DAILY WISCONSIN

Courts, Elections

Move along, nothing to see here

MADISON, Wis. — In response to calls from the family of the victims of sexual assault who Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce outed in a $1 million ad campaign for Michael Screnock, WMC has taken down the list of its board of directors from its website.

“The family of the children who were victims of sexual assault who WMC outed demanded WMC’s ad come down and in response WMC took down the names of its board of directors,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “This shows that in their desperation to try and win an election WMC knows it did something hideous and now they are trying to hide.”

Link to WMC Board of Directors page.

Via WMC Takes Down Board of Directors Page | One Wisconsin Now.

Elections, Schools

School referenda on the ballot

We’ll see if this trend of large amounts of school referenda in recent years starts to fade with both the aid increases, and because of a provision in the state budget that limits schools to 2 referendum questions a year, and limits the dates those referenda can take place. But the continued large amount of referenda (66 questions on Tuesday) shows that one pre-election bump by the Governor hasn’t come close to filling in the gaps of 6 prior years of state cuts to K-12 education and limits on property taxes to make up the difference.

Via Jake’s Wisconsin Funhouse: The other big item on tomorrow’s ballot- school referenda.

Elections, Law, Sen. Fitzgerald

Not his only ‘weird sense’

I find no issue with trying to avoid disenfranchising voters. And certainly the logistics in these cases is always problematic but Wisconsin has done hundreds of these special elections over the years under very similar circumstances. I read somewhere else that there might be about 100 such voters who may be affected. But there was never any concern shown or voiced for the tens of thousands of voters disenfranchised by NOT holding the special elections…all of those Wisconsin residents who live in the affected districts. Those residents who don’t have representation.

Via Scott Fitzgerald’s Weird Sense of Voter Disenfranchisement! | Blogging Blue.

Assault Awareness & Prevention, Congress, Misconduct, Negligence

Calls It Quits

“I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election,” she said in a Facebook post. “Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better.”

Via Congresswoman Esty Leaving Elected Office | CAFFEINATED POLITICS

Elections, UW Madison

On-Campus @ UW-Madison 

On-campus voting places will be open for the election on Tuesday, April 3, and resources will be available for students to register to vote.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On-campus polling places include Memorial Union, Red Gym Memorial Library and Eagle Heights Community Center. To find out where to vote, go to https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/FindMyPollingPlace.

Via Students can vote, register at on-campus polling places in April 3 election.

Environment, Foxconn, Water

Thirst 

Just to give an approximation for the purposes of visualization: A gallon of water weighs 8.36 pounds and a typical semi-tanker can hold about 6000 gallons of water legal weight for transport.

So after doing the math for 7 million gallons per day that would mean the equivalent of looking at over 1,100 semi tankers of water. Of course they’re not trucking it but it gives you an idea to visualize the magnitude. Every day.

As an example, if you went to park 1,100 semi tankers end to end they would stretch for over 14 miles. Looked at another way, if you jammed them all together with no space between them in the most compact parking area you would need a lot that is almost 4 miles by 4 miles or almost 16 square miles.

Via The Political Environment: Foxconn’s diversion = Every day, 1,100 water tanker trucks. In 14-mile line.

Uncategorized

Other States Weigh In

Officials from New York and Illinois, the two Great Lakes states that did not compete for the plant, questioned aspects of the deal during the proposal’s comment period, which concluded earlier this month.

A letter from New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation quoted the compact’s requirement that water diverted to nearby communities largely serve residential customers.

“Here, it is unclear that the proposed diversion is largely for residential customers,” the letter said. “The water is intended to facilitate the construction and operation of the future industrial site.”

New York also questioned whether Wisconsin could unilaterally approve the deal, saying the compact’s general prohibition of new diversions “favors and potentially mandates” review by the other states bordering the lakes.

A letter from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office said the utilities involved in the project haven’t made clear how they would treat wastewater from the Foxconn plant before ultimately releasing it back into Lake Michigan. They argue that Racine should not be able to exceed the amounts defined in its current permit for returning wastewater to the lake.

Via Controversy mounts in Great Lakes states over Foxconn’s water diversion and wastewater treatment plan | wisconsingazette.com

Courts, Elections

Screnock v. Dallett

When it comes to figuring out what the electorate may look like for Tuesday’s Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, I think it’s instructive to look at three different sets of Wisconsin electorates.

1. The primary election in February.
2. The April election in 2017 – where Tony Evers easily won the School Superintendent race with a Dem-leaning electorate, and then contrast with the 2013 April election where now-Chief Justice Pat Roggensack cruised to a win with a GOP-leaning electorate. April 2016 is a bad example because of the much higher turnout due to contested presidential primaryies going on for both parties.
3. The November elections of 2016 and 2014, to give an idea of the difference between a November electorate and an April.

Via Jake’s Wisconsin Funhouse: What to look for in turnout for Tuesday’s SCOWIS election

Local Government, Madison

City of Madison Meetings 

Holy (whatever), this is one huge mess this week. There are 4 meetings in legistar without agendas, 2 committees show up in legistar and aren’t on the weekly schedule and of the meetings that are scheduled 5 are in the middle of the day. No meeting on Tuesday for the election. Don’t forget to vote!

Via Forward Lookout | City Week Ahead