Yes. At different points in Wisconsin’s history, its territory was considered part of the now-Canadian province of Quebec and the state of Virginia.
Author Archives: Jacob Alabab-Moser / Wisconsin Watch
Jacob Alabab-Moser joined as Wisconsin Watch’s fact checker in September 2022, as part of the effort by The Gigafact Project in partnership with different state-level news outlets to combat misinformation in the 2022 midterm elections. Jacob has several years of experience as a fact checker and research assistant at a variety of organizations, including at The Gigafact Project. He holds a BA from Brown University and is pursuing a MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Posted inFact briefs
Does Wisconsin have an above-average rate of repeat drunk drivers?
Yes. The rate of recidivism among drivers convicted for operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin surpasses the national estimate.
Posted inFact briefs
Do most Wisconsinites favor increasing public school funding?
Yes. Nearly two-thirds of Wisconsinites —63% — say they would favor increasing state support for public schools over increasing state support for students to attend private schools, according to a November 2022 Marquette Law School poll.
Posted inFact briefs
Has Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz rejected multiple debate requests ahead of the election?
Yes. Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz has rejected at least four speaking requests to debate her conservative opponent, Dan Kelly, ahead of the April 4 Supreme Court election.
Posted inFact briefs
Does Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers call for spending $274,000 for an equity officer?
No. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ 2023–25 budget proposal includes allocating $273,900 and $310,000 for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, respectively, to establish “Wisconsin For All” initiatives that “promote and advance equity across state government and state programs.”
Posted inFact briefs
Has the Biden administration ‘let in’ more undocumented immigrants than there are people living in Wisconsin?
No. U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped about 5.62 million undocumented immigrants attempting to enter the country legally or illegally between January 2021 and January 2023.
Posted inFact briefs
Can you collect unemployment in Wisconsin if you get fired?
Yes. According to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, whether someone who gets fired is eligible for Unemployment Insurance — the program through which jobless people receive weekly benefits — depends on the circumstances of the case.
Posted inFact briefs
Are Wisconsin’s urban areas heavily Democratic?
Yes. Densely populated urban counties in Wisconsin are slightly more likely to vote for the Democratic candidates in presidential elections, while less dense counties lean towards voting for the Republican candidate, according to University of Wisconsin research.
Posted inFact briefs
Did a Wisconsin-based slaughterhouse illegally employ minors?
Yes. Packers Sanitation Services Inc., headquartered in Kieler, Wisconsin, illegally employed at least 102 children in hazardous jobs, some of whom worked overnight shifts, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.
Posted inFact briefs
Did sales tax collected from online retailers fund the surplus in Wisconsin?
No. While online sales tax revenues did contribute to the surplus, the main drivers were federal pandemic relief aid, lower state spending and consumer price increases, according to a 2022 Wisconsin Policy Forum report.
Posted inFact briefs
Have Wisconsin parents been taking their kids out of public schools faster than in the past?
No. Enrollment in Wisconsin public school districts declined in the 2021-22 school year by 0.1%
Posted inFact briefs
As of February 2023, is the unemployment rate currently the lowest it has ever been in Wisconsin?
No. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has gradually increased to 3.2% in December 2022 — the latest data figure — from a historic low of 2.8% in March and April of that year.