Author Archives: Jacob Alabab-Moser / Wisconsin WatchFact Checker

Yes. Wisconsin’s adultery law prohibits married individuals from having sexual intercourse with anyone who is not their spouse. It was enacted in 1849. The law states that anyone who commits adultery is guilty of a Class I felony, which carries a maximum $10,000 fine and 3.5 years in prison.

No. The Wisconsin Secretary of State’s responsibilities extend beyond serving on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands and issuing certifications for documents to be recognized in foreign countries.

No. Wisconsin gas prices fell significantly in the two weeks following the 2022 midterm elections — but not by a dollar. The average statewide decrease was around 50 cents, from $3.74/gallon to $3.32/gallon, between Nov. 10 — two days after Election Day — and Nov. 22, according to AAA data.

No. All military voters, permanent overseas voters and those who are indefinitely confined do not have to show photo identification to request an absentee ballot to vote in Wisconsin.

Yes. Former Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels said on The Jay Weber Show on Nov. 29 that former President Donald Trump told him just before the 2022 election that he would not visit Wisconsin because Michels was poised to win.

Yes. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow called the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision by the U.S. Supreme Court “a prime example of judicial activism at its worst” in her application to be appointed judge.

Yes. The Wisconsin Constitution gives the Wisconsin Legislature “the power of impeaching all civil officers of this state for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors.” (Civil officer is not defined, however.)

Yes. Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin had the third lowest approval rating (37%) among U.S. Senators, behind Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania (36%) and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky (33%), according to an April 2022 report from Morning Consult.

Yes. The Canadian oil company Enbridge Energy reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources a leak of Line 13 — a pipeline of chemicals used to dilute petroleum— near Fort Atkinson in July 2020. That was more than a year after the company first discovered it.

Yes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services advised people to eat no more than one meal a month of rainbow smelt from Lake Superior in January 2021. The advisory followed the discovery of high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, persistent contaminants known as “forever chemicals.”

No. Wisconsin’s Interstate 94, the state’s longest expressway, has experienced modest traffic increases in the past decade.

Yes. On Nov. 16, 2022 Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin voted against a procedural motion to advance the Respect for Marriage Act — a bill that would codify same-sex marriage equality nationwide.