First comes the early voting period. Then Election Day.
Now the fallout.
That’s where we come in. We’re definitely not all politics all the time here. But on days where government and political news dominate, we’ll sort through the rest to give you the best. Our goal is to keep you informed, not overwhelmed.
Here are today’s Key Reads.
Fresh off voters approving an additional quarter billion dollars a year windfall to their budget, the Milwaukee Schools’ Superintendent is already talking about the next referendum. While we wouldn’t give him an A for effort, he does get high marks for audacity.
MPS Superintendent won’t rule out possibility of another referendum | WTMJ-TV
Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley is breathing a sigh of relief after voters approved a $252 million referendum to be spread over four years.
“To the people of Milwaukee, thank you, thank you, thank you!” he said with a grin.
Posley did not, however, guarantee the district would not turn to voters again in the future…
When asked about hesitation from voters who said there was a lack of transparency about how the money will be spent, and how Posley will ensure accountability for the funding moving forward, this was the superintendent’s response: “I will continue to do the same things we’ve done in the past.”
Governor Evers has asked the State Supreme Court to do something he knows it is going to do anyway.
Wisconsin governor urges state Supreme Court to revoke restrictions on absentee ballot drop boxes | Associated Press
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers urged the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday to overturn a ruling that banned absentee ballot drop boxes beyond the confines of election clerks’ offices in the presidential battleground state…
Evers asked the court to overturn a 2022 ruling that limited drop box locations. Former President Donald Trump had claimed without evidence that drop boxes led to voter fraud when he lost the state in the 2020 election. Wisconsin’s high court was controlled by conservative justices at the time. It has since flipped to liberal control and the current justices agreed last month to revisit the case brought by Priorities USA, a liberal voter mobilization group, and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Voters. Oral arguments are May 13.
Wisconsin law is silent on drop boxes. Liberal advocates argue that translates into it being legal to distribute them around communities. In his filing Tuesday, Evers said the 2022 court misinterpreted what it means to return a ballot to an election clerk.
“Depositing a ballot into a drop box maintained by the municipal clerk is a personal delivery to the municipal clerk in much the same way as a ballot is mailed when an individual drops it in the mailbox without waiting to watch it be collected by the postal carrier,” the filing argues.
Meanwhile, the Court declined to weigh in on the question of what legislative maps are currently in place. They’re refusing to add any clarity to the mess that is the attempt to recall Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to clarify district boundaries for potential recall election | WISC-TV
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to offer clarity on what legislative district boundary lines should be in play for a potential recall election sought by supporters of former President Donald Trump targeting the Republican Assembly speaker.
The effort to recall Speaker Robin Vos appears to have not gathered enough valid signatures to force an election. But the Wisconsin Elections Commission had asked the Supreme Court to clarify what maps should be used for any recall or special election that takes place before November, when new maps take effect.
Apparently we are at that time of year where branches of government now point to other branches of government and ask, tell, beg or plead with them to do something.
Republican budgeteers push Evers to sign PFAS cleanup | The Center Square
Wisconsin’s Republican budget architects are pushing Gov. Tony Evers to sign their PFAS cleanup plan.
Joint Finance Committee chairs Rep. Mark Born, R=Beaver Dam, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, said the governor shouldn’t be “the obstacle” in the way of a $125 million PFAS grant program.
“Please do not veto this bill. The JFC will not change the legislative intent for these funds,” Born and Marklein wrote in an open letter to the governor. “Through the legislative process, public hearings, and extensive revisions and compromise, the PFAS relief bill passed by the Legislature has earned the support of affected communities, including all three statewide associations representing all levels of local government.”
Republicans want to spend the $125 million to help local communities clean the so-called forever chemicals out of their weather supplies.
But Evers has threatened to veto the plan because it doesn’t allow the state to sue landowners who find PFAS contamination on their land or in their water.
“We are ready to take action on PFAS through Senate Bill 312. Do not veto this bill and be the obstacle to move this critical relief forward. If you are serious about addressing PFAS, sign the bill,” Born and Marklien added. “Vetoing the critical protections and programs supported by victims and affected communities will turn funds the legislature intended to help victims into an unaccountable slush fund that your administration has said it would use to bring enforcement action against farmers and other innocent landowners who didn’t cause the pollution in the first place.”
Evers has said that cleaning Wisconsin’s local water supplies is one of his top priorities, but he has refused to move on this or other PFAS clean-up initiatives.
Like the MPS Superintendent, we are here telling you there will be another request. Tomorrow we will be back with more Key Reads, and we ask that you read them, and spread the word. Tell your friends, colleagues and even your family members to subscribe as well.
Unlike a school referendum, the Key Reads are free!
