Capitol Notes

The U.S. House passed a reconciliation bill in May. The U.S. Senate is taking it up. There's a lot that's unknown about what will actually pass, but this week's Capitol Notes lays out how it could impact the Dairy State.

Have you been thinking about how Wisconsin's going to pay for stuff, like Medicaid, given that the federal government is working to slice its budget? JR Ross of WisPolitics.com unpacks that and more on this week's Capitol Notes.

What does a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding the governor's ability to set up a 400-year school funding increase with his veto pen mean for this year's state budget process?

Supporters of conservative-backed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel included the possibility that liberal-backed Susan Crawford would sign on to new congressional district maps for Wisconsin. As JR Ross of WisPolitics.com details, that may not be so easy.

Susan Crawford won the state supreme court race by nine percentage points. JR Ross chimes in on what it all means and what to keep an eye on from Wisconsin's high court.

Hear about the donors, issues, ads and comments affecting Wisconsin's race that could, again, affect the ideological balance of the state's highest court.

A look at the latest in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the race for superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction and what's fascinating JR Ross right now in the Wisconsin Legislature.

On April 1, 2025 voters will go to the polls for yet another election for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Whoever wins will, again, determine the ideological balance of the court.

On this special edition of "Capitol Notes," learn about Season 2 of WUWM's "Swing State of the Union" podcast.

This week, WUWM asks JR Ross how President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to downsize the federal government could affect us in Wisconsin, including through the state budget or DEI efforts.

Republican President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders in his first week in office, including one seeking to end birthright citizenship. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has joined other states in suing to have the policy declared unconstitutional.

Republicans want the electorate to weigh in on whether voter ID should be added to the state constitution. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says the public should be able to get their own questions on the ballot. Which issue is likely to become an April ballot question?

This episode of Capitol Notes examines the future of Wisconsin's Act 10 law following a recent court challenge and Ben Wikler's bid for DNC chair.

Some are thankful for what could be an interesting fight over reducing state taxes, and upcoming competitive elections in Wisconsin.

“The signs were there:” Post-results analysis from JR Ross of WisPolitics.com on why Tuesday's election may signal new coalitions in Wisconsin and what it could mean for future elections.

We're in the thick of "worry season" — aka a big election — and while WisPolitics.com editor JR Ross can't make predictions, he can tell us about the trends and what to watch for as results come in.

It's "worry season" for both parties, says JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com. He explains how the campaigns are dealing with that in the dwindling weeks ahead of the November election.

JR Ross, brings us up to date, less than 30 days before the election.

A Team Trump bus is coming, Kamala Harris was just here, GOTV efforts are underway, legislative races are heating up, and there's a key House race debate this week.

RFK Jr. left the race and is asking to be taken off the ballot in Wisconsin; Biden, Vance, Harris, Walz, and their surrogates are all crisscrossing the state. What's it going to take to win here?

Before there can be a presidential election this November, there are disputes to be resolved over who can be on the Wisconsin ballot.

This week's Capitol Notes is all about Tuesday's partisan primary and the slightly bigger one in November that may be overshadowing it. Tune in to find out about candidates and constitutional amendments.

From now-official Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's speech to the VP pick of JD Vance, Capitol Notes

Delegates will officially nominate former President Donald Trump as the GOP's presidential candidate, take three. What else do you need to know about the RNC?

Tune in for a preview of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's state convention this weekend in Milwaukee from elections to resolutions and everything in between.

It's the 34 convictions heard around the country. Or in some cases, muted. This Capitol Notes discusses what to look for in Wisconsin and national politics.

Wisconsin Republicans hope to drum up the base at their state convention in Appleton this weekend. Will it affect infrastructure this big election year? Fundraising? Give insights into GOP priorities ahead of November? JR Ross of WisPolitics.com explains what to look for.

What do protests on Wisconsin campuses mean for Wisconsin Democrats, and how will the state's Republicans deal with a fundraising shortfall? Find out on Capitol Notes.

On this special edition of Capitol Notes, learn about a new politics podcast from WUWM — Swing State of the Union.

Millions of dollars in state funding to clean up groundwater contamination are going unused in Wisconsin. Why? We also look into how Democrats and Republicans are trying to leverage their candidates in the state's competitive congressional districts.

Do you want to know about the candidates for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, what U.S. Senators actually do for people on the ground here, and how the candidates are approaching their campaigns? Tune into Capitol Notes this week!

JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com gives the big picture on the upcoming presidential primary election in Wisconsin, the new lawsuit over drop boxes and the latest in the recall effort against GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and ten Wisconsin Republicans who served as false electors had to affirm President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Find out more about that settlement, important 2024 potential legislative races and this week's upcoming senate floor session.

Wisconsin's Ethics Commission referred former President Trump's joint fundraising committee, GOP legislator Janel Brandtjen and other Republicans to local district attorneys for potential felony charges involving fundraising during the 2022 midterm elections.

Last week brought developments in the redistricting lawsuit in the state supreme court over state legislative lines. With ongoing litigation in the court, Legislative Republicans weigh the idea of passing Democratic Governor Tony Evers' maps. This week's episode explores why.

Divided Republican lawmakers attempt a referendum on an abortion ban and don't exactly like legislative redistricting maps submitted by Gov. Tony Evers.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Racine County) is in the thick of state political news—again.

JR Ross of WisPolitics has been making a list of political stories to watch in 2024, and it's lengthy.

Stories and people from Milwaukee were part of many big state stories in 2023.

Seven unions representing teachers and other public workers in Wisconsin have sued to end the state's near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees.

Wisconsin's state supreme court takes up a lawsuit that could affect how state legislative lines are drawn. Find out what's key to know, from the big picture to the nitty gritty.

Three important political stories in Wisconsin right now involve the courts, whether they're taking up lawsuits between the other branches of government or they're the subject of legislation themselves.