Today’s update includes some enterprise reporting, an update on an outrageous prosecution of a Wisconsin law enforcement official, important information that could impact your family’s Summer vacation plans, and more.
Let’s get right to it.
We begin with a bit of news we broke just before midnight. The social media platform TikTok, whose fate in this country may rest in the hands of 100 United States Senators, is about to begin a political issue ad campaign in Wisconsin.
TikTok set to run political issue ads in Wisconsin | Dairyland Sentinel
Faced with the prospect of a ban of their platform or a forced sale of TikTok’s products used in the United States, the Chinese firm is fighting back in one of the most politically split states in the nation. Dairyland Sentinel has learned the social media behemoth will be airing political issue ads in at least two Wisconsin television market later this month.
TikTok has purchased time on multiple broadcast channels in the Milwaukee market and at least one network affiliate in Green Bay, according to federally-required disclosure forms. The company has indicated their ad “communicates a message relating to any political matter of national importance” by referring to (1) a legally qualified candidate for federal office; (2) an election to federal office; (3) a national legislative issue of public importance (e.g., health care legislation, IRS tax code, etc.); or (4) a political issue that is the subject of controversy or discussion at the national level.
In one instance, a station indicates the TikTok ad focuses on the issue National Security.
We have not yet seen the commercial(s), but can confirm advertising is slated to run on channels 4 and 58 in Milwaukee as well as channel 5 in Green Bay.
The company is slated to run advertising for two weeks beginning March 31st. The ads placed to date could be the start of a much larger effort here.
We encourage you to click here to read the entire article, including updates and a link to the television commercial.
We move from a sophisticated, well orchestrated campaign that could have significant national security implications… to this.
Several weeks after they launched a recall drive against Republican Speaker Robin Vos organizers are seeking clarification on what district boundaries should have served as the basis for signature gathering..
Umm…perhaps they should have figured this out BEFORE the turned in signatures? In any event, it’s a moot point. They have an insufficient number of signatures whether they use the old or new map.
Amid recent map changes, recall organizers seek clarity on signatures | The Center Square
For a campaign seeking a recall of the record-setting speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, it says confirmation is needed of the geographic boundaries necessary for the required 6,850 petition signatures.
They’ve asked a Dane County judge to decide.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, in the Assembly since 2005 and speaker since 2013, represents nearly 60,000 for District 63. On Feb. 19, Gov. Tony Evers signed into law new maps for the next election cycle and that will put Vos in District 33.
The campaign against Vos says it turned in more than 10,000 signatures. The lawmaker says they’re not all valid. How many and where the signatures came from will decide if there are enough.
Additionally, prosecutors in Racine County have opened a fraud investigation into the recall organizers probing claims of misrepresentation.
Last Thursday, Vos had harsh words for his critics and said every signature would be checked. On Tuesday, the Recall Vos campaign asked for more time and a ruling from the judge on where signatures needed to originate.
In education news, slowly but surely the mandated September 1 school start date for our state’s public schools is being dismantled.
Wisconsin could get an early jump on back-to-school dates | WPR
The state Department of Public Instruction can grant school board requests for an exemption to start school early for “extraordinary reasons.”
The number of requests to start school before Sept. 1 has gone from 18 in 2020 to 101 this school year, according to DPI. Now, an administrative rule is working its way through the Legislature that would expand the types of reasons for DPI to grant an exception for school districts.
If approved, exceptions would include factors that pertain to student graduation rates, reading and mathematics proficiency, school attendance, mental health of students and staff, and recruitment and retention strategies for educators.
This week, 600 people submitted testimony to the state in favor of the rule. Just over 60 people submitted testimony against.
Faith VanderHorst, the executive director of the Southeast Wisconsin School Alliance, which serves 27 urban and suburban public school districts, said starting school earlier would give students taking AP tests more time to prepare.
“AP tests are given on the same dates nationwide,” VanderHorst said. “It is common for school districts in the southern states to start in the second week of August. This provides those students with three more prep weeks.”
Dave Honish, who heads the Cooperative Educational Service Agency in Gillett, said there is learning loss over the summer. Starting earlier in August could help alleviate that, Honish testified.
The Tourism Federation of Wisconsin has long been against the change, saying repealing the Sept. 1 start date for public schools would lead to a loss in revenue for Wisconsin’s businesses.
Some sanity out of a courtroom in Madison, where a state law enforcement agent was on trial for shooting at a known felon whom he thought was armed and firing at him, during a tense stand off in 2022
Jury finds Wisconsin DOJ agent not guilty | WKOW
A jury found Special Agent Mark Wagner not guilty at a trial where Wagner was accused of recklessly endangering safety during a February 2022 traffic stop and arrest.
The jury returned its verdict in less than two hours.
According to a criminal complaint, Wagner, a Wisconsin Department of Justice agent, fired his weapon at Quadren Wilson during the man’s arrest. Wilson was hurt in the shooting. Prosecutors said that use of force was not justified.
Although Wilson was not armed, the agent’s lawyer argued that the use of force was justified…
“There is no dispute that Quadren Wilson has 26 prior convictions,” said Attorney Matthew Moeser, Dane Co. District Attorney’s Office, during trial. “There’s no dispute that he had a prior conviction for shooting someone. There’s no dispute that he was involved in drug dealing. But what did you also learn about Mr. Wilson — he didn’t have a gun on February 3.”
That wraps up today’s Key Reads. As always, we scour the web (and do original reporting) to keep you informed but not overwhelmed.
See you tomorrow.
