Thursday, 5.10
The state Supreme Court notifies John Dawson that he won't be reappointed to another term as chairman of the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, after the court's four conservative justices vote against him. Under Dawson's tenure, the commission has filed complaints against three of those four justices. That's probably just a coincidence.
Friday, 5.11
The Walker administration reports that new revenue projections show the state will finish the 2011-13 biennium with a $154 million surplus in June 2013. In February, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated the state would finish the period with a $143 million deficit.
Filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein releases a clip from his forthcoming film, As Goes Janesville, which shows Gov. Scott Walker explaining to billionaire donor Diane Hendricks in January 2011 that he planned to use a "divide and conquer" strategy on public unions.
Monday, 5.14
An official from Herr Environmental - the waste company that received only minor fines for spreading human waste on fields in Jefferson County - claims in a public hearing that not much waste was dumped. "It was a paperwork mistake on my end," says Todd Stair, a Herr vice president. A Department of Natural Resources official says the agency stands by its citations.
Madison school superintendent Dan Nerad revises his plan to close the achievement gap, reducing the cost by about half. The new proposal saves money by putting off extending the school day and delaying by a year the creation of career academies in high schools.
State Rep. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) tells an audience in Waukesha County that Republicans have right-to-work legislation "ready to go." Gov. Walker has said he will not pursue a right-to-work law, which prohibits unions from automatically collecting dues from workers.
Tuesday, 5.15
The Madison Common Council accepts a proposal to sell land in the 800 block of East Washington Avenue to Urban Land Interests for a mixed-use development. The deal is contingent on negotiations for tax incremental financing or other city assistance being finalized over the next 90 days. Ald. Bridget Maniaci loses a bid to reconsider a $71 million proposal by Metcalfe's, which had been introduced late in the process.
UW-Madison reports that it paid retired judge Patrick Fiedler $43,700 to lead two inquiries into actions by John Chadima, the university's former associate athletic director accused of sexual harassment and assault.
Wednesday, 5.16
Unhappy that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps reporting job losses in Wisconsin, Gov. Walker releases his own statistics that show Wisconsin added more than 23,000 jobs in 2011. Hope you're all enjoying this economic boom we're experiencing.
Compiled, in part, from local media.
