BREAKING on @AP

Seven unions representing teachers and other public workers in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Thursday attempting to end the state’s near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees.

apnews.com/article/wiscon… The 2011 law, known as Act 10, has withstood numerous legal challenges over the past dozen years and was the signature legislative achievement of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who used it to mount a presidential run.

Breaking on @AP:

There should be no effort to impeach liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz based on what is known now, former Justice David Prosser advised Republican Assembly Speaker @repvos who asked him to review the issue.

apnews.com/article/wiscon… Prosser sent Vos an email on Friday, the same day Protasiewicz declined to recuse from the redistricting case:

“To sum up my views, there should be no effort to impeach Justice Protasiewicz on anything we know now."

BREAKING on @AP

A state judiciary disciplinary panel has rejected several complaints lodged against Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz that alleged she violated the judicial code of ethics for comments she made during the campaign.

apnews.com/article/wiscon… Protasiewicz on Tuesday released a May 31 letter from the Wisconsin Judicial Commission informing her that “several complaints” regarding comments she had made during the campaign had been dismissed without action.

BREAKING

A newly released audio recording obtained by The Associated Press offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in Wisconsin knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election.

apnews.com/article/biden-… The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden’s win.

A lawsuit filed today by Wisconsin criminal justice advocacy groups seeks to block two Republican-sponsored measures from appearing on the April ballot, arguing that they were not submitted on time to the correct elections officials.

apnews.com/article/politi… One question is a constitutional amendment that would allow judges to consider more factors when setting bail for violent offenders. The other is an advisory referendum that asks if able-bodied, childless welfare recipients should be required to look for work.

Democratic Wisconsin @GovEvers, who is making abortion rights a central focus of his reelection campaign, is calling for a special session of the GOP-controlled Legislature to pass a measure creating a way for voters to repeal the state's abortion ban

apnews.com/2606b3fa23b943… @GovEvers Evers has repeatedly used the tactic of calling special sessions on hot-button political issues, including gun control and expanding Medicaid, to put Republicans on the spot.

They have never acted on any of the special session calls, including repealing the abortion ban.

.⁦@GovEvers⁩ speaks at meeting of Wisconsin Counties Association meeting in Wisconsin Dells. His opponent ⁦@michelsforgov⁩ is to speak later, along with other candidates for statewide office @GovEvers @michelsforgov Evers touts fixing roads and expanding rural internet broadband in Q&A session at WCA meeting

He also mentions the income tax cut he signed into law that the Republican-led Legislature passed after rejecting tax increases Evers proposed for manufacturers, wealthy

.@michelsforgov is calling on @GovEvers to stop all paroles, even though a governor can't unilaterally order them to stop and some paroles are mandated by law.

Michels accuses Evers of sympathizing with & coddling “brutal, convicted criminals.”

apnews.com/article/2022-m… @michelsforgov @GovEvers Evers' spokesperson Britt Cudaback said it would be illegal to do as Michels wants and called the Monday request “an uninformed stunt to score political points by someone who has no regard or appreciation for the laws of our state.”

BREAKING on @AP

Wisconsin Assembly @SpeakerVos has fired Michael Gableman, the former state Supreme Court justice he hired 14 months ago to investigate the 2020 election

Vos fired him three days after Vos beat a GOP challenger Gableman and Donald Trump endorsed @AP @SpeakerVos Vos says in statement to @AP:

“After having many members of our caucus reach out to me over the past several days, it is beyond clear to me that we only have one choice in this matter, and that's to close the Office of Special Counsel."

.@SpeakerVos says his narrow victory tonight over Donald Trump-backed @steenforus shows "you don't have to be a lapdog to whatever Donald Trump says.”

apnews.com/article/2022-m… @SpeakerVos @steenforus Vos:

“This election was only about one topic. It was only about whether or not we could decertify the last election and overturn it. This was only a referendum on overturning the election which is unconstitutional.”

A Dane County judge today ordered that Republican Assembly @SpeakerVos Robin sit for a deposition with attorneys for a liberal watchdog group @weareoversight seeking records related to the GOP-ordered investigation into the 2020 election. @SpeakerVos @weareoversight Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn denied an attempt by Vos and his staff attorney, Steve Fawcett, to block the depositions on Jan. 12.

It's the latest defeat for Vos in the ongoing battle between him and American Oversight over records the group is seeking.

Jefferson E. Davis, spokesman for the committee pushing for a “Wisconsin Full Forensic Physical and Cyber Audit” holds news conference outside the state Capitol with ⁦@RepJanel⁩, Rep. Ranthum and ⁦@SheriffClarke⁩ to pressure ⁦@SpeakerVos⁩ to sign subpoenas They are playing a video now showing Democrats talking three years ago about election security before detailing 86-page document describing issues they want examined in Wisconsin. They are then headed to offices of @SpeakerVos, @SenatorDevin and @SenatorKapenga to demand action

The use of @DollyParton song "9 to 5" by @RebeccaforReal campaign launch today is getting pushback from Democrats

Here is @GovEvers campaign spokesman contrasting Parton's push for vaccines with Kleefisch

https://twitter.com/SamRoecker/status/1436020030874046467

@DollyParton @RebeccaforReal @GovEvers Former Gov. @ScottWalker drew the ire of musicians more than once when he used their songs.

@DropkickMurphys asked Walker to stop playing one of their songs in 2015, tweeting "We literally hate you."

apnews.com/article/3f81c8…

Rebecca Kleefisch enters to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” .@RebeccaforReal playlist before she hit the stage:

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

Born to Run

Sweet Child ‘O Mine

Taking Care of Business

The Republican chair of the Wisconsin Senate's elections committee is holding an informational hearing with local and state elections officials and representatives from voting machine company ES&S to describe for lawmakers and staff how elections work in the state The hearing comes as a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 election is underway, as well as a review by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau that was ordered by Republicans

Watch the hearing here:

wiseye.org/?p=25357

BREAKING

Nearly half of the $676,00 in taxpayer money being spent on a Republican-ordered investigation into Wisconsin's 2020 presidential election is earmarked for data analysis, a contract obtained by The Associated Press today show

apnews.com/article/techno… The contract between @SpeakerVos and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman was obtained under Wisconsin's open records law.

It shows that $325,000 is set aside for a data analysis contractor, indicating the focus of the investigation on ballots, machines

Republican @RebeccaforReal, who is not yet a candidate for governor, releases an agenda through her 1848 Project that looks a lot like what a platform for a gubernatorial candidate would be

https://twitter.com/RebeccaforReal/status/1432734172439789571

@RebeccaforReal Highlights from Kleefisch's agenda:

_ Hire 1,000 cops

_ Give the Legislature, rather than @WI_Elections, power to set election rules

_ Ban critical race theory

_ Ban sanctuary cities

_ toughen penalties on "mobs and riots"

_ protect "integrity of youth athletics"

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice hired to lead 2020 election investigation tells @AP he traveled to Arizona last week and is attending a Mike Lindell symposium today in South Dakota as part of fact-finding mission to aid his probe here

apnews.com/article/joe-bi… @AP Michael Gableman tells @AP why he came to South Dakota for the Lindell event, which is being paid for with taxpayer money:

“I’m here out of an honest effort to find out if anyone has any information that will be helpful in carrying out my duties as special counsel.

.@RepRonKind announces he won't run again in 2022:

:The truth is I've run out of gas." @RepRonKind Kind, a moderate Democrat, said he was part of a “dying breed” of pragmatic politicians who believed in bipartisanship and finding common ground.

Kind says politics shouldn't be a “constant combat sport” where the goal is to destroy those on the other side.

After vetoing Republican bills that would make it more difficult to vote absentee in Wisconsin, ⁦@GovEvers⁩ said election clerks in Brown and Milwaukee counties should not comply with subpoenas from GOP lawmaker to turn over ballots &
voting machines:

“Hell no,” Evers said @GovEvers .@SpeakerVos responds:

“These bills closed loopholes, standardized procedures, established uniformity, guaranteed only the voter can correct their own ballot and protected votes of seniors in long-term care. I am very disappointed Governor Evers refuses to do the right thing.”

Wisconsin Assembly now debating a bill making it legal for local government officials to shoot a beaver or muskrat causing damage to a highway Rep. James "Jimmy Boy" Edming makes the case for shooting beaver and muskrat:

“Tons of beavers have moved in. They’re damming up the roads, they’re damming up anything they can dam up, no pun intended. Anyway, when they dam up an area it really causes a lot of flooding.”