Let’s March right into today’s Key Reads, shall we?
Another day, another veto from Governor Evers…
Evers vetoes western Wisconsin hospital money; Republicans furious – The Center Square
Some hospitals in western Wisconsin will soon be getting a piece of $15 million to continue their care, but many local lawmakers aren’t happy about how the money can be spent.
Republicans from the Chippewa Valley denounced Gov. Tony Evers’ partial veto of a plan to send the money to hospitals and clinics in and around Eau Claire. The lawmakers originally earmarked that money for emergency rooms and say the governor undercut them.
“We are extremely frustrated that the governor used his powerful veto pen to create a slush fund that won’t guarantee these funds are used to help the needs of the Chippewa Valley,” Rep Rob Summefield, R-Bloomer, said in a statement.
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Lawmakers wanted to send the $15 million to emergency rooms because the Chippewa Valley will lose more than 35% of its ER capacity when Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls close in April.
The money, the Republicans said, was supposed to help the remaining ERs expand services.
Evers said he improved the plan with his changes.
“I’m proud to be securing $15 million in crisis response funding while using my constitutional veto authority to make improvements to ensure more flexibility so these critical resources can be used for any hospital services to meet the health care access needs of the Chippewa Valley region, no matter what they may be,” Evers said in his partial veto message.
If you read the criminal complaint, you have a pretty good idea where this story is heading.
New details on alleged abuse of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue – WRN
In Manitowoc County, more details have come to light about the case of missing Elijah Vue. The criminal complaint against 39-year-old Jesse Vang stated that he had helped his teenage son get on the bus the morning of February 20th, and when he came back inside, 3-year-old Elijah was still asleep. Vang told investigators that he brought Elijah into his bedroom and closed the door before going back to sleep himself. When Vang woke up at around 11:00 a.m., he claimed Elijah was gone.
Vang and Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, were said to be in a relationship, with Baur also stating in the complaint against her that she left Elijah in Vang’s care for the past week so he could “help Baur correct (Eliijah’s) bad behaviors.” Vang told police that he used time-outs as a form of punishment, and admitted that he was in time out for “a majority of his time” at the home as Vang intended it to be a “form of boot camp.” Vang also admitted to forcing Elijah to stand by the bed next to him for two to three hours at a time, threatening him with cold water if he were to try to sit down.
Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, who lives in Wisconsin Dells, told police that she was not in the Manitowoc area between February 16th and 17th, but a search of her and Vang’s phones determined that was a lie.
Speaker Robin Vos won concessions from the UW System leadership, so the legislature has now followed through with their end of the agreement.
Republicans release $32M for UW as part of deal limiting DEI programs – WPR
The release of the $32 million is one of the final pieces of a compromise reached between Vos and the UW System Board of Regents in December. Under the deal, the UW agreed to support a GOP bill requiring automatic admissions of top performing state high school students, freeze DEI staffing, “restructure” 43 existing DEI positions and end a UW-Madison initiative aimed at attracting more diverse faculty.
In exchange, Republicans agreed to release pre-approved pay raises for UW employees, vowed to lift the hold on the $32 million in workforce funds and approve several UW building projects including a new UW-Madison engineering building.Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who co-chairs the budget committee, said he was proud of the work by Republicans to redirect “this money that was being wasted.”
“And I’m also proud of the work of some of the schools in the system to step up and say, ‘You know what, we’ve got to right-size our operation.’” Born said. “That’s why people got laid off. That’s why they made some changes. There’s less students graduating high school, there’s less students going to college.”
Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, said the “UW is doing just fine” in terms of state funding. He pointed to UW program revenue balances of “up to a billion and a half” dollars “just floating around for them to do various things with.”
The School Superintendent Salary Arms Race continues with the latest hiring in Madison. This transaction in the public school district involved terms withheld from the public, private negotiations, and zero transparency.
New Madison schools superintendent to earn $299,000 a year – Isthmus
Joe Gothard, Madison schools’ new superintendent, will earn $299,000 per year as part of a two-year contract with the district. The contract, signed by Gothard and board members Nichelle Nichols and Nicki Vander Meulen Feb. 26, was released today.
Under his contract, Gothard’s term would automatically extend another year each July 1 unless either he or the district opts out. It sets a 2% minimum annual raise for Gothard, and allows the board discretion to provide additional increases and merit bonuses. Gothard currently earns $256,000 as superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools. According to an annual survey by the School Superintendents Association, the median salary for superintendents in districts the size of Madison’s during the 2022-23 school year was about $258,000.
Gothard’s term is set to begin July 1, but an addendum would allow him to start before that date with 10 days’ written notice. District spokesperson Ian Folger tells Isthmus an introductory press conference for Gothard is being organized for about two weeks from now, at a date to be determined.
Gothard’s contract was not available to the public before the board voted to approve it, but was released the day after the vote.
Fitting that he gets a raise every year unless the district acts. It’s akin to the promotion of students regardless of academic achievement. The poor performance of students in the Madison public schools is one of the most under-covered stories in the state.
That’s a wrap on a busy week here at the Dairyland Sentinel Key Reads. We’ll be back again Monday with the news you need to stay informed, but not overwhelmed.
