In the aftermath of the Nov. 6 elections, words like “fickle” and “schizophrenic” are being bandied about to describe the Wisconsin electorate, which chose a Democratic president but more Republicans for Congress and the state Legislature. A Center analysis shows that the vote tallies in Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative races were not nearly as lopsided as the parties’ resulting share of seats — and election observers attribute this to the Republicans’ redistricting efforts in 2011.
Category: Government
Posted inGovernment
Vernon County bans e-bullying
The Vernon County Board passed an ordinance Thursday against sending electronic information “with the intent to annoy, offend, demean, ridicule, degrade, belittle, disparage or humiliate any person and which serves no legitimate purpose.”
Posted inMoney & Politics
Gallery: Voters speak out on money in politics
Most. Expensive. Elections. Ever. So did all the money spent on TV ads, mailers, robocalls, live calls and so forth make an impression? Change anyone’s mind? Make people more likely to vote — or less? Here’s a gallery of what voters at polls around Madison told Center staffers today about the role of money in politics.
Posted inMoney & Politics, WisWatch Blog
Baldwin-Thompson Senate race sets new spending record, led by outside groups
Already these expenditures by outside groups, coupled with prodigious spending by the candidates, make this the most expensive U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin history.
Posted inMoney & Politics
Cash from Wisconsin rocked Pennsylvania governor’s race
At a campaign stop near Philadelphia early in his 2010 bid for governor, Republican Tom Corbett announced, “We’ve got to raise money,” calling this his campaign’s “No. 1” priority. That same July day, a $1.5 million contribution arrived — from Wisconsin. Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, calls this well-traveled donation a prime example of “an elaborate money-laundering scheme” used by the RGA with success in a number of races for governor in 2010 — one that is legal.
Posted inGovernment, Money & Politics
A house divided
In the battleground state of Wisconsin, Suzanne and Keevin Allen do what much of the political establishment cannot — disagree without being disagreeable.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Rural Slide
Hispanic immigrants help rural county stave off population dip
Dairy farmer Jeremy Meissner and farm manager Huron Mireles are part of the reason Clark County’s population is growing while nearby counties’ levels are declining. Part three of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Rural Slide
A young mayor strives to rebuild jobs lost in paper mills
In Wood County, where almost half of the paper industry jobs disappeared during the past decade, local leaders are using a regional approach to boost existing industries. Part two of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Rural Slide
Would young people stay in rural area for mining jobs?
In Iron County, which lost one of every seven residents from 2000 to 2010, residents say a controversial taconite mine may be the only way to reverse devastating population loss. Part one of three in the Center’s Rural Slide series.
Posted inGovernment, Justice & Safety
Colas’ ruling draws outraged responses
A Dane County judge who struck down parts of the state’s law gutting collective bargaining for some public workers has drawn a spate of letters and phone messages expressing outrage.
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Government, Wasted Places
Wasted Places: Brownfields stories from our collaborators
Wasted Places is a collaborative investigation by six nonprofit newsrooms into federal and state programs designed to cleanup and redevelop polluted tracts known as brownfields.The project was coordinated by the Investigative News Network, and reported and written by the Connecticut Health Investigative Team, City Limits, Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and INN.
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Government, Wasted Places
Map: Brownfields nationwide
Sites that have been funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfields program, as of August 2012.