Tag: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Breaks Spending Record, Fueled by Out-of-State Money

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Breaks Spending Record, Fueled by Out-of-State Money

The two campaigns and their supportive outside spenders have already spent more than $73 million, and the rate of spending is likely to ramp up even more in the final week.

Crawford’s campaign spending of $19.4 million is more than double that of Schimel’s $8.9 million. (These figures are based on estimates of television ad spending, and candidate filings due this week will paint a fuller picture of their fundraising and spending.) But independent groups like super PACs and nonprofits spending untraceable “dark money” favor Schimel by a much larger margin: $12.9 million benefiting Crawford compared with almost $32.1 million boosting Schimel.

Two of the biggest spenders in the race, the Schimel-boosting America PAC and a group called Building America’s Future, have spent over $14.3 million, which is nearly one dollar for every five spent in the contest. Elon Musk has provided almost all the funding for America PAC. While Building America’s Future doesn’t reveal its donors, Musk is reportedly a major funder.

Schimel is also supported by $4.3 million from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, an industry dark money group; $4 million from Fair Courts America, a national group with ties to conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein of Illinois; $3.2 million from Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian group affiliated with Koch Industries; and $1.8 million from the Republican State Leadership Committee.

Crawford’s biggest independent support includes $6.2 million in expenditures by A Better Wisconsin Together, a state group with major donations from Wisconsin philanthropist Lynde Uihlein (a cousin of Richard Uihlein) as well as national liberal groups. The ACLU Voter Education Fund also spent $1 million boosting Crawford. In addition, liberal megadonor George Soros gave $1 million to the state Democratic party, which supports Crawford.

Related:

SourceWatch: Fair Courts America

Billionaires fight for control of Wisconsin Supreme Court

Billionaires fight for control of Wisconsin Supreme Court

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

by Tina Antonis

Despite getting significant financial assistance from outside parties, Conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel maintains that he is not for sale. Schimel’s opponent, liberal candidate Susan Crawford, has also benefited from outside funding, including a $1 million contribution from George Soros to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Just this week, an Elon Musk-backed group spent $1.5 million on airtime in Wisconsin to support conservative Supreme Court nominee Brad Schimel over the next few weeks.

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Sex-trafficking victim Chrystul Kizer gets 11 years for killing her abuser

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

KENOSHA, Wis. — A judge on Monday sentenced a Milwaukee woman charged with killing the man who sexually abused her as a teenager to 11 years in prison plus five years of extended supervision. The decision ends a six-year legal saga that tested the limits of the court’s leniency toward trafficking survivors who commit crimes.

Sex-trafficking victim Chrystul Kizer gets 11 years for killing her abuser

Previously:

A Woman Who Killed Her Rapist Gets Major Victory as Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules that She Can Claim Self-Defense

Wisconsin Supreme Court orders new legislative maps in redistricting case brought by Democrats

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Wisconsin Supreme Court orders new legislative maps in redistricting case brought by Democrats

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called it “a sad day for our state” and suggested it would be appealed, saying the U.S. Supreme Court would have the final say.

…

The maps from parties to the lawsuit are due by Jan. 12, with supporting arguments due 10 days later. Reports from the consultants are due by Feb. 1, with responses a week later. That means the court will release new maps likely sometime in late February or early March unless the Legislature acts first.

Unions in Wisconsin sue to reverse collective bargaining restrictions on teachers, others

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Seven unions representing teachers and other public workers in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Thursday attempting to end the state’s near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees.

Unions in Wisconsin sue to reverse collective bargaining restrictions on teachers, others

Related:

Wisconsin’s Act 10 Is in Jeopardy (WSJ)

The law, signed by former Gov. Scott Walker, has saved the Badger State from turning into Illinois or New York, where public unions essentially run the state government for their own benefit. According to the MacIver Institute, Act 10 has saved Wisconsin taxpayers $16.8 billion since it was passed in 2011, making public finances more manageable at every level of government.

Progressive mayors who publicly rail against the law know that repealing it would wreak havoc on municipal budgets. According to Wisconsin Right Now, Milwaukee’s budget says it has saved about $345.4 million in health insurance since 2012 because of Act 10’s requirement that public employees contribute to their health plans.

The lawsuit by teachers and other public unions focuses on a narrow part of the law that exempts public-safety employees. The unions say this creates a “favored” class of workers and imposes “severe burdens on employees in the disfavored group.” Act 10’s “anti-democratic regime,” the unions continue, subjects “general” employees “to a panoply of burdens and deprives them of important rights,” while exempting police officers and firefighters from “all its injurious provisions.”

Attacks on Public-Sector Unions Harm States: How Act 10 Has Affected Education in Wisconsin

A Decade After Act 10, It’s A Different World For Wisconsin Unions

WSJ quotes MacIver Institute, from the Atlas Network via State Policy Network, Bradley Foundation, and Americans for Prosperity (Kochtopus). Former WI Governor Scott Walker, another Atlas/Koch tool, does not rule out intervening.

Wisconsin supreme court appears poised to strike down legislative maps and end Republican dominance

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Wisconsin supreme court appears poised to strike down legislative maps and end Republican dominance

Taylor Meehan, an attorney for legislative Republicans, argued that districts had long been considered to be contiguous as long as they kept towns, counties and wards whole. In Wisconsin, localities have annexed disconnected parts of land that have resulted in strange shapes. “You can define contiguity as strictly or as loosely as you want,” she said.

They look like Swiss cheese!

Related:

Advocates rally to protest Wisconsin’s ‘etch-a-sketch gerrymandered maps’

The Shitshow Over Gerrymandered Election Maps in Wisconsin

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

“The entire country should know what’s happening here in Wisconsin,” said the state’s Senate Democrats.

Alarm Grows Over Wisconsin GOP’s Supreme Court Impeachment Threats

Wisconsin Republicans are afraid to lose their majority!

Related:

‘What Authoritarianism Looks Like’: Wisconsin GOP Threatens to Impeach Liberal Justice

Right-Wing Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Accused of ‘Meltdown’ After Liberal Takeover

Four voters with disabilities have filed a federal lawsuit to ensure they can vote following Supreme Court ruling + More

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Four voters with disabilities have filed a federal lawsuit to ensure they can vote following Supreme Court ruling

Related:

Disabled Voters File Lawsuit Claiming Wisconsin High Court’s Ruling Barring Help Returning Ballots Violates U.S. Constitution

Before the ballot box, Americans with disabilities have problems getting voting information