Thursday, Feb. 2
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin says she plans to oppose President Donald Trump’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Gov. Scott Walker immediately responds with a testy tweetstorm. How very presidential of him.
Friday, Feb. 3
State Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls) says she plans to reintroduce a proposal to penalize so-called “sanctuary cities,” or communities that refuse to enforce federal immigration law. Under her proposal, municipalities would face fines of $500 to $5,000 per day. A similar bill failed to pass last year.
Sunday, Feb. 5
Wisconsin has fined 22 hospitals, including SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, for not complying with state law requiring them to offer emergency contraceptives to rape victims, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
Monday, Feb. 6
State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) and Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) introduce two bills aimed at helping users of medical marijuana. In the joint proposal (hahaha), one bill would legalize medical marijuana outright, while the other (a backup measure) would create an advisory referendum allowing voters to decide whether to make the drug available to patients.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Walker announces a plan to cut UW System tuition by 5 percent starting in the 2018 fall semester. He also proposes adding $135 million in new state funding to cover the lost tuition revenue and other initiatives, but Republican leaders haven’t signed on.
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney meets President Trump at the White House as part of a delegation from the National Sheriff’s Association. Mahoney tells the State Journal that he urged Trump to institute comprehensive immigration reform and that the meeting was “very cordial.”