Saturday, July 12, 2025
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Saturday, July 12, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Mandela Barnes Reiterates Support for Ending Cash Bail

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Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate for a chance to square off against Republican Ron Johnson, has reiterated his support for ending cash bail for some offenders.

“A person shouldn’t be held in jail because they can’t afford to make their bail,” Barnes said.

Barnes’ comments came despite a series of controversial decisions by court commissioners in Wisconsin to give offenders signature bonds or low cash bail, with some of those defendants committing new crimes – most controversially, Waukesha parade attacker Darrell Brooks.

On Capital City Sunday on May 1, 2022, Barnes was asked by WKOW-TV host A.J. Bayatpour whether he still supported eliminating cash bail.

“Amid heightened concerns over rising crime, Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes is still refusing to take public safety seriously,” the state Republican Party countered in a statement, saying that eliminating cash bail “would allow more violent criminals back on the streets and endanger more communities.”

The Party noted, “Previously, when Barnes was in the State Assembly, he sponsored a bill to eliminate cash bail which would have barred courts from considering the severity of a defendant’s crime. This proposed bill, which died in committee, would have severely limited the prosecutor’s ability to argue that the defendant would be a risk to the community.”

“Keeping communities safe from crime continues to be a high priority for Wisconsinites. Barnes is out-of-touch with the mainstream as his policies consistently aim to appease the far-left,” said Republican Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Mike Marinella.

“What I support is a bail system that decides who should stay in jail based on the severity of the crime, based on the likelihood to re-offend or cause harm,” Barnes said.

Bayatpour tweeted, “Still the frontrunner in a Democratic Senate primary that has gotten closer, @TheOtherMandela maintains his support for ending cash bail.”

Barnes made it clear that he did not think some non-violent offenders should be held on cash bail.

“It should be based on the severity of the crime or past violent history,” he said.

the host pressed on, “Do you still support the elimination of cash bail?”

Barnes brought up the Waukesha parade attack and then said that someone like Brooks should be kept in jail “no matter how much they pay.”

He said he wanted bail based on the severity of the crime or past violent history.

The host pressed, “Cash bail off the table?”

“What we have now is a system treats people unfairly,” said Barnes. “We have a low-level offender, let’s say someone gets caught with possession of marijuana…a person shouldn’t be held in jail because they can’t afford to make their bail.”

The host asked again, “No cash bail, period?”

“it’s about the severity of the crime,” said Barnes.

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2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.