Capitol Notes

A standoff persists between Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and Republican members of the Joint Finance committee. Kaul said last week he would not join a multi-state settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for its role in the nation's deadly opioid epidemic. He says he'll continue to pursue Wisconsin's case against the company, which is now filing for bankruptcy.

Longtime Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner says he won't seek reelection in 2020. He's been serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for about 40 years and says it's time to pass the torch to somebody else.

Republican Congressman Sean Duffy announced last week that he is stepping down from the job. Duffy represents northern Wisconsin and says his last day will be Sept. 23. He says he wants to spend more time with his family, especially since discovering his baby will be born next month with a heart condition.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers doubled down on talk of gun control last week. He called Republican concerns over bills that he is pushing "BS," and said he may call the Legislature into special session to take up the measures.

Mass shootings in Texas and Ohio drew a response again last week at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill requiring universal background checks for most gun purchases.

Talk of gun control surfaced in the State Capitol last week after mass shootings occurred in Texas and Ohio. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called on the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass a bill that would require universal background checks for gun purchases. He also called for a "red flag" law to make it easier to remove guns from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.

Some Republican state lawmakers are suing Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, saying he's not complying with laws passed during a lame-duck session late last year. The laws were designed to limit Kaul's powers, along with those of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. The GOP has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case directly, bypassing the lower courts.

A couple of Wisconsin politicians weighed in on President Donald Trump’s administration last week, taking starkly different stances on the Republican president’s performance.

Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker has accepted a full time job, running a national conservative youth organization. He begins the job in 2021, and says he won't run for office in 2022. He had been considering a run for governor or U.S. Senate.

Wisconsin saw a whirlwind of political activity last week, and it was all focused on Milwaukee. President Trump visited Derco Aerospace on the city's northwest side, and urged support of his U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. He also attended a fundraiser.

After a months-long, bruising fight over the state budget, Gov. Tony Evers signed the document last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that it's not the place of the federal courts to decide whether states use gerrymandering practices to redraw political district boundaries every 10 years. Because of the ruling, involving two other states, it looks like Wisconsin's redistricting trial this month will be canceled. A handful of Democratic voters sued in 2015, alleging the boundaries that Repub...

The Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee's version of the state budget is scheduled to go to the Republican-controlled Legislature this week. The plan would cut taxes by more than $300 million over two years, while raising title and vehicle registration fees to help pay for roads.

The Joint Finance committee wrapped up its work on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' proposed budget last week. The panel finished by approving $500 million in tax cuts. It's expected to go to the floor of the Legislature next week.

The Republican-controlled Joint Finance committee last week approved a funding plan to fix the roads in Wisconsin. Lawmakers removed Gov. Evers' proposal for a hike in the gas tax, and instead voted for increases in title and registration fees.

Thousands of Democrats descended on Milwaukee over the weekend for the party's annual state convention. Many top Democrats spoke, including Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. The recurring theme for the weekend was the party's desire to defeat Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.

The Republican-controlled Joint Finance committee last week continued its work on Gov. Tony Evers' budget proposal. It voted to increase funding for public schools by $500 million, rejecting Evers' request for $1.5 billion.

State Republicans held their annual convention this past weekend in Oshkosh, WI. Party members and leaders used the event to look at what went wrong for the GOP in the fall of 2018 — and to better position the party for the 2020 elections.

Republicans on the Joint Finance committee last week stripped many of Gov. Tony Evers' policy items out of his proposed budget. Evers campaigned on many of these issues, including expanding Medicaid, as well as legalizing medical marijuana and decriminalizing small amounts. Republicans also rejected Evers' plan to borrow up to $40 million to replace lead pipes, mostly in Milwaukee.

Gov. Tony Evers last week sought to clarify some comments he made about Foxconn. He said he wanted to renegotiate the state's contract with the Taiwanese company because it's "unrealistic" to think it will create 13,000 jobs at the LCD screen plant it's building in Racine County — especially given the reduced size of the project. Republican Legislative leaders blasted Evers, accusing him of trying...

Gov. Tony Evers announced last week that he wants to renegotiate the state's contract with Foxconn. He says it's "unrealistic" to think the Taiwanese company will employ 13,000 people at the LCD screen manufacturing plant in Racine County, especially given that the size of the facility has been reduced.

The results of the state Supreme Court race were finalized last week when Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer, who was backed by Democrats, conceded to conservative Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn. The court currently leans 4-3 conservative. When Hagedorn takes office in August, the gap will increase to 5-2 conservative.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election made headlines last week, with a race too close to call. According to unofficial totals, about 6,000 votes separate Appeals Court Judge Brian Hagedorn, who's backed by conservatives, and Appeals Court Judge Lisa Neubauer, who's backed by liberals. The margin between the candidates is half a percentage point.

News about the lame-duck laws approved in December dominated the headlines again last week in Wisconsin politics. A second Dane County judge blocked portions of the laws, which limit the powers of new Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul. Then, an appeals court reinstated the laws except for the parts that the Dane County judge blocked.

It was a wild ride at the State Capitol last week, as a Dane County judge struck down the lame-duck laws that the Republican-led Legislature passed in December, before Democratic Gov. Tony Evers took office. The laws stripped Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul of some of their powers.