No. As lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, Democrat Mandela Barnes has no authority to grant parole to incarcerated people.
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
Are ballot drop boxes in Wisconsin illegal?
Yes. In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that absentee ballot drop boxes in the state were illegal in a lawsuit filed by the conservative group Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty on behalf of two voters against the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Posted inFact briefs
Do Wisconsin Republicans want to defund the police?
No. Wisconsin Republicans oppose defunding the police, going as far as passing a 2021 bill — vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers — that would have reduced state funding to municipalities that cut police funding.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Ron Johnson say he opposes gay marriage?
No. Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has not directly expressed his opposition to gay marriage in recent years. But he recently said he opposes the proposed Respect for Marriage Act — a bill to codify gay and interracial marriage into law — that passed the U.S. House:
Posted inFact briefs
Did Eric Toney say he would not rule out prosecuting abortions even in cases of rape and incest?
Yes.
Wisconsin Attorney General candidate Eric Toney, the current Fond du Lac County district attorney, said in an interview with WKOW TV that he would decide whether to prosecute abortions — including situations involving rape or incest — by looking at cases “on an individual basis.”
Posted inFact briefs
Do Wisconsin teachers make about $27,000 on average?
No. Wisconsin teachers’ salaries average above $27,000, although teachers do sometimes have to pay for school supplies using their own money.
Posted inFact briefs
Has Ron Johnson refused to say whether he would accept the results of the 2022 election?
Yes. While Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson has not directly addressed whether he would reject the results of the 2022 election for senator of Wisconsin, remarks by a campaign spokesperson for Johnson left his stance unclear.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Ron Johnson say “To call what happened on Jan. 6 an ‘armed insurrection,’ I just think it’s inaccurate”?
Yes. Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said at a Milwaukee Rotary Club event on Oct. 4, “To call what happened on Jan. 6 an ‘armed insurrection,’ I just think it’s inaccurate.” Johnson cited the fact that no guns were seized by police that day.
Posted inFact briefs
Is a conservative Wisconsin law firm arguing that Biden’s student debt relief plan is unconstitutional in part because it aims to ‘narrow the racial wealth gap’?
Yes. The conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan on Oct. 4, claiming the plan would be unconstitutional.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Wisconsin repeal the 48-hour waiting period to purchase a handgun in 2015?
Yes. On June 24, 2015, former Gov. Scott Walker signed into law a bill repealing Wisconsin’s 48-hour waiting period for purchasing a handgun.
Posted inFact briefs
Has Gov. Tony Evers expressed that he wants to cut Wisconsin’s prison population in half?
Yes. During his 2018 campaign, Gov. Tony Evers set a goal to reduce Wisconsin’s prison population by half, although he has never provided a time frame for implementing that plan.
Posted inFact briefs
Is the Republican Party of Wisconsin suing the mayor and election commission of Milwaukee for encouraging residents to vote?
No. On Sept. 26, 2022, the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the National Republican Senatorial Committee filed a lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee’s mayor and election commission for failing to release public records related to the administration of the upcoming midterm elections.