Thursday, Jan. 19
The Madison school district’s new “Personalized Pathways” program proves popular, drawing 518 applicants, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The initiative aims to improve college and career-readiness among high school students.
Friday, Jan. 20
Eleven of the state’s wealthiest citizens are projected to receive $22 million in taxes credits in 2017, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau reports. That’s nearly 10 percent of the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit passed by Republicans in 2011. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce — the state’s largest business lobby — says the tax credit “benefits small businesses and middle-class workers — that is a fact.”
Monday, Jan. 23
On the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, state Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) and Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) introduce a resolution urging their Republican colleagues not to restrict abortion access.
A group of former inmates at the state’s youth prison complex file a federal lawsuit alleging horrific and abusive conditions at Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School For Girls. The lawsuit details excessive use of solitary confinement and frequent use of pepper spray on teen inmates who broke minor rules, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Tuesday, Jan. 24
The Assembly’s Labor Committee considers a bill that would ban local governments from requiring contractors to reach agreements with labor unions to work on taxpayer-funded projects. The bill, from Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), is the latest step in reducing the power of unions in the state.
Wednesday, Jan. 25
U.S. Department of Transportation taps the UW-Madison’s Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory for a new program to test driverless cars, UW officials announce. The lab is in the process of partnering with a company to acquire high-tech vehicles.
