Friday, 9.28
Gary Hamblin, a former Dane County sheriff, announces he will step down on Oct. 26 as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for health reasons.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) debate in their campaign for the U.S. Senate. Two more debates are scheduled, Oct. 18 and 26.
Officials from the state Department of Health Services announce that the projected deficit for the state's Medicaid programs has shrunk by $337 million to $35.5 million. The decrease is the result of $27 million more in federal funds and a drop in the number of people joining Family Care.
Saturday, 9.29
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that an Atlanta firm is contemplating building a $50 million, 12-story housing project in the 700 block of East Mifflin Street.
Monday, 10.1
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announces his 2013 budget, which would spend $493 million. The budget raises taxes 2.92%, which Parisi says is the lowest in 22 years.
Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy file a lawsuit trying to force five state Republican lawmakers to turn over email exchanges from private accounts with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that promotes "model legislation" to Republican lawmakers around the country. According to the lawsuit, "defendants apparently believe they can evade the open records law by shifting those same correspondences to a personal email account." Named in the lawsuit are Reps. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (Fond du Lac), Tyler August (Walworth), Pat Strachota (West Bend), Dan Knodl (Germantown) and Tom Larson (Colfax).
Tuesday, 10.2
Mayor Paul Soglin releases his 2013 budget, which proposes spending $266.4 million. The budget would raise taxes on the average home by about $47, but it also hikes bus fares by 25 cents and cuts funding for the Overture Center from $1.85 million to $850,000.
The State Journal reports that the Urban League of Greater Madison plans to start an after-school program to address the Madison school district's achievement gap. Unlike the controversial Madison Prep charter school the Urban League had proposed, the after-school program will not need tax funds.
Compiled, in part, from local media.
