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. “The case was pre-decided before it was even brought. Sad day for Wisconsin when the state supreme court just said last year that the existing lines are constitutional. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court will have the last word,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/repvos/status/1738318287572721996">said</a>.

Justice Janet Protasiewicz’s election to Wisconsin’s Supreme Court gives liberals a 4-3 majority on the court.

State Supreme Court Orders New Maps For Wisconsin Months After Liberals Win Majority On Court

Redistricting

U.S.

Wisconsin Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Evers</a> vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would have protected kids from irreversible transgender surgeries and hormone procedures.
The bill, which passed the Republican-controlled state legislature, would have banned procedures like double mastectomies on girls who identify as boys, and giving children puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Cross-sex hormones can impact bone development, fertility, and heart health.
&#8220;While the governor&#8217;s veto of this legislation is certainly not surprising, it serves as a stark reminder of just how out of touch with reality Governor Evers is,&#8221; Republican state Sen. Duey Stroebel <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/democratic-wisconsin-governor-vetoes-bill-to-ban-gender-affirming-care-for-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Protecting children from invasive and irreversible medical interventions is the right thing to do from both a scientific and ethical standpoint.&#8221;
While Republicans hold a veto-proof majority in the Senate, they are two seats short in the state Assembly. In Kentucky, where the governor&#8217;s office is held by Democrat Governor Andy Beshear, Republicans were able to override Beshear&#8217;s veto to ban transgender procedures on children.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos decried Evers’ veto, saying that it was misguided.
“Evers made another harmful mistake. Such a life-altering decision should be made when you&#8217;re an adult, not a child. Many countries, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, do not allow for gender transition surgery before the age of 18,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerVos/status/1732423918710079732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
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Evers, a former school official who portrays himself as a moderate, claimed that the bill would have made Wisconsin less safe.
&#8220;This type of legislation, and the rhetoric beget by pursuing it, harms LGBTQ people and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ hate and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites,&#8221; Evers said in his veto message. &#8220;I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids.&#8221;
More than 20 states have passed bills protecting children from transgender procedures. Left-wing legal groups have sought to challenge the laws with various degrees of success. The ACLU, which lost a challenge to Tennessee’s law before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aclu-asks-supreme-court-to-strike-down-tennessee-law-protecting-kids-from-transgender-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has petitioned</a> the Supreme Court to weigh in on the case.
Evers, who was up for re-election in 2022, has blocked conservative-backed bills on voting, abortion, and gun rights.

Tony Evers Campaigns In Wisconsin On Day Before Midterm Election

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Banned Trans Surgeries On Children

Social Issues

Transgender

transgender surgery

Wisconsin Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Evers</a> used his veto power as governor to increase funding for public schools for 400 years.
The Democrat created the four century plan by deleting the “20” and the dash from “2024-2025,” extending an increase in per-pupil spending by $325 per year until 2425 — 402 years from now.
Evers said at a news conference Wednesday that his action would “provide school districts with predictable long-term increases for the foreseeable future,” USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/07/05/400-years-of-education-funding-for-wisconsin-schools/70385428007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The governor of Wisconsin has the greatest veto power of any governor in the country, allowing the state’s chief executive to strike out words and numbers to reshape a law to be far different from what the legislature intended.
The governor used to be able to strike out individual letters — a practice known as the “Vanna White veto” — but voters revoked that power by referendum in 1990. Past governors have used the veto, with Republican Scott Walker using a “thousand year veto” by extending a program deadline from 2018 to 3018.
Evers’ veto prompted Jeopardy host Ken Jennings to joke that he wanted to run for Wisconsin governor so he can wield the powerful veto pen.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Running for Wisconsin governor just so I can strike out letters in an appropriations bill to make it a “poop bill.” <a href="https://t.co/IZuKQo0P6g">https://t.co/IZuKQo0P6g</a>
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenJennings/status/1676695580603736065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
Evers’ shocking veto was among the over 50 line-item vetoes Evers made to morph the $99 billion budget Republicans passed for 2023-2025 into his own image. Among the vetoed lines was a $3.5 billion <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/06/evers-issued-51-partial-vetoes-to-the-budget-heres-what-they-do/70383280007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax cut</a> championed by the state’s Republican leaders.
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Households making between $36,840 and $405,550 would have seen a 17% cut in their state income taxes under the Republicans’ plan &#8212; but Evers refused to allow those families’ taxes to decrease when he vetoed that provision.
Evers also vetoed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-cut-university-of-wisconsins-budget-by-32m-for-promoting-dei-programs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> by state Republicans to cut funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the University of Wisconsin, allowing the state’s flagship university system to keep those positions in place.
“Republicans in the Legislature have failed to meet this historic moment, sending my budget back to my desk absent critical investments in key areas that they know … are essential to the success of our state,” Evers’ veto statement <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3639e56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “That decision is, to put it simply, an abdication of duty.”
Wisconsin House of Representatives Speaker Robin Vos vowed to overturn Evers’ vetoes, especially his veto of the tax cuts, saying Republicans will “stand up and fight.”
&#8220;We want to make sure the people of Wisconsin remember who&#8217;s on their side and who&#8217;s not,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are not going to lay down.”

Wisconsin Governor Uses Veto Power To Increase School Funding For 400 Years

Budget

Education

Public Schools

Tax Cuts

Veto

Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin voted Thursday to cut $32 million from the University of Wisconsin’s (UW) budget due to the university’s promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
State lawmakers say the $32 million cut is the amount Wisconsin’s flagship university system spends on DEI initiatives, intending for the university to cut those programs altogether. Lawmakers said that the university could get the $32 million back if it shows that the money would be spent on workforce development rather than DEI programs, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-wisconsin-budget-legislature-cut-tuition-c654d9cb21317c7d0a868602019c2dcf">reported</a>.
According to Republican state Rep. Alex Dallman, the university should not be “forcing these students to view the world through a lens of race, gender or economic class just to obtain one of these degrees.” He continued, “[The] UW System ought to be teaching them different things, such as critical thinking and problem solving, teamwork and collaboration, professionalism and communication skills.”
The vote is part of an ongoing battle between the university, the state’s Republican legislature, and Democratic Governor Tony Evers. The Badger State’s Governor has <a href="https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/evers-threatens-budget-veto-republicans-cut-diversity-funding-for-uw-system/">vowed</a> to veto any budget that cuts diversity funding from the state’s premier university system. 
Democratic Rep. Evan Goyke called the plan “garbage,” saying, “You are sending such a painful message to communities of color, people of color around Wisconsin.”
The UW system’s president, Jay Rothman, also <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/republicans-pull-millions-from-wisconsin-universities-for-pushing-dei-programs">derided</a> the cut, saying, “Continued erosion of state investment will diminish student access and affordability at our public universities. This is a missed opportunity and a significant setback to Wisconsin’s efforts to win the war for talent.”
UW-Madison’s Diversity Inventory <a href="https://app.diversityinventory.wisc.edu/Initiative/Search">promotes</a> events like “Citational Justice,” which <a href="https://app.diversityinventory.wisc.edu/Initiative/Details/1060">encourages</a> students to use sources in their research based on the racial or sexual identity of the author rather than the source’s merit, reliability, or relevance.
Another <a href="https://app.diversityinventory.wisc.edu/Initiative/Details/1052">program</a> promoted by the UW-Madison Diversity Inventory is the Coalition for Leading Anti-Racist Schools. According to the program’s “Lunch and Learn” <a href="https://mediaspace.wisc.edu/media/4.4.23+Coalition+for+Leading+Anti-Racist+Schools+Lunch+and+Learn/1_o83bj7im">session</a>, the program “disrupts and dismantles long-standing norms and practices steeped in whiteness.” 
“For people on the left, (DEI) has become their new religion,” Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Associated Press last week. “They no longer go to church on Sunday, but boy, are they trying to make sure that everybody is evangelized on campus, that there’s only one acceptable viewpoint. That’s not what I think taxpayers should be funding.”
Rothman admitted that DEI efforts can “go too far” and ordered campuses to stop asking job applicants to provide diversity and equity statements last month. Similar statements are required by universities like UC <a href="https://www.thefire.org/cases/university-california-berkeley-university-finally-turns-over-diversity-statements-used">Berkeley</a> and are <a href="https://www.thefire.org/news/victory-fire-forces-berkeley-turn-over-records-related-dei-hiring-policy-after-two-year-delay">criticized</a> for being “litmus tests” for hiring based on political views, which is unconstitutional for public universities.
Still, the head of the Madison campus, Jennifer Mnookin, said Thursday that she supports DEI employees, saying they “play a critical role on campus.”
University officials asked the state for a $500 million increase in its budget. Governor Evers previously proposed to increase the University of Wisconsin’s budget by $300 million, a number of university officials say is insufficient to prevent tuition increases.
University of Wisconsin officials say that the cut in subsidies will force the institution to further raise tuition costs amid a financial crisis spurred by a tuition freeze and increased spending by the university. The university has not revealed any plans to cut spending for DEI initiatives.

Northwestern Wildcats v Wisconsin Badgers

Republicans Cut University of Wisconsin’s Budget By $32M For Promoting DEI Programs

Republicans Cut University of Wisconsin's Budget By $32M For Promoting DEI Programs

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

University of Wisconsin

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a>’s largest newspaper added a major correction to an article it published about the state’s Republican gubernatorial candidate just days before voters in the Badger State head to the polls. 
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://archive.ph/wf546#selection-417.0-417.98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a story Thursday that claimed Michels Corporation, co-owned by Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, employed no black “employees in management positions.” 
By Friday, the outlet had <a href="https://archive.ph/cSB6D">added</a> a major top line correction to the story to note that the diversity “concerns” in question were not for the whole company, which employs about 8,000 people, but one subsidiary in Illinois. 
“An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that public documents showed Michels Corp. does not have Black employees in management positions. Company officials said after the initial publication of the story that the documents pertained only to one subsidiary of Michels Corp,” the outlet added to the top of the story. 
The headline was changed from “Michels Corp. does not have Black employees in management positions, according to public documents,” to “Lack of diversity at a Michels Corp. subsidiary raised Equal Employment Opportunity concerns for Illinois contract.”
According to the company, minorities or women actually make up about 17.3% of middle or upper management positions throughout the company. As conservative outlet Wisconsin Right Now <a href="https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/2022/11/04/black-managers-at-michels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> out, black people in various management positions can be found by searching LinkedIn. 
The diversity “concerns” were publicized by the Left-leaning SEIU Wisconsin State Council, a state lobbying group. 
A source close to the Michels campaign told The Daily Wire that the Journal Sentinel had “egg all over their face” thanks to the story and subsequent correction. 
“The Journal Sentinel took a hit from the SEIU and the Democrats and ran with it without a shred of scrutiny in spite of being given evidence that it wasn’t true. They rightfully have egg all over their face as a result. It&#8217;s no wonder trust in legacy media is reaching new lows every day,” the source said. 
It’s not the first time that the Journal Sentinel has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/midterm-exam-all-the-latest-on-the-2022-elections-part-one-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced criticism</a> over its coverage of Michels. In a story <a href="https://archive.ph/rjcWb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> at the end of August, a headline declared that Michels, a Christian, donated to “anti-gay” and “anti-abortion” groups through his foundation. 
The story centered on Michel’s donations to crisis pregnancy centers as well as Christian churches that adhered to a biblical view of marriage and gender. 
“For four years, they turned a blind eye to the consequences of Evers’ many failures and are now all in as accomplices in his desperate campaign to demonize me, my company, my family, and now even our personal charitable giving,” Michels said at the time. 
Recent polling has shown Michels and incumbent Democrat Gov. Tony Evers tied, just ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Sen. Ron Johnson Campaigns With Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels In Wisconsin

‘Egg All Over Their Face’: Major Wisconsin Newspaper Adds Correction To Hit Piece On Republican Governor Candidate

Wisconsin's Largest Newspaper Adds Major Correction To Hit Piece On Republican Governor Candidate

2022 Election

Journalism

Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate and construction executive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-backed-construction-executive-tim-michels-wins-wisconsin-governor-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Michels</a> slammed “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-flag-laws-and-unintended-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">red flag laws</a>” on Friday, saying that they were “unconstitutional.”
Michels made the comments during a Friday evening televised debate in Madison against Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Evers</a> (D-WI), who expressed support for red flag laws and universal background checks at the debate.
“We need to make sure that we uphold the Constitution and that law abiding gun owners are not having their guns confiscated. I will be there for responsible gun owners,” Michels <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrJ1NhYlbjA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after calling red flag laws a “slippery slope.”
Evers called red flag laws and universal background checks “reasonable” proposals, before claiming that “responsible gun owners don’t have to worry about red flag laws because it will never be an issue for them.”
While answering a previous question on crime in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Badger State</a>, Michels said the Left’s answer to violence was to just take away guns.
“The Left always just wants to take away guns and thinks that’s the problem. I am responsible gun owner; I will protect your Second Amendment rights,” Michels said.
The two candidates, who are in a tight race that could come down to the wire, also clashed over abortion and education during their first general election debate.
Michels, who said he &#8220;make[s] no apologies” for being pro-life, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-election-2020-28c4920973bb1858c46cc04a01ecd6ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he supported Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, but would back exceptions for rape and incest. Evers, who sought and failed to have the Republican-led state legislature <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-governor-calls-special-session-to-repeal-states-abortion-ban-ahead-of-scotus-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeal the ban</a> over the summer, wants abortion protected by state law.
On education, the Trump-backed Michels has supported universal school choice policies, while Evers wants more funding for public schools.
In statements following the debate, Michels team said Evers had failed as governor, while Evers called his Republican challenger “extreme.”
“This election is a referendum on Tony Evers’ tired, old leadership that has freed violent criminals, shut down our state economy, and failed our students,” <a href="https://michelsforgovernor.com/tim-michels-wins-2022-gubernatorial-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Patrick McNulty, Michels’ campaign manager.
Evers’ campaign manager Cassi Fenili <a href="https://tonyevers.com/2022/10/15/evers-campaign-statement-on-gubernatorial-debate/">said</a> that Michels had “staked out the most extreme positions possible, with the goal of dividing our state and pitting neighbors against one another.”
The Wisconsin’s governor race has mirrored the state’s Senate race, where Democrat candidates have doubled down on abortion while Republicans focus on crime and inflation. A <a href="https://law.marquette.edu/poll/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/MULaw73PressRelease.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Marquette Law School found Evers and Michels neck and neck with less than a month before the election.
The poll found Evers with 47% of likely voters in Wisconsin while Michels had 46%.

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels Holds Election Night Event In Waukesha

Michels Slams ‘Red Flag’ Laws, Says Left ‘Just Wants To Take Away Guns’

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels Slams Red Flag Laws During Debate

2022 Midterms

Guns

Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Evers</a> (D-WI) and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> Parole Commission are under fire from Republicans in the Badger State as they demand parole records, accusing the Evers administration of being soft on crime.
The Wisconsin Parole Commission was <a href="https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/conservative-outlet-sues-for-wisconsin-parole-records/article_303601d0-ac54-512e-8ff4-63f792b286e4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> this week by Wisconsin Right Now, a conservative news outlet, to obtain the state’s most recent parole records, records the group had previously requested through an open records request.
The group is seeking the most recent information on how many violent criminals have received early release from prison by the parole board, which makes decisions independently of Evers.
“The Parole Commission’s unreasonable and unexplained delay in providing responsive records is unlawful, and we will pursue every legal angle on behalf of Wisconsin Right Now until the requested records have been turned over,” said Lucas Vebber, a lawyer with the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which is representing the the group.
The group has given some data on parole during the Evers administration, but has been slow in releasing the most recent information, according to Wisconsin Right Now.
The state’s department of corrections has <a href="https://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/parole-commission-says-it-will-fulfill-republican-records-requests-after-being-accused-of-stonewalling/article_1d3921ce-3e28-11ed-b0b4-af0ae6c122ad.html">said</a> that it will make the records available by the end of this week, after Republican lawmakers also applied pressure to the officials to obtain the records.
State Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) has <a href="https://twitter.com/Vanwanggaard/status/1573038795146264576">accused</a> the department corrections of “stonewalling” his and Senator Julian Bradley (R-Franklin) <a href="https://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/parole-commission-says-it-will-fulfill-republican-records-requests-after-being-accused-of-stonewalling/article_1d3921ce-3e28-11ed-b0b4-af0ae6c122ad.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inquiry</a> into parole records dating back to 2014 and information about Douglas Balsewicz, a convicted murderer who was granted parole earlier this year before that decision was reversed following backlash.
Overall, discretionary paroles have declined under the previous two Wisconsin governors, Republican Scott Walker and Democrat Tony Evers, largely because of truth-in-sentencing laws first passed in 1998 and then re-implemented in 2011 by the Republican controlled state legislature and signed by Walker.
Evers <a href="https://madison.com/wisconsin-parole-commission-chair-rescinds-killers-release-at-request-of-gov-tony-evers/article_c96e72ba-6a23-5d2f-892d-3ba545fd77c5.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> for the resignation of controversial parole board head John Tate after the official decided to parole Balsewicz, who murdered his wife by stabbing her 42 times in front of the couple’s young children.
Just two years before, Evers had <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/24632b8">announced</a> Tate’s appointment to the parole board touting him as someone who would make the criminal justice system fair and “improve public safety.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels has made crime a major component of his campaign, promising to promote law and order and accused Evers of being soft on crime.
The construction executive <a href="https://michelsforgovernor.com/will-evers-finally-cave-to-pressure-on-public-parole-spree-records/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Wednesday that Evers “never accepts responsibility for the actions of the people under his command as his tired, old catch-and-release approach to crime has freed rapists and murderers and made our communities less safe.”
The two are locked in a tight race with a recent <a href="https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/politics/2022/aarp-wisconsin-2022-elections-voter-survey.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00550.017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> showing Michels with a three point edge over the incumbent.

Wisconsin Democratic Candidates Hold Campaign Rally In Milwaukee

‘Unreasonable’: Wisconsin Democrat Governor, Parole Board Under Fire Over Early Convict Release Records

Wisconsin Democrat Governor, Parole Board Under Fire Over Parole Records

Crime

Construction executive Tim Michels has won the Republican nomination for governor in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin">Wisconsin</a>, and will face incumbent Democrat Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers">Tony Evers</a> in November.
Michels, who was endorsed by former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, beat out former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, as well as State Assemblyman Tim Ramthun. 
The race was <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1557209172105633792">called</a> by the Associated Press with 75% of the vote in at 10:35 p.m CDT. Michels <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/09/us/elections/results-wisconsin.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;state=default&amp;module=styln-elections-2022&amp;region=TOP_BANNER&amp;context=election_recirc">was</a> in the lead by over 20,000 votes with 47% of the vote. Kleefisch finished second with 43%, and Ramthun took 5.5%.
Michels had strong performances around the state, especially in rural areas, while Kleefisch generally did better in more suburban areas like Dane and Milwaukee counties, though Michels remained competitive in those areas.
“I am running for governor because I am very concerned about the direction that the country is heading and extremely concerned about the lack of leadership from Governor Evers here in Wisconsin,” Michels <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/these-4-republicans-are-hoping-to-oust-wisconsin-democrat-governor-tony-evers-in-november">told</a> The Daily Wire last month when asked why he was running for governor.
Michels was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Kleefisch, his top rival, brought in endorsements from former Governor Scott Walker, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“Wisconsin needs a Governor who will Stop Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, strengthen our Borders (we had the strongest borders in history just two years ago, now we have the weakest!) and End the well-documented Fraud in our Elections,” Trump <a href="https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/save-america-pac-statement-by-donald-j-trump-45th-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-2/">said</a> in his endorsement. “Tim is an America First Conservative who Supports our Second Amendment, Honors our Brave Law Enforcement and First Responders, and Stands Strongly against the Woke Mob trying to destroy our Country.”
Michels was in the Army for 12 years before leaving as a major and said the company that he runs, Michel’s Corporation, currently employs about 8,000 people. He said he was honored to receive Trump’s endorsement.
“People are tired with politics as usual, tired of career politicians, they want an outsider, they want a businessman,” Michels told The Daily Wire in July. “That’s what I bring to this race.”
Throughout the campaign, Michels has said that he will turn Madison “upside down,” decrease the influence of lobbying on state politics, uphold Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, end “unmanned ballot boxes,” and end the Wisconsin Election Commission. At a debate last month, he also said that he would support paid family leave, a unique policy for a Republican politician.
He also has made education reform and ensuring that Critical Race Theory is not taught in Wisconsin schools a major component of his campaign.
The November election is expected to be tight, and the governor’s race has been <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/print/ratings/races/governor">labeled</a> as a “toss up” by the Cook Political Report.

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Tim Michels Votes On Wisconsin Primary Day

Trump-Backed Construction Executive Tim Michels Wins Wisconsin Governor Primary

Donald Trump

Republican voters in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin">Wisconsin</a> head to the polls on Tuesday to choose their gubernatorial nominee to take on incumbent Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers">Tony Evers</a> in what is expected to be a tightly contested race. 
Polls from the Badger State indicate that the nomination will likely go to former Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch or construction executive Tim Michels. Two polls released in the last week show the difference in support between the two candidates within the margin of error. 
An August <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WI-Gov-GOP-0808-Poll-Report.pdf">poll</a> of likely Republican voters from Trafalgar showed Michels with a razor-thin lead, taking 43.8% to Kleefisch’s 43.4%. State Assemblyman Tim Ramthun came in third with 7.5% of the vote. 
Another <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/wisconsin-2022-kleefisch-with-slight-edge-over-michels-in-tight-race-for-gop-nomination/">poll</a> of Republican primary voters from Emerson College had Kleefisch with 36%, Michels with 34%, Ramthun with 8%, and 14% undecided. With such a close margin between the top two candidates, those undecided voters will likely determine the outcome of the race. 
“There is a clear regional divide for Wisconsin Republican voters,” said Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Emerson College Polling. “Kleefisch holds a 21-point lead over Michels among suburban Wisconsin voters, whereas Michels has a similar margin over Kleefisch among rural voters, leading by 15 points.” 
On Tuesday, Michels referenced the raid of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in his pitch to voters on Twitter. 
“We woke up this morning to stakes even higher than we ever thought. Do we want a government of the people or a government targeting the people? Your vote today is the first step in fighting back. That’s what I just did,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/michelsforgov/status/1557005943870787584?cxt=HHwWgMC42YKqzJsrAAAA">said</a>.
Kleefisch pointed voters to a directory about finding their polling place and urged them to cast their ballots for her. 
&#8220;It’s Election Day and I’m asking for your vote! Head to the polls, cast your ballot, and remind your friends and family to vote Rebecca for Governor,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaforReal/status/1556982543370559490">tweeted</a>. 
The race will also test the endorsement power of former President Trump, who is backing Michels. At a rally in Waukesha on Friday, Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/tight-tense-wisconsin-gop-governor-race-kleefisch-michels-close-brawl-rcna41952">said</a> Kleefisch was the “handpicked candidate of the failed establishment, the RINOs, the Washington swamp.”
Michels has positioned himself as the outsider candidate, earlier this year <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-governor-candidate-introduces-plan-to-drain-the-madison-swamp">introducing</a> a plan to “Drain the Madison Swamp” and promising to turn the state&#8217;s capital city “upside down.”
Kleefisch has been backed by former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and former Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). She has pointed to her experience and work with Walker saying that she is the trusted conservative candidate.
“There is no candidate for governor in America that is more capable, more experienced or a more proven conservative than Rebecca Kleefisch,” Pence said last week. 
Ramthun, who has garnered endorsements from businessman Mike Lindell and the group Pro-Life Wisconsin, has made election integrity the top issue of his campaign. 
The winner of the Republican nomination will take on Evers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2022-election">November</a>.
Wisconsin voters will also choose their nominees for Senate, though those races have effectively been determined. Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D-WI) has seen Democrat support consolidate around him as his major rivals have all dropped out and now support his campaign. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is also on the ballot and expected to easily claim the Republican nomination in his race for a third term.

USA, Wisconsin, Madison, State Capitol Building

Wisconsin Republican Governor Primary Race Expected To Come Down To The Wire

Governors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-evers">Tony Evers</a> (D-WI) and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer">Gretchen Whitmer</a> (D-MI) announced plans this week with two other Midwest states to design a scenic route along Lake Michigan for electric vehicles (EVs), which currently make up less than <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/AUTOS-ELECTRIC/USA/mopanyqxwva/">1% of all vehicles</a> on the road in the U.S.
The 1,100-mile route near the Great Lake’s shoreline is being heralded as an “eco-tourism attraction” and will include numerous EV charging stations to make the scenic drive convenient for EV owners. The so-called “electric Route 66” will connect major cities and tourist attractions, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Traverse City, Michigan.
Evers celebrated the plan as a win for the environment. “Making our beautiful coastal communities not only more accessible to EVs but protecting them through lower emissions is a win-win for Wisconsin,” the Wisconsin governor <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/325c3ad">said</a>. “We’re proud to support this multi-state partnership as we work to implement our first-ever Clean Energy Plan and continue our efforts to bolster Wisconsin&#8217;s tourism industry.”
Evers and Whitmer will join forces with J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) and Eric Holcomb (R-IN) on the project dubbed the “Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour” that could cost up to $4 million.
In a previously signed <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/leo/-/media/Project/Websites/leo/Lake_MI_Circuit_MOUdocx1.pdf">Memorandum of Understanding</a>, the four neighboring states said that one of the objectives of the EV route was to “support organizations to build, maintain, and encourage use of a robust EV tourism attraction around Lake Michigan.”
Michigan’s Democratic governor first announced the “Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour&#8221; last September at the Mackinac Policy Conference. At the time, the project was estimated to cost between $3.5 and $4 million, <a href="https://www.govtech.com/fs/multi-state-partnership-to-bring-ev-circuit-to-lake-michigan">according</a> to GovTech.com.
Whitmer said the EV route will help bolster the state’s economy and provide more jobs for autoworkers while giving EV drivers the option to travel longer distances.
“Today, Michigan is proud to lead the Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit Tour, a partnership between fellow Midwestern states to grow our economy, create more good-paying jobs, and lead the future of mobility and electrification,” Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2022/08/03/whitmer-announces-michigan-joining-three-other-midwest-states-to-build-lake-michigan-ev-circuit">said</a> in a statement released Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s largest employer, Ford, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-plans-to-cut-8000-jobs-so-it-can-fund-ev-push-report">reportedly</a> preparing last month to cut thousands of jobs to help the company fund its EV projects. It was unclear how many of those cuts would affect Michigan-based jobs.
In March, Ford admitted that its EV project would not be profitable until at least 2025 when its next generation models come out. Ford CEO Jim Farley also said at a conference in February that EV portfolios were “under-earning.”

Electric Vehicle

‘Electric Route 66’: Midwest Governors Collaborating On Scenic Road Trip Circuit Designed For EVs

Midwest Governors Collaborating On Scenic Road Trip Circuit For Electric Vehicles

electric vehicles

Gretchen Whitmer

Illinois

Indiana

JB Pritzker

Michigan

Former Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-pence">Mike Pence</a> on Wednesday announced his endorsement of former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (R-WI) in her run for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin">Wisconsin</a> governor. 
Pence’s endorsement puts him at odds with former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who endorsed construction executive Tim Michels early in June. The two are the front runners in a tightly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/these-4-republicans-are-hoping-to-oust-wisconsin-democrat-governor-tony-evers-in-november">contested GOP primary</a> on August 9. 
“Rebecca Kleefisch is the only candidate that will deliver a stronger and more prosperous Wisconsin, and I am proud to support her,” Pence <a href="https://rebeccaforgovernor.com/vice-president-mike-pence-endorses-rebecca-kleefisch-for-wisconsin-governor/">said</a> in a statement. “Rebecca has a proven conservative track record and will draw on her experience to give parents more control of their children’s education, grow the economy and get Wisconsin back to work, fight for traditional conservative values, and make Wisconsin streets safer.”
Kleefisch, Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor during former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s time in Madison, said she was “honored” to have Pence’s endorsement. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has also announced his support for Kleefisch. 
Recent polling has shown Kleefisch and Michels in a tight race, giving Michels a slight edge with many voters still undecided. This week, Trump announced that he would visit Waukesha for a rally on August 5 promoting Michels and the other candidates in the state that he is backing. 
“Tim is an America First Conservative who Supports our Second Amendment, Honors our Brave Law Enforcement and First Responders, and Stands Strongly against the Woke Mob trying to destroy our Country,” Trump <a href="https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/save-america-pac-statement-by-donald-j-trump-45th-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-2/">said</a> last month. 
Trump added that Michels was the best candidate to provide &#8220;meaningful solutions&#8221; to Wisconsinites&#8217; problems.
This is not the first time Trump and Pence have split over gubernatorial picks. In Georgia, Trump supported former Senator David Perdue (R-GA) while Pence backed the incumbent Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), who won in a landslide. Meanwhile in Arizona, former newscaster Kari Lake has been endorsed by Trump, while Pence has thrown his support behind Karrin Taylor Robson. The Arizona GOP primary is on August 2.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) <a href="https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/gov-evers-raises-over-10-million-shatters-fundraising-records/">brought</a> in $10 million for his re-election campaign this year, while Kleefisch has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-rebecca-kleefisch-fd0c5d9ca98bc5a9afdaefdfe57bfb35">raised</a> just over $3.6 million. The Michels campaign has <a href="https://www.wpr.org/republican-tim-michels-spends-nearly-8m-his-campaign-governor">raised</a> just under $8 million. Much of Michels&#8217; war chest has come from his own funds.  
On Sunday night, Michels, Kleefisch, and Wisconsin Assembly Member Timothy Ramthun faced off in a GOP primary debate hosted by Marquette University. While Kleefisch said she was the trusted conservative in the race, Michels pointed to his business experience, promising to turn Madison “upside down.”  
The GOP is eager to oust Evers so Wisconsin&#8217;s Republican-controlled legislature can advance its agenda without being obstructed by his liberal use of veto power.

SFChroniclePence

Pence Makes Endorsement In Contentious Wisconsin Republican Governor Primary

Pence Endorses Former Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch For Governor

Mike Pence

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