Friday, December 13, 2024
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Friday, December 13, 2024

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

Wisconsin to Get $17 Million in Extra School Lunch Money for Supply Chain Challenges

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Schools across Wisconsin are getting millions of new dollars to help them afford school lunches during “supply chain challenges.”

The state’s Department of Public Instruction this week announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sending Wisconsin $17 million to supplement the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

“School food authorities are facing extraordinary challenges in responding to shortages and price fluctuations, and this funding will immediately help nutrition programs across Wisconsin serve the students who rely on these meals every day,” Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement.

Wisconsin School Lunch Money

Every eligible school district in the state, as well as eligible private schools, will get a guaranteed base payment of at least $5,000. Many schools will see more money.

Brett Healy, president at the MacIver Institute, said it is telling that the Biden Administration is having to spend more money to solve a problem it created.

“When President Biden began his unprecedented tsunami of federal spending and printed money to partially pay for all of that spending, everyone knew that it would lead to inflation, higher prices, supply chain problems and higher interest rates,” Healy told The Center Square. “To say that this grant will resolve, as the headline suggests, supply chain problems our schools are facing or immediately help in any meaningful way feed needy students is another lie and an insult to the intellect of the American people.”

DPI did not say just what school lunch menu items are more expensive or hard to find because of the supply chain issues.

The USDA says groceries in the United States were 7.4% higher in January of 2022 than they were in January of 2021.

Healy said folks at home clearly see that, and certainly feel it.

“Now, the President thinks he can fool the American public again into thinking that by handing out even more taxpayer money, it will somehow lower their grocery bill, the price of gas and return the economy to what it was under President Trump. How dumb does the President think we are?” Healy asked.

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Report: Wisconsin Needs Solution to Road Construction/Repair Funding Gap

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin will need to find an additional funding source for road repairs and transportation spending or the quality of the state’s road system will decline, according to a new report.

Gas tax collections, which fund transportation spending, have progressively declined while the cost of road repair has increased significantly, according to Wisconsin Policy Forum.

“Either the state will have to forego spending and sacrifice road quality over time, or it will have to tap one of a few available funding sources such as the gas tax, vehicle fees, general tax dollars, mileage fees or local taxes and fees” the report finds.

The gas tax stopped being increased along with inflation after a 2005 law change and since then the state has used $2.6 billion of general funds between fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2025 on road work including $749.7 million in the 2023-25 biennial state budget.

Wisconsin has spent $821 per person in state and local funds over the most recent three years with data on road work compared to a national average of $811.

“While little of the analysis or warnings about the condition of our transportation funding system are new, we are reaching an inflection point–fiscally, technologically and demographically–that makes the stakes of ignoring long-term reforms to fund our roads, bridges and highways even higher than ever,” Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) Executive Director Steve Baas said in a statement regarding the report.

The cost of construction has gone up 56.8% nationally and 26.6% in Wisconsin since 2020.

The report suggests that some options to fix the funding gap include increasing the state general fund transfers, increasing the gas tax and vehicle registration fees, switching to a mileage-based fee used in pilot programs in several states or begin collecting tolls.

“Our economy stands on manufacturing, agriculture and tourism – all are incredibly dependent on roads and transportation,” Baas said. “If we are going to grow the state’s economy, creating a sustainable sufficient funding model to support smart asset management is an imperative. “The cost of doing nothing is prohibitive for Wisconsin communities and the Wisconsin economy.”

Mileage-based pilots have occurred in Oregon, Utah and Virginia with other states considering them for the same reasons.

“These little-used programs show mileage-based fees are technologically feasible, but remain relatively untested nationally and seemingly unpopular with motorists,” the report said.

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Poll: Majority of Americans Support Trump’s Plan to Declare Emergency at Border

A majority of Americans support President-elect Donald Trump's plan to declare a national emergency over the border crisis, according to a new poll. Declaring such an emergency would allow Trump to utilize the military to secure the border and help with his plan to deport violent criminal foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally.

The Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted online by pollster Scott Rasmussen Nov. 18-19. It asked: "President Trump has said that he will declare a national emergency because of the illegal immigration problem. This would let the Trump Administration use military force to help with a mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Do you favor or oppose declaring a national emergency to address the problem of illegal immigration?"

In response, 31% of those polled said they strongly favor declaring a national emergency, and 24% said they somewhat favor it. Combined, 55% of Americans support Trump's plan. Those in favor include 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of white voters, and 50% of Black voters.

On the other side, 12% said they somewhat oppose the idea while 26% said they strongly oppose it, with a total of 38% in opposition. An additional 7% said they were not sure.

"Declaring a national emergency would allow the president to use military forces to assist in the deportation of illegal immigrants," Napolitan News Service said in a statement accompanying the polling results. "Support for the plan comes from 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of White voters, and 50% of Black voters."The border crisis and Vice President Kamala Harris’ work on the immigration issue were a focal point of the Trump campaign. Trump vowed to close the border and stop the flow of illegal immigration, which rose to unprecedented levels during the Biden-Harris administration.

Jose Ibarra Guilty of Murdering Laken Riley

Jose Ibarra, a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and in America illegally since 2022 according to immigration officials, has been found guilty on all counts related to the murder of Laken Riley.

Judge H. Patrick Haggard gave the ruling on Wednesday morning shortly after testimony and closing arguments had closed. Ibarra's defense attorneys waived the right to a jury trial in opting for a bench trial.

Riley, 22, was a former University of Georgia student who had transferred into the Augusta University nursing program on the Athens campus. Her name became synonymous with immigration campaign points by Republicans in this year's election cycle.

Prosecutors said, and Haggard agreed, Ibarra killed Riley on the morning of Feb. 22 as she was jogging near her Athens apartment. Haggard said he took two legal pads full of notes during the trial but typically just listened during closing arguments.

The judge offered that he wrote down two things, one by prosecutor Sheila Ross and the other by defense lawyer Kaitlyn Beck.

"One was a statement by Ms. Ross, that the evidence was overwhelming and powerful," Haggard said. "And then I also wrote down what Ms. Beck said that I am required to set aside my emotions. That's the same things that we tell jurors."

The court has recessed to consider when sentencing will take place.

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)

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