Yes. While political candidates must be legally offered lower TV ad rates, third parties like political action committees often pay higher market-based prices for the same time slots.
Author Archives: Erin Gretzinger / Wisconsin Watch
Erin Gretzinger joined Wisconsin Watch as a reporting intern in May 2022. She is a journalism and French major at UW-Madison and will graduate in spring 2023. Erin previously worked for the Wisconsin State Journal as a reporting intern and served as the 2021-22 editor-in-chief at The Badger Herald. She is a recipient of the Jon Wolman Scholarship, the Sigrid Schultz Scholarship and the Joseph Sicherman Award Fund for her academic and reporting work.
Posted inFact briefs
Did the Wisconsin Legislature pass legislation that would have extended work hours for teens under 16?
Yes. In 2021, Wisconsin’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill to extend work hours for some teenagers, which was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice candidate Dan Kelly write that pro-choice groups support abortion to ‘preserve sexual libertinism?’
Yes. In a now-deleted blog post from 2012, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice candidate Dan Kelly wrote that pro-choice groups support abortion rights to “preserve sexual libertinism.”
Posted inFact briefs
Has the University of Wisconsin System proposed a tuition increase of 5%?
Yes. On March 2, 2023 University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman announced plans to raise tuition by 5% for the next academic year.
Posted inFact briefs
Is Wisconsin the only Midwest state to not accept the federal Medicaid expansion?
No. Both Wisconsin and Kansas have not adopted the federal Medicaid expansion, which expanded Medicaid coverage to those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.
Posted inFact briefs
Are Wisconsin’s homicide and suicide rates lower than the national averages?
Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Stats of the States” reports, the homicide and suicide rates in Wisconsin are lower than the national averages.
Posted inFact briefs
Do Wisconsin residents report excessively drinking more alcohol than those in other states?
Yes. In 2022, 24/7 Wall St. ranked Wisconsin as the nation’s “drunkest” state based on self-reporting, with 25.2% of Wisconsin residents drinking excessively.
Posted inFact briefs
Do the children of Wisconsin US Sen. Ron Johnson own a share of a private jet company that received a PPP loan?
Yes. The children of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson own a minority interest in Maxair, Inc. which received a Paycheck Protection Program loan — but the loan was secured before they invested in the company, according to a statement from Johnson’s office to Wisconsin Watch.
Posted inFact briefs
Have more Israeli prime ministers been raised in Wisconsin than US presidents?
Yes. Golda Meir, the first female prime minister of Israel, spent much of her childhood and her early years as an adult in Wisconsin.
Posted inFact briefs
Has there been a spike in toxic shock syndrome cases in Wisconsin?
Yes. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin has experienced five cases of toxic shock syndrome since July 2022 — the largest amount of cases reported in over a decade.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson ‘question whether Dr. Fauci helped create the coronavirus?
Yes. In testimony to the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson questioned whether government documents would reveal “Fauci’s attempt to hide his agency’s role in funding dangerous research that might have led to the creation of the deadly coronavirus.”
Posted inFact briefs
Did the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin sponsor zoning changes in historic districts?
No. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway sponsored a proposal for a transit-oriented development overlay district, but withdrew it after local historic districts were added to the plan.Â