No. A social media ad that targeted users in Wisconsin and other states falsely claimed the government is offering a free health card that provides $6,400 in monthly cash benefits.
Author Archives: Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch
Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.
Is over 80% of voting in some states done by mail?
Yes. In the November 2022 election voting by mail exceeded 80% of turnout in seven states.
When Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was governor of South Carolina, did the state give 200 acres to a Chinese company?
No. A deal in South Carolina that gave land to a Chinese company was done at the county level.
Did a recent immigration wave send 400 undocumented children to a Wisconsin town of 15,000 people?
No. Based on the latest count, as of September 2023, enrollment in the Whitewater Unified School District included 181 “newcomers” over the previous three years.
Did the Wisconsin Supreme Court order the state to adopt legislative maps drawn by Gov. Tony Evers?
No. Republicans drew legislative maps in 2011 and a conservative court majority affirmed similar maps in 2022.
Is inflation up 17% since President Joe Biden took office?
Yes. The Consumer Price Index was 307.051 in November 2023, 17% higher than the 261.582 it was in January 2021, figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show.
Does the federal government prohibit whole milk from being served in schools?
Yes. Schools must offer fat-free and/or low-fat (1%) unflavored milk as part of school breakfasts and lunches and have the option to offer flavored versions of those beverages, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Is inflation costing Wisconsinites $10,131 more per year compared with 2021?
No. A Facebook ad claimed that because of inflation, “Wisconsinites spend $10,131 more per year now than they did in 2021.” An analysis the ad relies on doesn’t support that.
Was Wisconsin’s ‘registered voter turnout’ 94% in the 2020 election?
No. There were 3,684,726 active registered voters on Nov. 1, 2020, and an additional 219,045 voters registered on Election Day, so the 3,308,805 ballots cast represented 85% of registered voters.
Has potential Wisconsin US Senate candidate Eric Hovde ever said he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Yes. Republican Eric Hovde said several times in 2012 that he wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Does the Line 5 pipeline that crosses through Wisconsin provide oil only to Canada?
No. Line 5 carries oil and and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, serving oil refineries in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec, according to Enbridge, the owner.
Has Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued pardons to 1,111 people with cannabis convictions?
No. As of Nov. 29, 2023, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had issued 1,111 pardons to people convicted of all crimes, not just cannabis convictions.