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Rating Donald Trump

Craig Gilbert takes a closer look at the latest Marquette University Law School Poll.

Bottom line: It was a bad news/good news poll for President Donald Trump.

Gilbert writes: "The bad news is that support for impeachment hearings is up, his ratings on foreign policy are poor, and voters overwhelmingly think it's improper for the president of the United States to ask China and Ukraine to investigate American citizens.

"The good news?

"Amid an explosive and perilous impeachment inquiry, Trump's approval rating in this key battleground state is holding steady and, at 46%, is slightly higher than his long-term average as president ..."

You can count Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald among those who say impeachment could actually help Trump win a second term.

At a luncheon last week in Madison, Fitzgerald said: "It's got the Trump voter jazzed up. I mean, I don't think there's any two ways of looking at it, they are fired up. They're upset with what's going on. I think the Democrats - and (Speaker) Nancy Pelosi must know this - that there's a point where they can overplay their hand and I think they're very close to it right now."

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Ron Johnson and Ukraine

If there's a Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, a lot of attention may be paid to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who has been closely involved in Ukraine issues.

Johnson said Tuesday that he won't recuse himself if such a trial takes place, according to an article by Craig Gilbert and Christal Hayes.

"I represent the people that elected me," Johnson said. "Those individuals deserve a voice and my vote in the process. I would never even consider it."

And Johnson said he would be happy to provide his first-hand knowledge of events and conversations involving Ukraine to U.S. House members conducting the impeachment probe.

"That would be up to the House" if it wants to hear from him, Johnson said. "I wouldn't resist. I'm always happy to tell the truth."

What others are saying about Wisconsin in 2020

In the last week, three national news organizations have taken the political pulse of Wisconsin ahead of the 2020 election.

Francis Wilkinson, a Bloomberg opinion editor, checked in with an article headlined: "Democrats Face Their Fears in Wisconsin."

Wilkinson took a deep dive into the numbers from the 2016 election and what potentially awaits in 2020, talking to Democratic operatives and activists. He concentrated not just on African American turnout in the city of Milwaukee, but so-called "pivot counties" that voted for Barack Obama in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016.

The most provocative paragraph: "Some Democrats fear that Trump has the equivalent of reserve troops - non-college-educated white males who didn't vote in 2016 but who, after four years of Trump's domination of media, political culture and the very oxygen we all breathe, might turn out in 2020."

Janet Hook of the Los Angeles Times took a look at the boots-on-the-ground operations for Republicans and Democrats: "The 2020 presidential race already in full swing in Wisconsin."

The key quote comes from Andrew Hitt, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin: "It's crazy, but almost everywhere I went I heard the same thing: We are working now like it's the summer of 2020, not the summer of 2019."

Jenna Johnson of the Washington Post focused on the political prospects in Wisconsin's largest city: "In Milwaukee, an inner-city group tackles a key Democratic need: Turning out black voters."

Johnson took a close look at Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC), a group key to helping Democrats boost African-American turnout in Milwaukee.

She wrote: "In less than two years, BLOC has become a force in Milwaukee politics. Its constant presence at community events and ability to connect with apathetic voters to boost turnout has made its endorsement highly sought-after for local politicians."

It's a riveting read with several intriguing nuggets, especially about BLOC's meetings with several Democratic presidential candidates. Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts scored points with BLOC's "ambassadors," those who go door to door to meet with voters.

A visit by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota didn't go so well.

Around the horn

Ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan sets up a nonprofit focused on issues. It will be based in Janesville.

Reckless driving is a problem in Milwaukee and local leaders are seeking state assistance to find some solutions.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has some concerns about spending priorities in the City of Milwaukee.

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is retiring and a national search will be conducted for his successor.

#FireSeanDuffy trends on Twitter as former congressman faces backlash for criticizing Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.

DNC 2020 host committee rolls out leadership committee that includes Bud Selig, Sheldon Lubar and John Schlifske.

A new foundation will raise money for Milwaukee County Parks.

The Milwaukee Common Council for now is keeping alive the review process for a proposed Strauss Brands LLC meat packing plant, even though the firm has dropped its plans to move into the city.

Tweet of the week

This one goes to former reality TV personality Susie Meister: "Sean Duffy did what many thought couldn't be done. He became the worst Real World alum."

GOP Senators fire Tony Evers' ag secretary

On Tuesday, Brad Pfaff suffered a very public firing and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers sustained a bitter political defeat.

What happened was this: all 19 Republicans in the state Senate voted against confirming Pfaff as head of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, a position he held since January.

It may be the first time the state Senate blocked a governor's cabinet nominee.

Evers, who observed the drama, called the action "political B.S." He used stronger language, too.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who is running for Congress, also hinted other cabinet secretaries could go down.

"Some are going to go through and I don't know if the rest of them are going to make it," Fitzgerald said of Evers' cabinet.

Republicans had issues with Pfaff, as Patrick Marley and Molly Beck explain in their article on the firing.

They write that Pfaff criticized GOP lawmakers in July for not making available $100,000 for mental health services for struggling farmers that was included in the state budget. The funds were eventually released in September.

Republicans also strongly oppose rules Pfaff was working on to protect farmers' neighbors from the stench of manure by expanding setback requirements for storage facilities.

The Republican push against Evers is expected to continue on Thursday during a special session the governor called in order to take up gun laws.

The state Senate is expected to gavel in, and gavel out, without any action.

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The Hop turns 1

It's free, it's fun and it still doesn't really go very far.

But things remain contentious with the Milwaukee streetcar, The Hop, which celebrated its first anniversary.

Journal Sentinel reporter Alison Dirr took a deep dive into the $124 million project. The streetcar's 2.1 mile route runs in a loop through eastern downtown to the edge of the Historic Third Ward.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett points to success with ridership numbers that have surpassed goals and development near the streetcar line.

Dirr writes: "Detractors have never accepted what they dismiss as 'the trolley' and have continued to predict that it will inevitably drain much-needed resources from the city.

"They brush aside the ridership numbers because there has been no cost to ride for the first year, thanks to a 12-year, $10 million sponsorship by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino."

To ultimately succeed, The Hop's system will have to expand. But that path remains unclear.

Race for Milwaukee County Executive

The field is beginning to take shape in the race to succeed Chris Abele as Milwaukee County Executive.

On Monday, state Rep. David Crowley (D-Milwaukee) rolled out his campaign, positioning himself as a unifying figure who would work to build bridges with all parts of the community to make the county stronger.

"At the end of the day, whoever is the next county executive is going to have to work with the state Legislature and the governor in order to find ways to bring more resources back to Milwaukee County," Crowley told the Journal Sentinel's Alison Dirr.

Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy also filed papers to run Monday and will announce his formal entry Wednesday.

Three potential contenders are still mulling the race: County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr., state Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) and Milwaukee Ald. Cavalier Johnson.

Lipscomb appears to be waiting for the end of budget season before making a decision, while Johnson could reveal his plans as early as next week.

Jim Sullivan, director of Milwaukee County Child Support Services, is also considering a run. Sullivan is a former state senator who also served on the Wauwatosa Common Council. He finished third in the 2011 primary for county executive and later joined Abele's administration.

Sullivan said: "I think we've accomplished a lot in Milwaukee County, the eight years I've been here, the nine years Chris (Abele) has been county executive. Especially in efficiency and sustainability, I think our team has accomplished some great things. And I of course want to see that continue."

Peggy M.M. Wittman, a clerical specialist in the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court, was the first to file papers to run for the seat.

Election 2020 Spotlight on Wisconsin

A plug: The Journal Sentinel and WUWM are co-hosting an event Wednesday night on Wisconsin's role in the 2020 elections.

And you're invited. It's free but you have to register.

The event is at Birch, 6610 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

WUWM's LaToya Dennis and Bonnie North will moderate. Liz Gilbert, president of the 2020 DNC host committee, will be there. And I'll be there, too, along with Journal Sentinel reporter Molly Beck.

We look forward to seeing you.

Around the horn

Local organizers of the 2020 Democratic National Convention are going all-in on community summits, with the first event scheduled Nov. 22.

Key swing groups are "swinging" Joe Biden's way according to Craig Gilbert's breakdown of the recent Marquette University Law School Poll.

"Friendship, warmth and good cheer, that's gemutlichkeit. And that's Wisconsin," was the tag line for last year's state tourism ad. Apparently, that's not the way things are rolling at the Wisconsin tourism council, which is mired in infighting.

What you need to know about Ron Johnson, Donald Trump and the impeachment inquiry.

What Wisconsin's representatives in Congress said after the House vote on impeachment inquiry.

"A plan to nowhere": Mitchell Park Domes proposal draws ire of county supervisor Sheldon Wasserman.

Tweet of the week

Republican state Rep. Scott Allen wasn't impressed by Gov. Tony Evers cursing. Allen tweeted: "Such language from a teacher."

Tension in Madison

Oh, Madison.

Where politicians argue over what to call a tree in the state Capitol. Is it a Holiday Tree as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proclaimed? Or a state Christmas Tree, as Republicans advocated? There was a debate on that, in the Assembly, covered by Molly Beck.

Where Republicans tossed out Evers' appointee as agriculture secretary. So the governor turned around and rehired Braf Pfaff in a new position.

Where the governor called for a special session to take up gun legislation and Republicans gaveled in and gaveled out.

Where aides won't release a day's worth of the governor's emails, even though the governor said the public should see them.

Some old hands reflected on what happened a week ago when Republicans essentially said to Evers: You don't matter.

"We're better than this," said former Republican Sen. Dale Schultz of Richland Center, who served in the Legislature for three decades alongside five governors, including two Democrats.

Perhaps not.

Apparently, Evers is still steamed about losing his agriculture secretary. Daniel Bice reports that the governor called out GOP Senators for an "amoral and stupid" vote to oust the cabinet member.

To quote Assembly Speaker Robin Vos as he adjourned Tuesday's session: "Merry Christmas."

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2020 DNC sponsors

Seventy million dollars - that's how much Milwaukee's host committee has to raise to stage the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

The cash will come from corporations, labor unions and individuals. And in these politically fraught times, it can be difficult for some to actually come forward publicly and say they've contributed.

But last week, Northwestern Mutual and the Potowatomi tribe told the Journal Sentinel that they have stepped up financially to back the event.

They didn't disclose financial details, but they're the first two large Milwaukee entities to make public their sponsorship. Others will surely follow over the next few months.

"This is a huge home run regardless of your political party or affiliation," said John E. Schlifske, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Mutual. "Northwestern Mutual is not picking Democrats over Republicans - it's picking a major convention that is national in scope, that will showcase Milwaukee."

Jeffrey A. Crawford, attorney general for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, said: "Certainly the country, arguably the world, is going to be focusing on Milwaukee. So we want to make sure that Milwaukee is presented in the best light and has a successful convention."

Meanwhile, Daniel Bice reported a quiet shakeup in leadership of the host committee's fundraising team. Leah Israel replaced Marcus Switzer as fundraising director.

You have questions?

OK, we may not have all the answers. But we want to know what's on your mind as Wisconsin moves center stage in 2020 with the Democratic National Convention and the presidential election.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WUWM-FM (89.7) are combining for a series called Wisconsin 2020.

We'll be working together "to gather and answer your questions about elections, the DNC, and how life in Wisconsin will be affected.

Here's a link with a little more information on the series and a form to submit a question.

Job updates

Former Congressman Sean Duffy just can't stay away from Washington, D.C. POLITICO reported that Duffy landed as a senior counsel at BGR Group, the K Street shop whose founding partner is former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Bob Wood, a former Tommy Thompson staffer, is the firm's CEO.

Meanwhile, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is now the "jobs ambassador" for Associated Builders and Contractors Wisconsin.

Around the horn

Billionaire presidential candidate Tom Steyer came to Milwaukee. He had a lot to say.

Wow: Budget season wasn't a tussle, after all.

First, Milwaukee's Common Council passed its budget, which left in place a reduction in the police force.

And then, on to Milwaukee County, where they focused on transit and the House of Correction.

Gov. Tony Evers tries to raise the minimum wage for government employees to $15 an hour.

And, the governor issues eight more pardons.

You really can't make up what's going on in Lafayette County, where water issues are causing a public furor.

Summerfest CEO Don Smiley is well paid.

A federal appeals court keeps GOP lawmakers out of an abortion case.

The media will hit Milwaukee Jan. 7 for a walk-through of convention facilities.

Wisconsin spent $60 million on trains it never got to use. Now, it's spending $13 million more.

Once any Wisconsin court treats a juvenile as an adult, they remain an adult for any other criminal case, the state Supreme Court ruled.

We now know who the main players are likely to be in the race for Milwaukee County Executive. State Sen. Chris Larson has filed, County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb Sr. is expected to announce his entry Wednesday and state Rep. David Crowley and Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy are running.

Tweet of the week

This one comes from journalist Connie Schultz, the wife of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio: "A beautiful, haunting essay by Bryan Box, who is a forest ecologist, forester, and veteran of the 173rd Airborne Brigade."

You can read Box's essay in The New Republic.

Ron Johnson on impeachment

It's safe to say that Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is not a fan of the House impeachment hearings on President Donald Trump.

He has called the hearings "a sad farce" and said the whistleblower's sources "exposed things that didn't need to be exposed."

Johnson is also something of a key figure in the inquiry. He was part of the U.S. delegation that attended the May 20 inauguration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Monday, Johnson offered his most detailed account yet of his involvement in the Ukraine controversy in a letter to House Republicans.

Craig Gilbert and Patrick Marley break it all down.

The key paragraph: Johnson wrote that he viewed the inquiry as a "continuation of a concerted, and possibly coordinated, effort to sabotage the Trump administration," and he questioned the motives of government witnesses who have voiced concerns about Trump's handling of Ukraine.

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Chuck Todd focuses on Milwaukee County

Milwaukee County - get ready for your closeup.

NBC News and "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd will be checking in with a group of voters from the state's largest county in the run up to the 2020 election.

It's part of the news organization's "County to County" project, in which reporters are sent to vital counties in five battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The counties were picked to focus on a different part of the election equation.

In Milwaukee County, NBC will gauge Democrats' chances.

"This is where we're going to find out: can Democrats fire up their base?" Todd told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Molly Beck. Todd said he wants to put scrutiny on Milwaukee County because of the predictor that turnout there has been for Democrats' chances in recent elections.

"I want to throughout the next year to be able to understand those dynamics as well as we can on the ground," he said. "We're going to essentially embed ourselves in these counties."

Supreme Court race

That didn't take long.

In their first debate Tuesday, two challengers went hard at state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, who is part of the court's conservative majority.

And the primary isn't until Feb. 18 with the general election, April 7.

Patrick Marley has all the details.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky told Kelly: "What voters see is that you get support from special interests. You ignore the rule of law and you find in favor of those special interests over and over and over again. And that feels like corruption to people in the state of Wisconsin."

Marquette University Law School professor Ed Fallone charged: "The problem with Justice Kelly on the court is that he's an ideologue who follows his own pet theories of constitutional interpretation, his own idiosyncratic originalist view of what he believes was the original intent of the Constitution and who thinks he's a one-man constitutional convention."

Kelly countered: "The Constitution is not being remade in my image. I don't remake the Constitution at all. The point of the analysis that I go through is to actually discover the meaning of the Constitution itself and apply that."

Upcoming

There's a new Marquette University Law School Poll due to be released Wednesday beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett looks set to announce his re-election bid Wednesday morning at Sherman Phoenix.

Vice President Mike Pence visits Fincantieri Marinette Marine on Wednesday. Here's what he'll see, according to Jeff Bollier.

Around the horn

Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley won't run for a third term.

Annysa Johnson takes a look at referendum scenarios for Milwaukee Public Schools. 

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett vetoed $1.1 million in increased borrowing approved by council.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele signed a 2020 budget with no vetoes.

The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that advertising executive Bill Eisner, who handled former Gov. Scott Walker's political advertising, has died. Journal Sentinel business reporter Sarah Hauer spoke with Eisner earlier this year as he focused on purpose in the wake of a cancer diagnosis.

Rep. John Nygren, a powerful GOP lawmaker, is suing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers under the state's records law. 

A Department of Revenue worker learned the hard way: Don't joke about former Gov. Scott Walker. Daniel Bice has the story, including the PowerPoint. 

Wisconsin's conservative activists are already poised to help President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Mica Soellner talks with Wisconsin conservative women who back President Trump.

What to know about the legal fight over who should be on Wisconsin's voter rolls.

Tweet of the week

This one comes from Analiese Eichner, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now: "Putting this into the universe now: It is unlikely, but if I am ever impeached please do not let me live tweet my own impeachment hearing."

Michael Bloomberg runs

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg entered the Democratic presidential race this week with a bang.

An advertising bang, that is.

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist has launched a massive $37 million ad blitz.

Some of those ad dollars have already made it to Wisconsin. 

In all, the Bloomberg campaign is spending more than $400,000 in the state, according to the firm Advertising Analytics.

The breakdown by market: $214,920 in Milwaukee; $91,100 in Madison; $57,320 in La Crosse-Eau Claire; $52,640 in Green Bay-Appleton; $29,530 in Wausau-Rhinelander.

Additionally, Wisconsin is also one of four battleground states already targeted by Bloomberg in a $100 million digital campaign to "attack and define" President Donald Trump, according to the New York Times.

And there's more.

Bloomberg plans to spend up to $20 million on a voter registration drive beginning early next year in Wisconsin and at least four other states, according to the Associated Press. The drive could expand to other states.

The AP said: "The new effort will target 500,000 voters from traditionally underrepresented groups that typically lean Democratic, including African Americans, Latinos, Asians, young voters and those living in some rural communities."

Bloomberg isn't the only Democratic presidential candidate spending TV ad money in Wisconsin. Billionaire Tom Steyer spent $30,000 for ads running through Dec. 4 on stations in Madison and Green Bay, according to federal filings.

Wisconsin's presidential primary is April 7.

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Lame-duck legal bill tops $2.3 million

Wisconsin taxpayers have already ponied up $2.3 million for outside legal fees in court fights over the state's lame-duck laws.

And the costs are going to rise since not all the bills are in and some of the cases are ongoing.

The Journal Sentinel's Patrick Marley breaks down the spending.

"Most of the money spent on outside attorneys in the lame-duck cases - $1.8 million - has gone to firms working for Republican lawmakers. A little over $500,000 has gone to firms hired by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, according to records released under the state's open records law."

Marley explained that lawyers for the GOP "are charging significantly more than the lawyers for Democrats. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is performing some of the work, so Democrats haven't needed as many outside attorneys.  And some bills for lawyers hired by (Democratic Gov. Tony) Evers have not yet been submitted."

Lemonade stands unite Madison

Well, there's at least one thing Republicans and Democrats agree on in Madison.

"Kids' lemonade stands are now legal," according to Patrick Marley.

The measure passed by voice vote in both houses of the Legislature back in October and on Monday Evers signed the bill that allows children to sell lemonade and other goods on private property without having to get a permit.

The stands can't have more than $2,000 a year in sales and can't sell products that spoil, such as meat.

Around the horn

The Milwaukee Common Council voted to override all of Mayor Tom Barrett's budget vetoes.

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is trying to join a lawsuit in hopes of stopping a purge of the state's voter rolls

Prominent GOP supporter Ted Kellner makes a campaign contribution to 'good friend' Democrat Joe Biden.

School districts across the state are short teachers. These lawmakers are seeking to change that.

Also, Gov. Tony Evers expands a program that aims to hire more teachers of color in Wisconsin school districts

Evers signed legislation that could bring expanded hemp farming in Wisconsin.

And, the governor signed a bill to remove a voting requirement that has turned away people with disabilities.

James 'Luigi' Schmitt won't run for re-election to Milwaukee County Board. Read the story and you'll find out how he got that nickname.

Anyone interested in a prediction about World War III? Daniel Bice reports on a Milwaukee County Executive candidate who has an interesting Twitter feed and a penchant for conspiracy theories.

It was a good Marquette Poll for President Donald Trump.

This could be a fascinating contest. Community activist Tory Lowe announced that he will challenge incumbent Ald. Milele Coggs in Milwaukee's sixth aldermanic district.

Waukesha and New Berlin are in a huge fight - over a water pumping station.

Tweet of the week

This one goes to Marquette University Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin: "Things I'm prepared to talk about at Thanksgiving. 1 Polling. 2 US Elections. 3 US politics. 4 Wisconsin politics. 5 Hadestown soundtracks (London & New York, 'cause I'm well rounded). That's not one dimensional is it?"

Scott Walker backs Rebecca Kleefisch

Let's talk about politicians (thinking about) running. 

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald hasn't even gotten himself elected to Congress, and Republicans in the state Capitol are already in the early stage of a quiet campaign to see who might replace him.

Patrick Marley breaks down the potential contenders: Dan Feyen, Chris Kapenga, Devin LaMahieu, Howard Marklein and Roger Roth.

As for governor, Democrat Tony Evers hasn't been on the job for a year and Republicans are circling in preparation for runs in 2022.

Molly Beck looks at the field and wouldn't you know it, Kapenga has his eye on that race, too. Other names floated include former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, former U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

Which brings us to former Gov. Scott Walker.

He's not running for anything until at least 2025, he assured the Milwaukee Press Club Tuesday.

But, he has his pick for governor.

"I personally hope Rebecca Kleefisch runs for governor," Walker said, touting the woman who served as his lieutenant governor for eight years.

"I think she would win, and I think she'd be a hell of a great governor," he added.

Quite an endorsement.

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A murder sentence turns into a campaign issue

You're probably not paying a lot of attention to the state Supreme Court race.

But perhaps now you should.

The first big issue of the contest has exploded into public view, courtesy of columnist Daniel Bice.

Bice details how "a month before she announced her candidacy for the high court, Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky gave the most lenient sentence possible to a Marshall man convicted of first-degree intentional homicide."

She sentenced Daniel Lieske, 61, to life in prison for the shooting of Jesse Faber, 21. But she allowed Lieske to petition for his release on extended supervision - a type of parole - after 20 years behind bars. 

"I know some of you wanted the most maximum sentence in this case, and were I sitting in your seat, I would want the exact same thing, too," Karofsky said during the April 19 sentencing hearing. "You don't have to like this sentence or agree with the sentence.

"The reason behind my sentence is because Mr. Lieske would be 81 years old at the time that he would be eligible for extended supervision."

The campaign manager for Daniel Kelly, the only conservative in the three-way contest, ripped the decision, and another one the judge made in a separate case.

A Karofsky surrogate fired back that Kelly overstepped since the two cases could end up before the Supreme Court on appeals.

The third candidate, Marquette University Law professor Ed Fallone, stayed out of the fray.

Impeachment in Wisconsin

With the impeachment process against President Trump ramping up in Washington, D.C., Craig Gilbert headed into the heart of a Wisconsin swing district to talk to voters.

The takeaway from Richland Center: "Two opposite sides going at it, seeing things exactly the opposite way," Larry Rudersdorf said while visiting his brother-in-law's chainsaw repair shop.

Gilbert found voters with "a broad sense of dismay over the impeachment saga."

"Those opposed to Trump are dismayed because they believe the president's supporters are impervious to negative information and evidence of wrongdoing," Gilbert wrote.

And: "Those who support Trump are dismayed because they think Democrats are on a mission to destroy his presidency regardless of the facts or circumstances."

Around the horn

Taxpayers are out $26,500 in a lawsuit after GOP legislators try to hold back digital copies of records.

Diaper-changing stations would have to be available in both men's and women's bathrooms under new legislation proposed by three Milwaukee Democrats.

Gov. Tony Evers mandates that free feminine hygiene products will be provided in restrooms at the Wisconsin Capitol and state buildings.

A story to watch closely: Election officials plan to ask lawmakers for clearer rules on when to purge voter rolls.

A civics teacher has invited Wisconsin governors to his classroom for 30 years. Tony Evers was the first to say yes.

More turmoil on the Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission.

Civil conversations about politics in Wisconsin? Read all about them.

Tweet of the week

This one comes from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the wake of school shootings in Waukesha and Oshkosh: "It's heartbreaking to know Wisconsin students are going on Snapchat to let loved ones know if they are safe at school. My thoughts are with their parents and my thanks go to the educators who do everything they can to keep our students safe."

National Guard shakeup

Donald Dunbar led Wisconsin's National Guard for 12 years, beginning amid dangerous deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq while also working with three governors.

But on Monday, Dunbar resigned as Wisconsin Adjutant General in the wake of a blistering report that showed the Guard for years botched investigations of sexual assault and harassment.

Dunbar's last day will be Dec. 31.

Katelyn Ferral, Molly Beck and Patrick Marley have details of the report and its aftermath.

Meg Jones, who has covered the Guard on several deployments, reviews Dunbar's career.

And here are six key takeaways.

There's no way to sugar coat how badly the Guard handled the situation: "These internal investigations were deficient in a number of ways that adversely impacted commands' efforts to properly support victims of sexual assault and hold offenders accountable," said an 88-page report by the federal National Guard Bureau.

Brig. Gen. Gary Ebben will take over Dunbar's position as the state's top military officer on a temporary basis.

Gov. Tony Evers ordered the Wisconsin National Guard to "promptly and fully" implement the report's recommendations and is requiring Guard leadership to submit to the governor a plan to do so.

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Terry Gou meets Donald Trump

Remember Terry Gou?

He's the founder and former chairman of Foxconn Technology Group. Earlier this year Gou ran unsuccessfully for president of Taiwan.

Turns out, he's still heavily involved in the business and the firm's plans to build a flat-screen plant in Racine County, invest $10 billion and create 13,000 Wisconsin jobs.

A day after visiting President Donald Trump at the White House, Gou swooped into Milwaukee Friday for a holiday party.

The Journal Sentinel's Rick Romell caught up with Gou. And yes, Gou and the president talked Foxconn.

During his meeting with Trump, Gou said, "He looked at me and said, 'Terry, bring more jobs to the United States. Bring more jobs to Wisconsin.' "

Mike Gallagher's statement

Written statements from politicians are often wordy and useless.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher's comment Tuesday was neither.

"It's about damn time," he said after Congressional Democrats reached a deal with the Trump administration on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal.

Upcoming

Here's a slight surprise. There will be a December Marquette University Law School Poll. It comes out Thursday beginning at 1:30 p.m. The presentation is closed to the public because of final exams at the law school. But there will be a webcast. For more information, check here.

Around the horn

Under a legal settlement, Wisconsin will pay damages to four transgender Medicaid patients, and stop categorically denying coverage for gender-affirming surgery.

The Menomonee Falls School Board votes to change the district's Indians mascot.

A real estate firm reimbursed the state $68,000 after overcharging the Department of Corrections for years. The agency was paying for electricity it didn't owe.

Tom Tiffany and Jason Church will square off Thursday in a Republican debate in the 7th Congressional District.

Housing officials and homeless advocates want to create an overnight warming room for the homeless at the Wilson Park Senior Center. Not everyone is on board.

Milwaukee just settled the 2020 budget. But city officials are already wary of what's to come.

Tweet of the week

Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, isn't a big fan of Democrats and the Trump administration striking a deal on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

It's a two-part tweet: "Giving Trump bipartisan cover on one of his biggest political vulnerabilities and preventing a potential Democratic President from negotiating a better, more worker-friendly deal in 15 months makes absolutely no political or substantive sense to me."

"I have been semi-retired from politics for a while now - but it seems like 'Things that help Trump win Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan' should not be on the Democratic To Do list."

Impeachment vote

And so, we come to impeachment.

On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is expected to approve two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

The key votes are anticipated to come in the late afternoon or early evening.

The Republican-led Senate is likely to hold an impeachment trial early next year. Whether it's short or long, the trial is expected to end with the president's acquittal.

Things can change, of course.

The political fallout remains intriguing as the country braces for the 2020 presidential election.

Among Wisconsin lawmakers in the House, Republicans Jim Sensenbrenner, Glenn Grothman, Mike Gallagher and Bryan Steil oppose impeachment.

Democrats Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan support impeachment.

And then, there's Democrat Ron Kind, who hasn't announced how he'll vote.

As Craig Gilbert reports, "Kind is a centrist Democrat who represents a western Wisconsin district narrowly carried by Trump in 2016.

"Of the 31 Democrats across the country who hold seats carried by Trump, most have nevertheless announced plans to support impeachment."

Gilbert also has a fascinating story about past impeachment votes and the Wisconsin lawmakers who crossed party lines.

And, on the eve of the vote, demonstrators gathered in Milwaukee to push for Trump's impeachment and removal.

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Wisconsin voter roll purge

This is a story that is going to have legs.

On Friday, an Ozaukee County judge ordered the state to purge more than 200,000 people from the state's voter rolls.

Bruce Vielmetti and Patrick Marley laid out the stakes.

"At issue is a letter the state Elections Commission sent in October to about 234,000 voters who it believes may have moved. The letter asked the voters to update their voter registrations if they had moved or alert election officials if they were still at their same address. 

"The commission planned to remove the letter's recipients from the voter rolls in 2021 if it hadn't heard from them. But Circuit Judge Paul Malloy's decision would kick them off the rolls much sooner, and well before the 2020 presidential election."

Molly Beck takes a look at the case and what it means for voters.

Meanwhile, the effort to stop the removal of voter registrations heads to federal court, while Attorney General Josh Kaul tries to stall the purge in state court.

Marquette Poll analysis

Craig Gilbert breaks down the latest Marquette University Law School Poll.

It's little surprise but we've got what amounts to a "jump-ball" election headed our way in 2020.

Gilbert writes: "Public opinion is so evenly divided in this pivotal state that anybody the Democrats put up against Trump is, on paper right now, a 50/50 bet to win, no matter how popular or unpopular they are, no matter how well known or obscure they are.

"Put another way, in battleground Wisconsin, it's 'advantage no one.' "

For the record: Trump trailed former Vice President Joe Biden but held leads over Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Cory Booker.

All the results were within the poll's margin of error.   

Around the horn

More turmoil on Milwaukee's Police and Fire Commission.

For the second time, an audit warns Wisconsin taxpayers could pay Foxconn for work done outside the state.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of back and forth between Gov. Tony Evers' aides and Foxconn over subsidies.

Daniel Bice has a report on two top executives for the 2020 DNC host committee double dipping with New Jersey political work.

Tony Evers again calls on GOP lawmakers to provide $3.7 million for homeless.

There may be a breakthrough in the effort to fill a long-empty seat on the federal court in Milwaukee.

It's getting crowded in the race for Milwaukee County Executive. 

Tweet of the week

This one comes from former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder: "Here they go. Voter purge in Wisconsin that disproportionately targets Democrats, people of color and those who voted for Hillary in 2016. The expected unfairness. Fight this Wisconsin! Fight for a fair election."

A purge on hold

The new year is dawning with an epic legal fight over Wisconsin's voter rolls that's getting national attention.

In December, a judge ordered the state Elections Commission to de-activate the voter registrations of thousands of people because they may have moved. But the commission so far hasn't done so and may not for some time.

Why? The short answer is partisan gridlock.

The commission consists of three Democrats and three Republicans. For the second time Monday, the Democrats refused to take steps to kick people off the rolls.

The Democrats say the commission shouldn't remove people's voter registrations while the state pursues an appeal and contends with a second lawsuit over the issue. The Republicans say the commission needs to take the judge's order seriously and begin the process of taking people off the rolls until a higher court tells it otherwise.

But with the 3-3 deadlock, the commission is likely to stand pat for some time.

Despite the partisan divide, the 3½-year-old commission tends to reach agreement on most issues. After Monday's meeting, Democratic commissioner Mark Thomsen said he believed the fight over the voter rolls was an anomaly and commissioners would continue to work together on other matters. 

"I'm not overly concerned that we're like grid-locked," Thomsen told reporters.

But Robert Spindell, a Republican who joined the commission this fall, warned his colleagues Monday they may not all vote the same way as frequently as they have in the past.

"I think that 'everything is six-zero' (for commission votes) is not necessarily true anymore," he said.

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A visit from the president

President Donald Trump is coming back to Milwaukee, once again highlighting Wisconsin's importance in the 2020 election. 

He's holding a rally on Jan. 14 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Panther Arena, just two blocks from where the Democrats will hold their national convention in July. 

And he's doing it the same night the top-tier Democratic presidential candidates will be debating in Des Moines, Iowa. That will help him make sure his rivals don't get all the attention. 

Those who want to attend Trump's rally can sign up at www.donaldjtrump.com. 

Around the horn

The 2010s were a dramatic and tumultuous decade in Wisconsin politics. Here's a rundown of the major events, from the Republican sweep of 2010 to the Democratic gains of 2018.

PolitiFact Wisconsin has compiled its annual "high five" list for 2019. This year's list of most-clicked fact checks includes ones about mass shootings, the trade war and - what else? - whether Wisconsin or Minnesota has more lakes. 

In another check, PolitiFact found U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson was correct when he said no country other than the United States grants legal permanent residency to more than a million people a year.

Recreational marijuana is legal in two states bordering Wisconsin (Michigan and, as of Jan. 1, Illinois). Here's what it means for Wisconsinites.

PFAS, or perfluorinated chemicals, are so pervasive in the environment they're known as "forever chemicals." They're getting attention from the state Department of Natural Resources, which has ordered 19 new investigations over the last two years.

Tweet of the week

Jim Malewitz, the investigations editor for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, reminds us with this tweet that the Badger State at times has unique ways of celebrating holidays: "Residents of Plymouth, Wisconsin will celebrate the New Year (2 hours early) by watching a giant cheese wedge descend to earth."

Impeachment memories

Craig Gilbert, the Journal Sentinel's Washington bureau chief, is an impeachment veteran.

And he filed two fascinating stories this week, recalling Bill Clinton's impeachment in the late 1990s and the current impeachment chapter against President Donald Trump.

Gilbert writes: "The Trump impeachment carries broad rhetorical echoes of the Clinton impeachment. It features similar arguments about the virtues and perils of impeaching a president, but with the parties reversing roles, each side adopting the same words, logic, even metaphors used by the other side two decades ago.

"The Trump impeachment encapsulates the partisan chasm in Congress and the country today, just as the Clinton impeachment did in the late 1990s.

"It has inspired the same concerns about a coarsening of our politics, a crippled presidency, institutional decline and a vicious cycle of partisan warfare."

In a second piece, Gilbert talks with former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner about their roles in the Clinton trial. Back then, Feingold, a Democrat, and Sensenbrenner, one of the House managers "prosecuting" Clinton, both pushed for witnesses.

"We told them we thought live witnesses were important, (that) senators ought to be able to look at body language, like any juror," Sensenbrenner said.

Feingold was the sole Democrat in the Senate to vote with the GOP majority to depose witnesses.

"To me, you cannot have a fair trial here (without them), if the House managers make a credible case, which they will do and which I think Republican House impeachment managers did in 1998," Feingold said.

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Presidential campaign visits

When former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg swept into Milwaukee Saturday he became just the latest Democratic presidential candidate to hit Wisconsin in 2019.

By our count, 13 Democratic candidates came through the state.

For Wisconsin, it was an uncommonly busy off-year in presidential politics, providing a taste of what's coming in 2020.

Milwaukee will host the Democratic Convention in the summer and Republicans and Democrats will be battling for the state's 10 electoral votes in the fall.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was the first Democratic candidate to stop in Wisconsin, way back in February. It was the first of three Wisconsin appearances for Klobuchar.

With a few notable exceptions, every other major Democratic contender has trouped through the state, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer and Cory Booker.

Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg didn't come through here in 2019, although Biden's wife, Jill, made an appearance in Milwaukee.

Others who brought their campaigns here include Beto O'Rourke, Julián Castro, Marianne Williamson, Tulsi Gabbard, Bill de Blasio and Michael Bennet. Kamala Harris came to Milwaukee for a fund raiser but didn't have a public apperance.

And don't forget President Donald Trump. He made two stops in 2019, while Vice President Mike Pence appeared three times in Wisconsin.

Around the horn

Want to win in Wisconsin in 2020? Be pragmatic, says Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

People really do like to pay their property taxes in person. Just ask Jim Stingl.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, who is up for election this spring, stepped aside in a high-profile case over Wisconsin's voter rolls.

You may want to read the rest of this story: "A white lawmaker is proposing a resolution to recognize Black History Month in Wisconsin without the input of black lawmakers, leading one to compare him to a slave owner."

Daniel Bice with another story on state Supreme Court candidate Jill Karofsky, who says in a video that she'll pursue social justice.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson doesn't think much of the impeachment case against President Donald Trump. He calls it, "thin gruel."

Volunteers looking to help with the 2020 Democratic National Convention find themselves waiting for information.

Former Milwaukee health commissioner Bevan Baker blames other departments for lead crisis.

Tweet of the week

This one comes from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker in response to Khary Penebaker's piece on gun violence published recently in the Journal Sentinel.  (Penebaker has endorsed Booker for president). "Grateful for my friend @kharyp for sharing his deeply personal story - a reminder of the trauma and struggles that gun violence survivors endure, and our urgent need to reform our broken gun laws to save lives. Please read & share."

DNC 2020 prep

When national media descended on Milwaukee this week to tour facilities for the 2020 Democratic National Convention there was a sense that, yes, this big event is really going to happen.

With six months to go, there's plenty of work to do.

You have questions about the convention? Molly Beck and Patrick Marley have all the answers from what goes on at the convention to what Republicans will be doing during that same period.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee began to take advantage of its place on the national stage - 50,000 people will converge on the city for the event, July 13-16.

During a media get-together Monday at Discovery World, organizers rolled out a Milwaukee-menu that included a mini-fish fry, Purple Door ice cream, beer and old fashioneds.

On Tuesday, besides taking a look at the main venue, Fiserv Forum, and the media filing facility, the Wisconsin Center, visitors also took bus tours. And even as they pointed to revitalized areas and crown jewels like the Milwaukee Art Museum, city officials didn't shy away from issues like racial segregation, poverty and education.

"We do not take this for granted," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. "We know the pressure is on us. This is our chance to shine."

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Donald Trump rally

Well, this will be quite a scene Tuesday.

President Donald Trump headlines a campaign rally at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena while the Milwaukee Bucks play host to the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum.

The start time for the two events: 7 p.m. Doors open for the Trump rally at 3 p.m.

Meg Jones writes: "The Bucks are expecting a sellout with more than 17,000 fans. Though it's unknown how many people will be allowed inside to Trump's rally, the arena seats as many as 8,500 for sporting events, depending on how it is configured.

"Add in protesters who plan to picket Trump's visit to Milwaukee and street closings for the president's security, and travel anywhere near downtown could get messy."

Michael Bloomberg's campaign

Tim O'Brien, a senior adviser to Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaign, was in town this week to talk up the candidate.

O'Brien is emerging as a key surrogate for Bloomberg, the billionaire who served three terms as mayor of New York.

O'Brien knows Bloomberg well. He was executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. And he also has tracked President Donald Trump for years, writing "TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald."

The Bloomberg campaign, which is skipping the first four states in the Democratic race, has a lot of resources and is throwing some of them into Wisconsin. Bloomberg has already appeared once in the state to open a campaign office in Milwaukee. More offices are on the way. And of course, Bloomberg's ads are on the airwaves.

O'Brien said Bloomberg is "a pragmatic progressive. He can unite some of these different populations of people in the Democratic Party and independents who are unsatisfied with Trump's tenure but don't feel they have a good choice among the existing crop of candidates."

Around the horn

If they want to get on the Wisconsin GOP presidential primary ballot, campaigns for Joe Walsh and William Weld will have to gather 8,000 signatures each by Jan. 28.

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher supported the airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

The battle over the voter rolls chugs on.

Here's one from Daniel Bice: Chris Larson's campaign for Milwaukee County Executive removed a Facebook photo of the candidate with a Marxist-Leninist group.

And, can you spot a trend? A fifth Milwaukee County Supervisor won't run for re-election.

Tweet of the week

Leave it to the Journal Sentinel's Molly Beck to provide some political perspective on Wisconsin's 28-27 Rose Bowl loss to Oregon. She tweeted: "Is everything in Wisconsin decided by one point now."

Mike Pence in Madison

A little bit of history was made Tuesday when Mike Pence became the first sitting vice president to visit the state Capitol in Madison. 

He was there to tout school vouchers.

Molly Beck reports that "Pence and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos turned a state rally promoting alternatives to public schools into a stump speech" for President Donald Trump.

Pence told the audience: "I'm here in Wisconsin because this is where it all began," referring to Milwaukee's first-in-the-nation private school voucher program.

Pence blasted a bill proposed by Democratic lawmakers that would phase out the state's voucher programs and took a jab at Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

"I know the governor couldn't be with us today so let's make sure he hears this: We're not going to let that happen," Pence said.

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Iowans caucus in Milwaukee

The road to the 2020 Democratic National Convention finally begins Monday night with the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.

And for the first time, Democrats are taking the caucuses to satellite locations in 13 states, Washington, D.C., and three countries.

Call it absentee voting: Iowa style.

Six Iowa Democrats are registered to participate in a caucus at Marquette University.

So, how did a caucus end up at Marquette?

You can credit two theater arts majors and a Marquette alumnus who is the Iowa deputy state director for the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Bill Neidhardt, Marquette class of 2013, said the Sanders campaign was eager to have college students from Iowa participate at potential satellite sites.

"We were trying to draw up a list of campuses where we knew there would be support for Bernie," Neidhardt said. "Being an alum, I made sure Marquette was on the list. And we had someone there who was really excited to organize it."

Eric Rorholm, 21, a junior from Spokane, Washington, and chair of the Marquette College Democrats was eager to bring the caucus to the school.  And Maaz Ahmed, 19, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa, stepped up to help.

Rorholm said: "It will really be an unprecedented experience."

Jon Stewart's political comedy

Chris Foran has a fascinating take on comedian and filmmaker Jon Stewart's newest project.

It's a movie called "Irresistible," which Focus Features calls "a comedy about what happens when a small Wisconsin town becomes the main attraction of our political circus."

The film opens May 29 and Foran has all the details of what we know so far.

That includes how in 2017, Stewart "reached out to Kathy Cramer, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor and author of 'The Politics of Resentment,' to get insights on the political climate in Wisconsin for a possible feature film."

The film is set in the fictional Wisconsin town of Deerlaken, but filming began last spring in Georgia. 

Around the horn

U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil defended his House votes against impeachment. And, he also announced some big fundraising numbers for his re-election campaign.

There's a battle over legislation to prevent backlogs of sexual assault kits.

Wisconsin to collect $818 million more than expected through June 2021.

Businessman Ted Kellner was named an honorary chair of the 2020 DNC in Milwaukee.

Gov. Tony Evers pitches an $8.5 million plan to help the state's dairy industry.

The governor also created a redistricting commission. Political party officials, lawmakers and lobbyists are barred from participating.

Trump campaign chides Michael Bloomberg for celebrating the closure of a Wisconsin coal-fired power plant.

As enrollment continues to drop, UW-Whitewater becomes the latest college to consider layoffs, staff cuts.

And then there were four candidates for Milwaukee County executive.

John Bolton manuscript offers different account from Sen. Ron Johnson's of Ukraine discussions with Trump.

Wisconsin's Supreme Court candidates' opinions on past cases show their views on abortion, guns and voter ID.

Tweet of the week

Vice President Mike Pence gave a shout out to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, tweeting: "A great Catholic school in Milwaukee, where more than 90 percent of the graduates are Hispanic-Americans, just had their first graduating class last year! Thanks to #SchoolChoice ALL 85 students are going to college and ALL 85 are the first in their family to go to college!"

Convention leaders ousted

In a swift and stunning move, the two leaders of the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee were ousted late Tuesday night.

The committee board terminated President Liz Gilbert and her chief of staff, Adam Alonso.

Daniel Bice has all the details.

The move came just days after current and former staffers asserted that the pair helped foster a toxic work environment.

"Every employee has a right to feel respected in their workplace," said a one-page statement from the board.

"Based on the information we have learned to date, we believe the work environment did not meet the ideals and expectations of the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee Board of Directors. Accordingly, Liz Gilbert and Adam Alonso are no longer employed by the organization, effective immediately."

In a letter to the board, top female staff members, who didn't identify themselves, raised concerns about Gilbert and Alonso.

The host committee is responsible for raising $70 million to stage the convention and recruiting 15,000 volunteers.

The board said Teresa Vilmain, a Wisconsin-based political adviser and consultant, will step in to manage the day-to-day operations during a transition period.

The convention will be held July 13-16.

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Iowa caucuses

It wasn't a good look for the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.

Chaos, glitches and anger accompanied the opening skirmish in the battle for the Democratic Party nomination. A tech problem with a mobile app delayed the results.

It wasn't until late Tuesday afternoon, more than 20 hours after the caucuses began, that the first results were released. Meanwhile, all the candidates had moved on to New Hampshire.

As USA TODAY asked: "Is the Iowa caucus dead?"

The caucus was at least alive and well at a satellite site in Wisconsin - Marquette University.

There, seven Iowa Democrats gathered and the votes were quickly counted: 3 for Elizabeth Warren, 2 for Bernie Sanders, 2 for Amy Klobuchar.

Marquette student Maaz Ahmed of Bettendorf, Iowa, said: "I think the importance placed on the Iowa caucus is a little misguided because I don't think Iowa is the best representation of the nation. But ultimately I still think that overall this is a really, really great opportunity that we have to make a difference in our country."

Even Gov. Tony Evers had something to say about Iowa, claiming the caucuses amount to a form of voter suppression.

The governor told reporters: "It's just me thinking out loud here, but to have a situation where people have to go to some place, stick around for four hours and have these interesting debates and then actually vote and then move - why don't we just go into the booth and vote? To me that makes sense."

State of the Union

President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night had a little bit of everything.

There was a snappy slogan - "Great American comeback."

There was the weight of history - an impeached president speaking to Congress the night before his expected acquittal in the U.S. Senate.

And a frosty exchange - the president refused to shake the hand of Nancy Pelosi and the House speaker ripped up the prepared text after the speech ended.

There were guests, including Rush Limbaugh, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

And there were the broad brush strokes of his re-election campaign.

The president said: "In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny. We have totally rejected the downsizing. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago and we are never going back."

Around the horn

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' administration threatened to prosecute a reporter over confidential child abuse records.

Milwaukee Ald. Robert Bauman uses a procedural move to increase pressure on Summerfest over costs for policing.

Purnima Nath, Milwaukee County executive candidate, was kicked out of Voces de la Frontera event.

Female colleagues split over whether lawmaker accused of sexual harassment should seek re-election.

Why is Michael Bloomberg everywhere in Wisconsin?

Democrats, Republicans battle for Latino support.

Chris Abele-funded political group making a six-figure ad buy for county exec candidate David Crowley.

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher received campaign funds from company behind PFAS contamination in Marinette.

Assembly Republican plan would seek to cut taxes for farmers.

Milwaukee native Lafayette Crump leads 2020 DNC diversity and inclusion effort.

Tweet of the week

Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta on the Iowa caucuses: "Iowa is charming and everything but let's all admit that if we saw this sloppy, chaotic, slap-dash voting system employed in another country we'd call for UN election monitoring."

Signature snafu

Former state Sen. Jim Sullivan and Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy may have learned the hard way that when you outsource gathering signatures to get on the ballot, bad things can happen.

On Tuesday, the state Elections Commission bounced Sullivan and Kennedy from the ballot for Milwaukee County Executive.

The reason: Their nominating papers weren't in order.

Alison Dirr and Daniel Bice have all the late-breaking details that have upended the race.

County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., another candidate, raised the challenge. It turned out Sullivan and Kennedy submitted signatures that were gathered by the same circulators in violation of state law.

The commission struck enough signatures to put both Sullivan and Kennedy below the 2,000 valid signature threshold to get on the ballot.

There's a tight deadline to print ballots for the Feb. 18 primary. And the whole matter could still end up in court. 

About that DNC security footprint

Authorities released the security footprint for the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.

And at first glance, you'd think it was a ZIP code.

Mary Spicuzza writes that the footprint encompasses most of the west side of downtown, stretching from Cherry Street on the north to Clybourn Street on the south, and from 10th Street on the west to Water Street on the east. 

Officials stressed that they were talking about a "security footprint," not the "perimeter," or area that will only be accessible through security checkpoints.

Sarah Hauer has a good guide breaking down the footprint and what comes next.

She writes: "What are we still waiting to learn?

"A lot. We don't know what roads will be closed and when. We don't know what areas will require a security screening to enter. We don't know what areas will require special credentials to enter. We don't know where those checks will occur. We don't know what travel delays will look like moving into and across downtown." 

City Hall mansplaining

Daniel Bice writes about an ugly situation at Milwaukee City Hall.

Griselda Aldrete, executive director of the city Fire and Police Commission, has called a couple of aldermen "misogynistic" in the wake of their questioning of her and another female city department leader at a Common Council committee meeting.

"What happened last Thursday was more than unprofessional - it was outright grotesque and misogynistic," Aldrete wrote in an open letter to Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton.

"What happened during that committee was classic blame-shifting and name-calling with veiled threats from elected officials," she continued. "Rather than rationally asking questions and even the right to question the answers given, two women who lead key departments for the city were accosted."

Aldrete didn't name any names but Bice writes "anyone who watched the last Steering and Rules Committee meeting knows exactly whom she was calling out.

"The other department head was Maria Monteagudo, the employee relations director for the city, and the Common Council members were Aldermen Bob Bauman and Russell Stamper II."

It's worth reading the whole article.

Around the horn

Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson have different views on the impeachment case against President Donald Trump.

State lawmakers pass limits on firefighting foam with "forever chemicals."

Attorney General Josh Kaul will review and may reopen botched Wisconsin National Guard sex assault investigations.

Vice President Mike Pence returns to Wisconsin Tuesday with a rally in support of school choice at the state Capitol in Madison.

Martin Luther King, Jr., continues to inspire Milwaukee students.

Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales will participate in two community listening sessions.

A proposal to make Brown County a Second Amendment "sanctuary" failed. Doug Schneider has the details.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan endorses Bernie Sanders for president.

Gov. Tony Evers unveiled a sweeping plan aimed at combating youth vaping.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has nearly $1 million in campaign cash heading into next month's primary election.

The Foxconn development will soon be worth $522 million, but local officials develop a scenario if the project goes south.

"Meet the Press" talked with 5 African American voters in Milwaukee County. Here's what they had to say.

MPS is proposing to raise taxes to fund educational programs. Here's what to know before you vote April 7.

How video from a government meeting in Madison landed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Tweet of the week

This one goes to former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara. Reacting to the New York Times endorsing both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren for president, Bharara tweeted: "I hereby endorse butter. And also margarine. These are perilous times."

Donald Trump's Milwaukee rally

It was loud. It was boisterous. And it was just another stop on the long 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin.

President Donald Trump packed the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena Tuesday night.

Molly Beck and Mary Spicuzza have full coverage of the speech and the spectacle. The president promised that "the best is yet to come," as he focused on Wisconsin, the state that may decide who is elected president.

And here's a look at the scene as the Trump rally was held the same night the Milwaukee Bucks were in town for a sold-out game against the New York Knicks.

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Voter roll legal brawl

Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Malloy has had enough.

On Monday, Malloy found the state Elections Commission and three of its members in contempt of court, saying they had flouted his December order to remove thousands of people from Wisconsin's voter rolls.

Patrick Marley has all the details, including the money quote from the judge, who declared: "I can't be any clearer than this. They need to follow my order."

But on Tuesday, an appeals court ordered the state to keep more than 200,000 people on its voter rolls.

And one of the judges blocked the contempt finding.

Marley writes, "Tuesday's rulings are not final and were put in place temporarily while the appeals court considers whether anyone should be taken off the rolls. But for now, the decision is a victory for Democrats who hoped to prevent thousands of people from losing their voter registrations."

This is definitely one of those, to-be-continued-stories.

But keep in mind, if voters are removed from the rolls, they can re-register to vote online at myvote.wi.gov, at their clerk's offices or at the polls on election day."

Black History Month resolution

Molly Beck has a fascinating article on efforts to defuse a controversy over a Black History Month resolution that was introduced in the state Assembly.

Last week, two Wisconsin lawmakers - one black, one white - met in a north Milwaukee coffee shop to discuss the issue.

"I came here to figure out how to defuse this bomb before it goes off and we make national news in February," Rep. Kalan Haywood, a Democrat from Milwaukee, told Republican Rep. Scott Allen of Waukesha during the meeting.

Beck writes: "Haywood was the only black lawmaker to agree to meet Allen at the coffee shop to talk about how to move forward from a debate ignited by a resolution Allen introduced in December to recognize February as Black History Month."

Allen's resolution honored 10 Wisconsinites who helped free black slaves with the Underground Railroad, most of whom are white, and was drafted without input from the Legislature's black members.

Allen told Beck: "We're trying to come together and have a meaningful dialogue and conversation ... whether it's possible, time will tell. I'm going to keep aiming for it. If we can't come together on the Black History Month resolution how are we going to tackle the big issues?"

Around the horn

After a few municipalities got stiffed four years ago, two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to make 2020 presidential campaigns pay upfront for rally costs.

Mike Huebsch is leaving the state Public Service Commission.

A bill to reform the $900 million agriculture checkoff programs is introduced in the U.S. House.

And the GOP primary path just got that much clearer for Scott Fitzgerald in his run for Congress.

While Democrat Roger Polack steps up to challenge U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil.

State superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor won't seek re-election in 2021, meaning for the first time in 20 years an incumbent won't be running to lead the Department of Public Instruction.

Jared Kushner visited Milwaukee's Joseph Project and discussed criminal justice reform.

On a tie vote, an election panel kept two Milwaukee County executive candidates on the ballot despite a blunder in gathering signatures.

Daniel Bice writes: Milwaukee Ald. Chantia Lewis sought gift cards and money on Facebook for her 40th birthday. 

Longtime State Sen. Dave Hansen, a Democrat, plans to retire at the end of his term.

Tweet of the week

Capital Times Opinion Editor Jessie Opoien expressed her dislike of Wisconsin Cream Puffs. Gov. Tony Evers was puzzled, tweeting, "Jessie, this is just completely wrong. What's next, Wisconsin doesn't have the best cheese?"

Donald Trump's Milwaukee rally

It was loud. It was boisterous. And it was just another stop on the long 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin.

President Donald Trump packed the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena Tuesday night.

Molly Beck and Mary Spicuzza have full coverage of the speech and the spectacle. The president promised that "the best is yet to come," as he focused on Wisconsin, the state that may decide who is elected president.

And here's a look at the scene as the Trump rally was held the same night the Milwaukee Bucks were in town for a sold-out game against the New York Knicks.

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Voter roll legal brawl

Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Malloy has had enough.

On Monday, Malloy found the state Elections Commission and three of its members in contempt of court, saying they had flouted his December order to remove thousands of people from Wisconsin's voter rolls.

Patrick Marley has all the details, including the money quote from the judge, who declared: "I can't be any clearer than this. They need to follow my order."

But on Tuesday, an appeals court ordered the state to keep more than 200,000 people on its voter rolls.

And one of the judges blocked the contempt finding.

Marley writes, "Tuesday's rulings are not final and were put in place temporarily while the appeals court considers whether anyone should be taken off the rolls. But for now, the decision is a victory for Democrats who hoped to prevent thousands of people from losing their voter registrations."

This is definitely one of those, to-be-continued-stories.

But keep in mind, if voters are removed from the rolls, they can re-register to vote online at myvote.wi.gov, at their clerk's offices or at the polls on election day."

Black History Month resolution

Molly Beck has a fascinating article on efforts to defuse a controversy over a Black History Month resolution that was introduced in the state Assembly.

Last week, two Wisconsin lawmakers - one black, one white - met in a north Milwaukee coffee shop to discuss the issue.

"I came here to figure out how to defuse this bomb before it goes off and we make national news in February," Rep. Kalan Haywood, a Democrat from Milwaukee, told Republican Rep. Scott Allen of Waukesha during the meeting.

Beck writes: "Haywood was the only black lawmaker to agree to meet Allen at the coffee shop to talk about how to move forward from a debate ignited by a resolution Allen introduced in December to recognize February as Black History Month."

Allen's resolution honored 10 Wisconsinites who helped free black slaves with the Underground Railroad, most of whom are white, and was drafted without input from the Legislature's black members.

Allen told Beck: "We're trying to come together and have a meaningful dialogue and conversation ... whether it's possible, time will tell. I'm going to keep aiming for it. If we can't come together on the Black History Month resolution how are we going to tackle the big issues?"

Around the horn

After a few municipalities got stiffed four years ago, two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to make 2020 presidential campaigns pay upfront for rally costs.

Mike Huebsch is leaving the state Public Service Commission.

A bill to reform the $900 million agriculture checkoff programs is introduced in the U.S. House.

And the GOP primary path just got that much clearer for Scott Fitzgerald in his run for Congress.

While Democrat Roger Polack steps up to challenge U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil.

State superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor won't seek re-election in 2021, meaning for the first time in 20 years an incumbent won't be running to lead the Department of Public Instruction.

Jared Kushner visited Milwaukee's Joseph Project and discussed criminal justice reform.

On a tie vote, an election panel kept two Milwaukee County executive candidates on the ballot despite a blunder in gathering signatures.

Daniel Bice writes: Milwaukee Ald. Chantia Lewis sought gift cards and money on Facebook for her 40th birthday. 

Longtime State Sen. Dave Hansen, a Democrat, plans to retire at the end of his term.

Tweet of the week

Capital Times Opinion Editor Jessie Opoien expressed her dislike of Wisconsin Cream Puffs. Gov. Tony Evers was puzzled, tweeting, "Jessie, this is just completely wrong. What's next, Wisconsin doesn't have the best cheese?"

About that Wisconsin voter roll purge

Patrick Marley and Eric Litke did a deep dive on the 232,000 Wisconsinites at the heart of a lawsuit over who should be on the state's voting rolls.

It turns out nearly three-quarters of these voters cast ballots in the 2016 election.

Marley and Litke write: "The Wisconsin Elections Commission in October identified 232,576 registered voters who it believes may have moved. Conservatives have filed a lawsuit to try to force those voters off the rolls."

According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis, 72% of the voters in question voted in the 2016 presidential election and 89% of them have voted in at least one election since 2006.

It's worth reading the entire story as Marley and Litke get behind the numbers and provide context for what is already a contentious battle.

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Milwaukee County Executive race

Daniel Bice has another twist in the race for Milwaukee County Executive.

You may recall that Milwaukee County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr. got two rivals, Jim Sullivan and Bryan Kennedy, bounced from the ballot over improper signatures.

It turns out that Lipscomb also had some improper signatures, though, not enough to get tossed from the race.

Bice writes: "So how surprising would it be to find out that Lipscomb outsourced the job of collecting some of his own signatures and even ran afoul of the same election rule he wielded against Sullivan and Kennedy? That law prohibits candidates from using circulators who earlier worked for another campaign.  

"But that's precisely what Lipscomb did ..."

"A review of Lipscomb's nominating papers shows that he used three of the same circulators that state Rep. David Crowley did."

Lipscomb, Crowley, state Sen. Chris Larson and businesswoman Purnima Nath are running to succeed Chris Abele.

Legislative moves 

And the rush is on as lawmakers try to clear the decks in Madison before heading into the long election season.

On Tuesday, Assembly Republicans passed a package of crime bills they say would keep the state safer and put more people behind bars but cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Assembly lawmakers also moved quickly on a $30 million tax break aimed to help struggling farmers.

Convention business

We're still waiting for new leadership at the 2020 Milwaukee Host Committee in the wake of the firing of its two former top bosses, Liz Gilbert and Adam Alonso.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Democratic National Convention are trying to show that preparations are on track for one of the biggest events the city has hosted.

Plans were announced for a pre-convention welcome party for delegates and guests at the Summerfest grounds.

The event will take place July 12, the night before the four-day convention opens at Fiserv Forum and a week after the end of the Summerfest musical festival.

Also, Milwaukee-based JCP Construction was named construction general contractor for the convention. JCP is a minority-owned firm founded by brothers Clifton, James and Jalin Phelps. The firm said it will be able to handle whatever deadline comes its way, even if the Milwaukee Bucks make it to the NBA finals.

Around the horn

Wisconsin Hmong community waits in fear amid reports Trump administration may deport non-U.S. citizens to Laos.

The Milwaukee Election Commission sent Spanish-language absentee ballot instructions to 2,038 voters incorrectly listing the date of the spring primary.

Joe Biden has been making the "electability" argument. Craig Gilbert digs into what that means in Wisconsin.

Actor Michael Douglas came to Wisconsin to campaign for Michael Bloomberg. A lot of people noticed.

Justice Daniel Kelly is ahead in the fundraising race in the contest for state Supreme Court.

No surprise that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is leading the money race against two challengers.

Proof that Wisconsin shares a border with Iowa, home to last week's caucus debacle: There might be some confusion with absentee ballots in April's primary.

Tweet of the week

CNN's Jake Tapper went on a tweet storm as he marked the Feb. 9 anniversary of Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy's 1950 speech in Wheeling, W.Va. It's worth reading the whole thing and begins: "On this day in 1950 before the Ohio County Republican Women's Club in Wheeling, WV, Sen. Joe McCarthy, R-WI, claimed he had 'here in my hand a list of 205 (State Dept employees) that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party...' "

Election results

This one was for political junkies.

There wasn't a lot of drama in Tuesday's spring primary.  But at least the table was set for the April 7 general election.

The big race was for state Supreme Court, with incumbent Justice Daniel Kelly and Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky advancing, setting up a classic conservative vs. liberal contest.

Ed Fallone, a Marquette University law professor, finished a distant third.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will be going for his fifth term against state Sen. Lena Taylor. South side Ald. Tony Zielinski finished third.

And in the race for Milwaukee County executive, state Sen. Chris Larson and state Rep. David Crowley advanced. They're running to succeed Chris Abele, who is still a factor since he funds a third-party group that backs Crowley.

The biggest surprise: Tearman Spencer's first-place finish in the race for Milwaukee City Attorney. He'll face longtime incumbent Grant Langley.

Meanwhile, in the 7th Congressional District, Tom Tiffany defeated Jason Church in the Republican primary to advance to the May 12 special election. Tiffany will face Democrat Tricia Zunker. 

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Microsoft tests voting software

We may have caught a glimpse of the future of voting in a small Wisconsin town.

A pilot test for new voting technology took place Tuesday in the Rock County Town of Fulton as voters gave Microsoft's ElectionGuard software a tryout.

ElectionGuard enables voters to verify that their ballot was counted through generating a ballot tracking code.

The software also provides encrypted results.

VotingWorks, a nonprofit voting software company, supplied the voting equipment, which consisted of card readers, tablets, ballot marking devices and printers.

"You know, anything that can make your job easier, and not lose the integrity of the elections, is my idea of wonderful," said Town of Fulton clerk-treasurer Connie Zimmerman.

Assembly in action

There may have been a spring primary Tuesday but that didn't stop the Wisconsin Assembly from engaging in a lengthy legislative session.

And instead of skirmishing, there was plenty of bipartisanship as lawmakers passed a $10 million package of legislation aimed at improving water quality across Wisconsin.

Molly Beck reports the Assembly approved 13 bills that would reduce bacteria, nitrates, poisonous lead and long-lasting chemicals in Wisconsin's groundwater.

Rep. Todd Novak, a Republican from Dodgeville, said: "This is going to take some time and this is just the beginning. Clean water is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue. It's a state of Wisconsin issue." 

Around the horn

Miller Park economic impact set at $2.5 billion, according to a new chamber of commerce study

The rest of the story: A look at that edited video of Mike Bloomberg that appears to insult farmers, factory workers.

GOP legislators push bill to overhaul how factory farms are regulated.

Craig Gilbert takes a deep dive into the battle for voters in Milwaukee and what it means for presidential candidates.

Tweet of the week

This one goes to Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on the state of the Democratic race for president: "For a long time I went around talking about how a crowded primary could be healthy. Gotta cut to cure, I guess? Deep down I still believe it, but Sweet Jesus is this stressful."

Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday turned into a super night for Joe Biden.

As Susan Page of USA TODAY writes:

"You say you want a revolution?

"As it turns out, maybe not. 

"At almost the last possible moment, the Democratic establishment coalesced behind Joe Biden, and Super Tuesday voters did the same - interrupting the energy that seemed to be powering Bernie Sanders toward the party''s presidential nomination."

Biden declared: "They don''t call it Super Tuesday for nothing."

Biden stormed through the south and southwest. He also won in Massachusetts and Minnesota.

But the race is far from over.

Sanders claimed the biggest delegate prize, California.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts fared poorly on Super Tuesday.

And the long marathon to the convention in Milwaukee will continue.

A key stop will be the April 7 Wisconsin primary.

What was unthinkable only a few weeks ago has become the main storyline: 

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2020 DNC officials monitor coronavirus

It''s not just the possibility of a brokered nomination that has captured the attention of organizers of the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.

They are also focused on any potential fallout from the rapid spread of coronavirus, as Milwaukee prepares to host 50,000 people for the four-day event, July 13-16.

Here''s a deep dive on the subject from lead reporter Mark Johnson.

"The new coronavirus loves to spread in densely populated areas - the city of Wuhan in China, the Diamond Princess cruise ship - and in about four months it will have just such an opportunity in Milwaukee: The Democratic National Convention," Johnson writes.

Joe Solmonese, chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement that organizers "will remain in constant communication with the local, state, and federal authorities responsible for protecting public health and security.

"We will continue to monitor this developing situation closely and follow the guidance of the CDC and state and local health officials in the days and weeks ahead."

New leadership at host committee

There''s a new leadership team for the Milwaukee host committee for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. 

Raquel Filmanowicz, director of U.S. community giving for BMO Harris Bank, was named as the chief executive officer.

Paula Penebaker, former chief executive officer of the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, was tabbed as the new chief operating officer overseeing daily operations.

They have a big job ahead of them as they lead an organization charged with raising $70 million and recruiting 15,000 volunteers to stage the convention.

The pair replaces Liz Gilbert, former president of the host committee, and Adam Alonso, her chief of staff. The two New Jersey political operatives were fired last month amid allegations of a toxic work environment.

Around the horn

Bestiality is now a felony in Wisconsin. 

Gov. Tony Evers calls a meeting with lawmakers and state health officials on coronavirus. 

Daniel Bice reports on Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly holding a fundraiser at a gun range a day after the Molson Coors shooting.

Chief Justice Patience Roggensack creates a new business court amid objections from judges.

Don''t expect any gun law changes in the wake of the attack at Molson Coors.

A Wisconsin appeals court rules voters targeted for purge will remain on the rolls.

Tweet of the week

Sam Stein of the Daily Beast reacting to all the shuffling in the Democratic race for president: "Joe Biden can now run as the youngest male candidate left in the field."

A tax cut and a likely veto

The state Assembly wrapped up its work for the year on Thursday and the Senate is prepared to do the same soon.

The most significant bill Republicans who control the Legislature passed last week was one that would cut income taxes by $248 million. It is almost certain to face a veto from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. 

The measure would also pay off $100 million in state debt and reduce business taxes by $45 million. It doesn''t include more money for schools or property tax relief, as Evers wanted.

In its final round of lawmaking, the Assembly also voted to provide aid for dairy farmers and let bars stay open until 4 a.m. when the Democratic National Convention is held in Milwaukee in July. 

The Senate is expected to take up the aid to farmers when it meets for the last time in March, but Republicans remain split on letting taverns stay open late. 

Some unfinished a business

With the Assembly''s session over, some legislation won''t happen. Republicans in the Senate and Assembly couldn''t agree on a bill meant to prevent delays in testing evidence of sexual assaults. 

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The legislation began as a bipartisan endeavor that got through the Senate without opposition. Assembly Republicans wouldn''t back the bill and instead passed an alternative measure that included provisions related to immigration and school vouchers. 

With Republicans in the two houses unable to agree on the issue, nothing has gotten to Evers for final approval. 

A moderate departs

Sen. Luther Olsen, the Republican lawmaker who most vocally pushes for more funding for public schools, announced this week he won''t seek another term. He joins two Democrats who have said they won''t run for re-election, Molly Beck reports.

"It''s just time to do something else and enjoy life while my health is good," said Olsen, who noted he would be 70 by the start of the next term. 

The Ripon Republican was first elected to the Legislature in 1994, when there were more moderates at the state Capitol. He expressed disappointment that lawmakers were more partisan now. 

Olsen often drew attention because of his support for public schools and his skepticism of the state''s voucher school programs. His stance fueled frustration from conservatives who saw him as a roadblock to their efforts to allow more students to attend private schools at taxpayer expense.

Around the horn

Among the bills passed last week were ones to put more people behind bars. Lawmakers switched their usual roles when arguing over the legislation, with Democrats making the case for fiscal restraint and Republicans contending the legislation was worth the nearly $1 billion it would cost over the next few years. 

A new poll showed Bernie Sanders with a significant lead among voters likely to vote in the Democratic primary in Wisconsin. 

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan doesn''t see a downside if Democrats choose Sanders as their nominee. He said he thinks it would help Republicans re-take the U.S. House. 

Vice President Mike Pence is coming back to Wisconsin in March. 

The Democratic National Convention debuted its logo. 

Attorney General Josh Kaul signed onto a multistate investigation of JUUL Labs, the leading e-cigarette maker. 

A deputy prison warden who was fired for controversial Facebook posts is trying to get his job back.

The state Republican Party reported to police that its new office on Milwaukee''s north side had been vandalized.

Tweet of the week

Rusty Schultz, an aide to Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, wasn''t impressed when the governor said the Legislature shouldn''t end its session so soon: "Coming from the guy who sends an email a day. #okboomer"