Tag: elections

Election Day

Election_Day_voting12_5570Polls are open in Wisconsin until 8 pm tonight, Tuesday, November 8.

Information on where to vote, acceptable forms of voter identification, and how to register to vote if not yet registered is available here.

Information on how to vote in other states is here and here.

Legislative Update

History 

The 2015-17 biennial budget process was difficult – UW System received a $250 million budget cut along with a two-year extension of a tuition freeze. PROFS played a key role in one budget bright spot: funding for the much-needed Chemistry Building project. In prior budget cycles, PROFS led the fight to ensure retirement contributions are taken pre-tax, saving the average faculty member about $1,800 per year and successfully lobbied for domestic partner benefits and first-day health coverage for faculty and staff. Looking ahead:

2017-19 Biennial Budget

While Governor Walker instructed all agency heads to prepare budgets with zero increases, the Board of Regents approved a $42.5 million increase in state funding over the next biennium. The increase will largely go toward initiatives to develop the state’s workforce and improve its economy, a plan called 2020FWD. The governor has also said he might consider performance-based funding increases for UW. Criteria for such an increase might include graduation and post-graduation employment rates.

FWD2020 highlights:

  • $26.1 million for the educational pipeline, with a focus on addressing the state’s workforce needs and increasing the student pipeline.
  • $6 million to improve the university experience, with a focus on creating graduates who are creative, innovative and entrepreneurial.
  • $6.4 million for business and community mobilization, with a focus on bringing together the university, businesses and the greater community.
  • $4 million for operational excellence, with a focus on improvements in targeted performance areas. The budget process is lengthy, beginning with formal introduction early next year and final passage most likely in late June. PROFS will be involved throughout the entire process and communicate regularly with faculty.

Tuition Freeze

Earlier this summer, Governor Walker said he supported an additional one or two-year freeze on University of Wisconsin System tuition, lengthening the current freeze to six years.

Regent Action on Tenure, Shared Governance and Post-Tenure Review

Last year, PROFS regularly communicated with the chair and members of the Regent Tenure Policy Task Force as they developed new tenure policies. We will continue to aggressively advocate on behalf of UW-Madison faculty as the Regents work to approve a post-tenure review policy this fall.

Fall Elections

All Wisconsin Assembly seats and 16 seats on the Senate are on the ballot in November. Republicans hold comfortable margins in both houses, but some pundits believe the Senate could flip parties if a Democratic presidential landslide occurs. A split legislature would have an impact on the upcoming state budget process and could slow Republican legislative efforts such as a proposed ban on fetal tissue research and campus carry.

Fall Primary Tomorrow

election dayVoters throughout Wisconsin may vote in fall primary elections from 7 am until 8 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, August 9.

Information on registration and voting in Wisconsin is available here.

The July 29 court ruling that struck down much of Wisconsin’s voter identification law does not affect this election. Voter identification will be required to cast a ballot tomorrow.

Many legislative races in the state are uncontested, but several Assembly races in Dane County are contested:

• 47th Assembly District: Three candidates are vying to replace Robb Kahl (D-Monona): Jimmy Anderson, a Fitchburg attorney and drunk driving victims rights advocate; Julia Arata-Fratta, a Fitchburg accountant and city council member; and Tony Hartmann, a Fitchburg business owner and city council member.

• 78th Assembly District: First-term incumbent Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) is facing challenger Jacob Wischmeier, a hotel manager from Madison. Wischmeier is running as a self-described Bernie Sanders Democrat who has said he would be the most outspoken member of the legislature if elected.

• 80th Assembly District: Long-time Representative Sondy Pope (D-Mount Horeb) is facing challenger Luke Joseph, a materials handler from Oregon. Joseph supports constitutional carry, the right to carry weapons without a permit or mandatory training, and opposes the use of fetal tissue in scientific research

The winners of these primaries will almost certainly be elected in November because there are no Republicans candidates on the ballot for these districts.

ETA: Jimmy Anderson (47th AD), Lisa Subeck (78th AD) and Sondy Pope (80th AD) won their primaries.

Spring Primary Tuesday

election dayThe Wisconsin spring primary election will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16. Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm statewide. Photo identification is required to vote.

UW-Madison professor Ken Mayer and others in the Political Science Department will study how voter identification rules affect the length of time it takes to cast a vote and work with local clerks to improve efficiency in future elections.

A primary election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court is the only statewide race on the ballot. Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley faces challengers Joe Donald, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge and JoAnne Kloppenburg, State Court of Appeals Judge. Governor Scott Walker appointed Bradley to the court in October following the death of Justice David Prosser. The top two vote-getters will face off on Tuesday, April 5.

Spring Election Tuesday, April 7

election dayThe spring general election will be held Tuesday, April 7. Polls are open statewide from 7 am until 8 pm. More information on registration and voting in Wisconsin is here.

Photo identification is not required to vote in this election, but will be required to vote in future elections.

One statewide race is on the ballot — incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley faces challenger Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley.

Voters will also be asked to vote in a referendum on the election of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice. Currently, the longest-serving justice is chief justice. The proposed amendment would select a chief justice through an election by the majority of the Court. The elected chief justice would serve a two-year term.

There is one state legislative race on the ballot — former Representative Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) faces token write-in opposition to represent the 20th Senate District (Cedarburg, Port Washington, West Bend). The seat became vacant when State Senator Glenn Grothman was elected to Congress last November.

Voters in Madison will choose between incumbent Paul Soglin and challenger Scott Resnick, both graduates of UW-Madison, for mayor.

Spring Primary Election Today

Election_Day_voting12_5570Voters throughout Wisconsin may vote in spring primary elections until 8 pm this evening.

Information on registration and voting in Wisconsin is available here. Photo identification is not required to vote.

PROFS is watching a few races today:

Senate District 20 Three Republicans are vying to replace former State Senator Glenn Grothman who was elected to Congress in November:

  • Former State Representative Duey Stroebel
  • Ozaukee County Chairman Lee Schlenvogt
  • Veteran Tiffany Koehler

No Democrat is on the April ballot, so today’s primary winner is all but guaranteed to win later this spring, increasing the Republican majority to 19-14.

Waukesha County Executive State Senator Paul Farrow of Waukesha is one of four Republican candidates. Farrow said if elected he will remain in the Senate through the state budget process.

Madison Mayor Incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin faces four challengers today:

  • former Dane County Board member Richard Brown
  • activist Christopher Daly
  • former alderperson Bridget Maniaci
  • Alderman Scott Resnick

The top two vote-getters will be on the April ballot.

 

 

Election Update

Governor Scott Walker handily defeated challenger Mary Burke last night, and legislative Republicans widened their margin in the Legislature with a 19-14 majority in the Senate and a 63-36 majority in the Assembly. Full election results from The Wheeler Report are below.

A special election will be scheduled in the 20th Senate District after State Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) resigns to represent Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District, a seat he won yesterday after defeating Democrat Mark Harris. Two Assembly races are very close — the 51st and 85th Assembly Districts — and recounts are possible.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) and Joint Finance Committee Co-chair John Nygren (R-Marinette) spoke to the media earlier today and outlined their legislative agenda. Vos told reporters that while he supports UW System, changes in teaching and research will be considered.

Assembly results 2014 page 1Assembly results 2014 page 2Senate results 2014

Post-Election Analysis with Loftus and Thompson at Noon Today

WisconsinEye will stream post-election analysis with former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson and former Democratic Assembly Speaker Tom Loftus at noon today, November 5. The pair will discuss election results with Steve Walters, senior producer at WisconsinEye, and JR Ross, editor at WisPolitics.

Loftus and Thompson, Wisconsin’s longest serving governor, both enjoyed service in the federal government after leaving state politics — Thompson as Secretary of Health and Human Services for President George W. Bush and Loftus as Ambassador to Norway for President Bill Clinton.

The program will also be available live on the WisconsinEye website, the WisconsinEye YouTube channel, Charter Cable channel 995, and Time Warner Cable channel 363.

 

 

Legislative Update

Elections
Fall elections will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4. Polls will be open statewide from 7 am to 8 pm. Polling places in Madison are available here. Statewide polling information is here.

Photo identification is not necessary to vote as a result of last month’s United States Supreme Court ruling. Voters with proof of residence may register at the polls on Election Day. More information is available on the Government Accountability Board website.

In addition to the statewide constitutional offices, all members of the Assembly and 17 members of the Senate are on the ballot. Republicans are expected to maintain control of the Assembly, but Democrats hope to win control of the Senate by flipping three seats:

  • District 9 (Fond du Lac/Manitowoc/Sheboygan): Democrat Martha Laning and Republican Devin LeMahieu face off in this traditionally conservative area. This seat became open when Senator Joe Leibham ran for Congress.
  • District 17 (Southwestern Wisconsin): Democrat Pat Bomhack and Republican Howard Marklein are vying for this seat vacated by retiring Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center).
  • District 19 (Fox Valley): Democrat Penny Bernard Schaber will face Republican Roger Roth in this race which became open after Senator Michael Ellis (R-Neenah) announced he would not run for reelection.

Assembly Republicans outlined their agenda for 2015 last month. With regard to the university, they say they would like to “(r)eform UW System schools to be responsive to Wisconsin job markets and economic needs . . . Resources should be focused on major study areas that are identified as needs for today’s economy and for the future of Wisconsin.

Governor Scott Walker and Mary Burke on Higher Education
Both candidates have spoken about higher education on the campaign trail and offer differing points of view:

  • Walker supports a two-year tuition freeze as a way to ensure affordability for students and their families. He also prefers keeping tuition low rather than increasing governmental aid programs.
  • Burke supports a tuition freeze when coupled with increased support for UW System. She also advocates for a larger income tax deduction for tuition and student loan refinancing programs.

Alumni for Wisconsin Event
Faculty are encouraged to attend the fall meeting of Alumni for Wisconsin, the advocacy group of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. The group,will meet at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street on Saturday, November 15. The meeting will begin three hours before the kick-off of the Wisconsin-Nebraska football game, which has not yet been announced.

The chancellor will participate in the meeting, which comes on the heels of the gubernatorial election. The 2015-17 state budget will be the focus of the discussion. The meeting will be followed by a tailgate luncheon (reservation and fee required). More information is available here.

Early Voting Ends Today

Early voting in Wisconsin ends today. Madison residents may vote at the City Clerk’s office until 7 pm tonight. More information about voting in Madison is here. Statewide information is here.

The polls will be open statewide Tuesday from 7 am to 8 pm.