by The Badger Project, The Badger ProjectAugust 29, 2022 By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT The number of law enforcement officers in the state ticked down again in 2022, setting a new record for the lowest statewide total since the Wisconsin Department of Justice started tracking the numbers in 2008. To relieve some of the […]
Tag: The Badger Project
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson votes to block bipartisan cap on insulin prices
by The Badger Project, The Badger ProjectAugust 8, 2022 By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT As Senate Democrats were busy squeaking through a large bill on Sunday they say will reduce inflation, fight climate change and reduce drug prices, among other things, Sen. Ron Johnson joined 42 other Republican senators to block an amendment to […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news
Top GOP leaders have no Democratic opposition in 2022, but plenty from their own party, and an ex-president
By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT August 2, 2022 Democrats are not running candidates this year against the two most powerful Republicans in the state. But each (GOP) politician — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMaheiu — is facing challenges from within their own party. It’s a result of the current […]
Posted inBusiness
After receiving tens of millions from federal government for internet upgrades, big telecom companies ask state for millions more
by Peter Cameron, The Badger ProjectApril 4, 2022 Local companies and co-ops have done more for rural Wisconsin, experts say A map from the Wisconsin PSC documenting all the requests for broadband expansion grants in the current round. BY PETER CAMERON, The Badger Project Big telecommunications companies including Frontier and AT&T are asking the state […]
Posted inElections, Government
Better ways to do elections are out there, critics say. Other countries use them. Why not here?
March 21, 2022 BY PETER CAMERON, The Badger Project Elections are supposed to be the mechanism voters use to choose their political representatives. But increasingly, it’s the elected leaders who choose the voters. Changes could be made to prevent this. Gerrymandering — the manipulation of political district boundaries by the political party that controls state […]
Posted inGovernment, Local news
Legislature quietly and unanimously enact legislation intended to improve policing hiring transparency, reduce bad apples
BY PETER CAMERON, The Badger Project With little fanfare and no opposition, a bill proponents hope will cut down on bad apples in law enforcement passed the legislature and was signed by the governor way back in November. The law requires law enforcement agencies maintain a work history file for each employee and creates a […]
Posted inSchools, Sports
UW volleyball coach Sheffield earned $100k bonus for winning national championship
by The Badger Project, The Badger ProjectJanuary 18, 2022 UW volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield huddles with his players at the national title game on December 18, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo credit: Taylor Wolfram. BY NATHAN DENZIN, The Badger Project Winning a national championship is a dream come true — but for UW coaches, it’s […]
Posted inPolice and fire
Homicide Clearance Rate in Wisconsin Ranks Near Top in Nation
The homicide clearance rate in Wisconsin is one of the highest in the country, according to a national nonprofit which tracks the data. About 72 percent of homicides committed in Wisconsin over the last decade were “cleared” — usually meaning law enforcement filed charges in the case — according to the Murder Accountability Project. That does […]
Posted inGovernment, Local news
CARTOON: Wisconsin state legislators and the Open Records Law
by The Badger Project, The Badger ProjectApril 26, 2021 According to the state’s Open Records Law, every public official in Wisconsin must keep their records should anyone from the public want to see them. Except for state legislators. The politicians who wrote the law carved in an exemption for themselves. So state legislators can destroy […]
Posted inGovernment, Local news
Wisconsin state legislators wrote themselves a ‘bizarre’ loophole in the Open Records Law
BY PETER CAMERON, THE BADGER PROJECT If the city of Oshkosh’s streets superintendent gets an email from a citizen complaining about an uneven sidewalk in front of his house, by law that public employee has to hold onto that record should anyone want to see it. State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) But if a state […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
Ten checks the state of Wisconsin uses to catch voter fraud
BY HOWARD HARDEE, FOR THE BADGER PROJECT Since Election Day, no evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged in Wisconsin — or any other state. But politicians, propagandists, and social media influencers have sought to undermine the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin before and after Nov. 3. With President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration set […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
The Biggest Donors to Wisconsin Political Parties in 2020
BY MOLLY LIEBERGALL, THE BADGER PROJECT A loophole in Wisconsin campaign finance law allows individuals to make unlimited donations to political parties, and also allows political parties to make unlimited donations to candidates. If an individual wants to donate directly to a candidate, there are limits based on state and federal law. But not if […]