When she announced her run for Wisconsin Supreme Court, Judge Maria Lazar stressed that she is independent, non-partisan, and doesn't belong to a political...

District II, Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar has announced a run for the open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court previously held by...

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Iowa's largest school district is holding an emergency meeting Saturday night after its superintendent was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Des Moines agents.

ICE arrested Des Moines Public School Superintendent Ian Andre Roberts on Friday. A citizen of Guyana, Roberts has a criminal record and has been living in the U.S. illegally with no work authorization, ICE says. A federal immigration judge also ordered his removal from the country last year.

Roberts, “a criminal illegal alien from Guyana,” was arrested “in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash and a fixed blade hunting knife,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in Des Moines said.

He was working as the DMPS superintendent “despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization,” ICE said.

When ICE ERO-Des Moines officers approached him, he sped away in his taxpayer-funded DMPS vehicle to evade arrest. Officers later found the vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. Iowa State Patrol assisted with locating and arresting him. He remains in ICE custody.

Roberts first entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa. Not soon after, he was arrested on weapons charges on Feb. 5, 2020, in violation of his visa terms. A federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal in May of last year.

The ATF is investigating how Roberts acquired the handgun. “It is a violation of federal law for those in the U.S. without legal status to possess a firearm and ammunition,” ICE said.

“This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement,” ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said. “This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats.

“How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”

Des Moines Public Schools is the largest school district in Iowa, serving more than 30,000 students and employing 5,000 people. Its superintendent receives a salary of $270,000, a taxpayer-funded car and cell phone allowance, contributions to a tax-sheltered annuity and retirement plan, and district health, life and long-term disability insurance.

DMPS has an affirmative action plan, which appears to emphasize hiring based on race. Its 2021 Affirmative Action plan prioritizes “diversity, inclusion, and equity” as “fundamental and essential” to the district’s success.

The plan’s stated goal is to increase hiring the number of teachers of color by specific grades and percentages. This includes increasing hiring teachers of color in kindergarten and first grade by 8%; and in second through fifth grades by 5%. It also prioritizes increased test scores of Black male third grade reading students “from 35% to 72% by June 2023, as measured by FAST” and “Black male students earning a ‘B’ or higher in Algebra 1 by the end of 9th grade will increase from 17% to 35% by August 2023.”

It also prioritizes recruiting teachers who completed a “Blue Contract,” program through Drake University’s Master of Science in Education degree in Culturally Responsive Leadership and Instruction. Courses include “culturally responsive teaching” and “equity in Mathematics.” New teachers hired through the BLUE contract receive a higher starting salary than non-BLUE contract teachers, according to the plan.

DMPS said in a statement that its board retained Texas-based JG Consulting to conduct a search for its superintendent.

In a now deleted post, the consulting firm said Roberts previously served as the superintendent of Milcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania and “previously held leadership positions in various schools across the country, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Saint Louis.” It also cites DMPS Board Chair Teree Caldwell-Johnson praising his selection, citing his “educational experience, academic excellence, and his passion for innovation and inspiration” and “ability to create equitable experiences for students.” He assumed his DMPS role on July 1, 2023.

DMPS also included Roberts in its "Top 100 Influencers" this year.

On Friday night, the DMPS board said Baker-Eubanks conducted a third-party comprehensive background check on Roberts and that DMPS is “required to verify employment eligibility for all employees. In this case, Dr. Roberts completed the I-9 employment eligibility verification form and submitted the required documentation.”

The board also said he “was licensed by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners in July 2023” and it “did not have any knowledge” of his immigration status or final removal order.

In response to ICE stating a loaded gun was found in a district vehicle, it said, “DMPS policy states weapons are prohibited on school grounds or at a school sponsored or school related activity.”

The board is holding an emergency meeting Saturday evening “to take action regarding Dr. Roberts’ administrative leave status.” It also appointed an interim superintendent.

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tony Evers’ office and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. have not released records related to an early April trade trip to Europe.

Evers and WEDC officials went to Germany and France and took part in Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade show.

The trip included visiting Hannover, Hessen, and Berlin in Germany and the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France.

Former WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes traveled to Europe for the trip along with WEDC Vice President of Global Trade and Investments Micah Oge as well as other WEDC staff.

The Center Square filed public records requests with both Evers’ office and WEDC regarding expenses shortly after the trip and has not received a response for five months as of Sept. 29. That included a follow-up from The Center Square asking for a status update on the requests on Sept. 18, which received no response from either office.

Public funds are often used for official economic development trips. WEDC and Evers' office also did not respond to requests for further detail on who went on the trip or the costs associated with the trip in early April.

“We've seen growing delays from state agencies over the last several years,” Attorney Tom Kamenick, President & Founder of The Wisconsin Transparency Project, told The Center Square. “It's important for the public to be able to monitor government expenses, especially when officials are spending our money taking trips to foreign countries.

“But journalists can't report on such things in a timely manner when those same officials delay providing records for months and months. Evers' administration has to do a better job responding promptly to record requests.”

Hughes has since resigned from her post, as of Sept. 19, and announced on Monday morning that she is running for governor.

Evers’ administration is searching for a replacement, according to a press release. Evers has announced he will not seek reelection.

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(The Center Square) – Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany entered Wisconsin’s race for governor on Tuesday.

Tiffany, of the 7th Congressional District, told radio host Dan O'Donnell he plans to ensure the state is back open for business and proposed the state change its Department of Natural Resources to adjust its permitting process and separate its permitting from its fish and wildlife work.

He posted his announcement on social media.

Tiffany said he is running because he believes he is the best Republican candidate who can win.

Tiffany told O'Donnell that he plans to lower taxes overall, including freezing property taxes and attempting to eliminate the state income tax, though he is not sure the state can get there.

Tiffany said the state has a "tax problem, not a revenue problem."

Tiffany said that he supports President Donald Trump’s tariffs and he believes they will help bring manufacturing back to the United States.

“Generally, I support them,” Tiffany said. “… We can’t be dependent on China.”

Criticism of Tiffany came swiftly after his announcement.

“Tiffany is entering the race already at odds with voters after he tipped the scales in Washington to kick Wisconsin families off of their health insurance, threaten rural hospitals and nursing homes, drive up the cost of food, and kill good-paying jobs,” said Izzi Levy speaking for the Democratic Governors Association. “And he is unapologetic about his radical record that adds to a primary race bursting with far-right extremism: he has repeatedly pushed to overturn Wisconsin’s 2020 election results, advocated for an extreme abortion ban with no exceptions, and supported cost-raising tariffs and devastating cuts to education funding in the state.”

Tiffany joins Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and businessman Bill Berrien in the Republican race.

Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, recently joined Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as the major Democratic candidates in the race.

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(The Center Square) – Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly said the state’s schools are underfunded and the state needs to step up during her annual State of Education Speech on Thursday in Madison.

She also called the federal government the “biggest schoolyard bully” that Wisconsin schools face.

Critics, however, say that the way Wisconsin schools spend money is a large problem with the state’s education system.

“Dr. Underly complains that funding is 'inadequate,' but the average school district in Wisconsin now has nearly $18,000 in revenue per student,” Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Policy Director Will Flanders wrote in response. “A class of 20 students represents $360,000 in taxpayer value. Money is not what is holding our schools back.”

The Institute for Reforming Government wrote its own State of Education on Thursday, saying the state received record budget increases for the second straight budget but test scores have not improved.

The state’s public schools have a record amount of staff as the state’s schools are now facing decreasing enrollment but public schools have a lack of classroom teachers in specialized areas.

“The real state of education in Wisconsin is that the education bureaucracy keeps blocking progress, and it’s students and taxpayers who are paying the price,” Quinton Klabon, Senior Research Director at the Institute for Reforming Government, said in the group’s Real State of Education. “After consecutive years of record-breaking investment, parents, and taxpayers deserve results, not excuses.”

Underly went on to say that state legislative leaders are starving public schools to benefit private schools by pulling resources from public schools.

“Decades of insufficient investment have forced a historic number of districts into an impossible situation,” Underly said. “Turning to referenda, year after year, just to survive. All while facing micromanaging from Madison and endless finger-pointing from lawmakers who too often choose politics over partnership.”

Flanders, however, showed that inflation-adjusted spending for public schools in Wisconsin has nearly doubled since the 1970s.

Underly closed by issuing a challenge to give more funding to public schools and see better results.

“This is our wake-up call,” Underly said. “This is the mirror we must face. And we have to ask ourselves: Is this who we want to be? Will we be the generation that looked away as our schools crumbled? Or will we be the ones who stood up, kept our promise, and chose to write a different story?”

President Donald Trump is designating Antifa a “major terrorist organization,” he announced in a social media post Wednesday evening.

The Center Square asked the president Monday afternoon if he would be designating the left-wing group a domestic error group following a spate of political violence against conservatives and Republicans, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices,” the president posted.

On Monday, the president told The Center Square that he “100%” supported designating the group a domestic terror organization.

Consistent with his latest social media post, the president said he would consider designating other groups, but wouldn’t indicate others by name. He said he's talked with Attorney General Pam Bondi about bringing federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) charges against some of these organizations and their donors.

In May 2020, the Department of Justice “formally labeled Antifa violence as domestic terrorism.”

‘‘The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” according to a DOJ statement.

This is a developing story.

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Political activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination at an Utah college on Wednesday has drawn a renewed call for security measures to protect individuals across college campuses and in public forums. The fatal shooting also raises concerns about freedom of speech on campuses and elsewhere.

Kirk, the founder of the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA, was killed on the first stop in his “American Comeback Tour,” an event where he engaged attendees on political issues.

“Join Charlie Kirk on campus for a lively discussion of Freedom and America! Don’t agree with Charlie? Great, you go to the front of the line,” a TPUSA social media post reads.

The reactions following Kirk’s death have reverberated throughout the nation, with sympathies pouring in from elected officials across the world.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told reporters on Thursday that she does not plan to host any public or outdoor events in the wake of Kirk’s killing.

“I am deeply concerned for my safety,” Mace said. “I don’t care if you are Republican or Democrat – any elected official across the country – if you are vocal, your life is at risk.”

“I will not be doing any outdoor events anytime soon, we will not be doing any public events anytime soon until we have a better handle on greater security controls,” Mace said.

Robert Sibley, special counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, said Kirk’s shooting represented a threat to free speech on college campuses.

“His killing seems deliberately designed to dissuade people from engaging in that kind of open debate,” Sibley said.

Carrie Lukas, president of political advocacy group Independent Women, said Kirk’s shooting highlights a recent trend of political violence and threats to freedom of speech in the United States that makes her concerned.

In June, the Independent Women’s Forum held its “Her Game, Her Legacy” bus tour that focused on transgender participation in sports. Lukas recalled incidents of vandalism and times when her organization’s events have been disturbed by trespassing individuals or protesters.

Victoria Coley, vice president of communications at Independent Women, said these events are becoming common for conservative political groups.

“There tends to always be some level of threat that our security detail has to look into,” Coley said. “That is something that groups who are center or center right are facing.”

Research from the Cato Institute shows politically motivated violence accounted for 3,599 deaths in the United States between 1975 and today. Eighty-three percent of those murdered are attributed to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Lukas said she will be increasing security measures for future events the Independent Women’s Forum hosts in the future. The increased focus on security might alienate some people from hearing her organization’s messages, Lukas said, but she considers the precautionary measures to be more important.

“The reaction to this can’t be that we stop having public events,” Lukas said. “You don’t want to have to create a bunch of barriers to people attending those events. There’s going to be a lot more reticence to have events of this size, because it's going to be a real big concern for everybody moving forward.”

Lukas said a larger conversation on freedom of speech is important to have in the wake of Kirk’s killing.

“We absolutely have to stay committed to the right of terrible people to say terrible things,” Lukas said. “But we have to have a very clear understanding of what is no longer protest and what is no longer a part of speech.”

Free speech on college campuses, like where Kirk was, remains a contentious issue in the aftermath of mass protests across the country over the Israel-Hamas war.

Students held encampments in public spaces, barricaded libraries and vandalized buildings on colleges. Lukas said this violence, barricading and destroying of property crosses the line of free speech.

“Your right to free speech stops well before you are ruining public spaces for others,” Lukas said. “We can’t indulge and excuse all bad behavior under the name of peaceful protest.”

In an apparent crackdown on protest behavior, around 80 students at Columbia University were reportedly expelled or arrested.

“Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences,” the university wrote in a May statement.

The university also made a deal with the Trump administration to withhold pulling of federal funds in response to its handling of last year’s protests and treatment of Jewish students on campus.

Sibley said he expects college campuses to be more proactive in allowing students to express political views and hosting events like Kirk’s in the future.

“Colleges and universities have spent a lot of time and effort over the last 30 years telling students about the value of tolerating people with different identities,” Sibley said. “It's time to put that level of effort into explaining why it is so important to be willing to listen to and engage with people who have viewpoints you find objectionable rather than finding some way to silence them.”

“Campuses need to do everything they can to make it possible for people like Charlie Kirk to continue to come to campus and engage with others, and should dedicate whatever resources are necessary to make that possible. Murderers must not get a veto over who may speak on our nation's campuses,” Sibley added.

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