[M]embers of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 on party lines to adopt a measure which included a provision that would have greatly altered the state’s open records law. The liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now and the conservative think-tank the MacIver Institute for Public Policy each issued statements critical of the JFC’s decision. [DeForest Times-Tribune]
Despite being introduced and passed at the start of a holiday weekend, the proposal sparked outrage among constituents, journalists and good government advocates. The opposition transcended party lines, with groups like the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, One Wisconsin Now, the MacIver Institute and the Center for Media and Democracy united against it. [Capital Times]
Will the State Assembly give approval to a scheme to raid funds directly from K-12 public schools to fund an unlimited and unaccountable private school voucher program in the state budget?
The private school voucher industry has poured millions of dollars into buying a friendly legislature that won’t demand accountability from the voucher program.
“I don’t know what that says about him, other than he can’t be trusted,” said Mike Browne, deputy executive director of One Wisconsin Now, a group that typically opposes Walker’s policies. [Bloomberg]
What is more, the amount of cash available for the WEDC to carelessly dispense has grown. By the end of 2013, the state had awarded over $970 million in tax credits, loans and grants, according to the watchdog group One Wisconsin Now. [Al Jazeera]
The liberal group One Wisconsin Now, which frequently requests legislative records, said it takes the move as "validation of our effectiveness and proof that the lawless Republican machine running state government will do anything to try and stop us from holding it accountable." [Capital Times]
Critics included the conservative MacIver Institute and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and liberal groups CMD and One Wisconsin Now. [Wisconsin State Journal]
“The biggest fear is that government will run a muck... And, that whoever is making the actual decisions of government will be shielded from the public's ability to see that.” [WKOW-TV]
The biggest fear is that government will run amock. And, that whoever is making the actual decisions of government will be shielded from the public's ability to see that. [Wisconsin State Journal]
Stroebel crossed the line of what’s legal in Wisconsin with his action publicly demanding a vote on that bill as a bottom line demand for giving his vote in favor of the state budget.
The biggest fear is that government will run amock. And, that whoever is making the actual decisions of government will be shielded from the public's ability to see that. [WKOW-TV]
After cowering behind closed doors, Republicans emerged to unleash the greatest assault on open records in our state’s history.
[WMTV-TV]
The Agenda Project Action Fund, One Wisconsin Now and Wisconsin Jobs Now have launched "HOLD YOUR BREATH," a graphic ad depicting an individual drowning to symbolize the plight of Americans burdened by student debt. [Huffington Post]
At a Madison press conference Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos revealed the full details of a secretly negotiated deal to help build a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks and claimed he could pass it in the State Assembly.
One Wisconsin Now has helped launch “HOLD YOUR BREATH,” a graphic ad depicting an individual drowning to symbolize the plight of Americans burdened by student debt.
Republicans can't claim surprise when politicians who rode into office on the backs of their special interests attacks over a $5 million scoreboard for the Milwaukee Bucks aren't lining up to support a $500 million arena for the Milwaukee Bucks. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Gov. Scott Walker is the target of a graphic new ad launched by three liberal groups who say he's been the "worst governor in America" for the country's student debt problem. [Capital Times]
Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now told the Associated Press it's an instance of "corruption of the conservative court majority." [Associated Press]
Scot Ross, director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, accused Gableman of having political motives in attempting to revive the appeal. [Associated Press]
The bottom line is that Scott Walker said when he came into office, this is my blueprint for making good on my promise to create 250,000 jobs. [Daily Beast]
It seems incredibly insensitive and just a wrong step in terms of policy, given what happened in South Carolina and given the issues we have with gun violence across the state and specifically in Milwaukee. [VICE News]
As Governor and as Milwaukee County Executive, Scott Walker personally had artwork depicting African Americans removed from public buildings.
Why did a virulent racist from Texas that heads an identified hate group based in Missouri make seven donations to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker over four years?
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy next month, has received $3,500 in donations from Holt since 2011... “Scott Walker should be ashamed to have taken Earl Holt’s money in the first place," said Scot Ross of the progressive group One Wisconsin Now. [Associated Press]
Walker was unwilling to call for the removal of the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds in South Carolina on the heels of the horrific, racially-motivated mass killing of black churchgoers in Charleston.
Scott Walker should be ashamed to have taken Earl Holt's money in the first place and he should immediate return those contributions and any other undisclosed contributions he's received from Holt to his numerous fundraising entities.
One Wisconsin Now filed a complaint with the state's ethics oversight board alleging Kapenga should have disclosed on public forms that he has solicited donations for his organization to be sent to his Capitol office. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Add U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson to the list of politicians seeking to feed at the education privatization cartel’s trough.
Wisconsin is 35th in the nation in job creation, dead last in the Midwest, and our middle class is shrinking. Wisconsin is divided as never before and in desperate search for leadership that brings us back together. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
The liberal group One Wisconsin Now on Wednesday filed a complaint alleging state Rep. Chris Kapenga had violated state law, an accusation the Town of Delafield Republican said he takes “as a badge of honor.” [Waukesha Freeman]
In response to a complaint filed yesterday with the Government Accountability Board (GAB), Rep. Chris Kapenga bragged on a right-wing website that his failure to comply with state law was “badge of honor”.
Rep. Kapenga has failed to abide by the laws of Wisconsin prohibiting the use of state resources to benefit outside groups and requiring elected officials and candidates for office to be transparent about their dealings. [Wisconsin Daily Independent]
The teachable moment is that behind every "bold" claim by Walker is a very different, cold, hard truth. It's a lesson the school children of Wisconsin know only too well.
Ryan, Duffy and Ribble should have already sent out news releases assuring the public they had returned his contributions. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
[WMTV-TV]
What’s clear is that Rep. Kapenga has failed to abide by the laws of Wisconsin prohibiting the use of state resources to benefit outside groups.
He’s trying to “get out of here” and run for president. [La Crosse Tribune]
Ron Johnson had his company write him a $10 million check a month after spending $9 million on his campaign to buy our U.S. Senate seat. [Capital Times]
A Database of Scott Walker's Legislation As State Representative
"The Bradley Foundation millions have bought Scott Walker an insurance policy from criticism by the intellectual right," said Scot Ross of One Wisconsin Now. [Associated Press]
The Bradley Foundation millions have bought Scott Walker an insurance policy from criticism by the intellectual right. [Associated Press]
Comprehensive Research Into Scott Walker's Record On Issues Facing Wisconsin
People who read Gov. Scott Walker’s recent column deserve to know the truth about his record on the economy. Tax cuts for corporation do not create jobs. Education creates jobs, which creates customers for small businesses. [Holmen Courier-Life]
The last-minute, rushed amendment shows that the drafting of this bill has been as careless as it is heartless. [Capital Times]
Gov. Scott Walker’s political career has been marked by efforts to dismantle safety net programs or, if not dismantle, run them into the ground.
Scott Walker's political philosophy can be summed up in three easy steps: (1) Reward my donors, (2) Increase my power, and (3) Punish my enemies.
With Scott Walker leading the charge, Wisconsin Republicans have systematically sought to make voting more difficult and manipulate state law.
Gov. Scott Walker is all for transportation infrastructure as long as he doesn’t have to be responsible for finding a way to responsibly pay for it.