Former Sun Prairie West High School principal Jennifer Ploeger will be charged with two counts of failing to report child abuse.
The post Former Sun Prairie principal faces charges related to handling of abuse accusations appeared first on WPR.
Protests are expected across the state on Friday in reaction to this week's fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
The post Wisconsin communities protest fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis appeared first on WPR.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan is calling for further oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an agent shot and killed a woman driving her vehicle in Minneapolis.
The post Pocan calls ICE ‘rogue agency’ after Minneapolis killing appeared first on WPR.
The Green Bay Packers will go on the road to take on the Chicago Bears in the NFL Playoffs for just the third time in the century-old rivalry.
The post The NFL’s oldest rivalry is set for its most consequential matchup in over a decade appeared first on WPR.
A Monroe County dairy farm will pay $120,000 under a settlement over alleged violations of the state’s environmental laws.
The post Monroe County dairy agrees to pay $120K fine tied to manure spill appeared first on WPR.
Wisconsin’s Deedra Irwin is returning to the Winter Olympics in Italy next month and will have fans in both Angelica and Pulaski rooting for her.
The post Small-town Wisconsin biathlete prepares for second Winter Olympics appearance appeared first on WPR.
Treading on Wisconsin’s frozen lakes has gotten more dangerous, creating cost for taxpayers and business owners and calling into question the future of an important state pastime.
The post On thin ice: Falls through the ice on Wisconsin lakes are becoming more common. There’s more than just warm weather to blame appeared first on WPR.
In a surprise reversal, Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden voted for a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits despite previously calling for the law to be repealed.
The post Van Orden sides with Democrats on ACA subsidy extension vote appeared first on WPR.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released preliminary information from an investigation into the death of a 5-year-old boy who was dragged 280 feet and killed after the school bus loading doors closed on his arm.
It was at least the third time a student dragging occurred in Maine since 2022.
The latest incident involved a Maine School Administrative District #6 school bus. It stopped to pick up students the morning of Dec. 16 on Route 35, a two-lane undivided highway with a posted speed limit of 35 mph in the Cumberland County town of Standish. The roadway was partially wet at the time.
The 2022 Blue Bird school bus stopped near the intersection of Route 35 and Route 114, where a 7-year-old student boarded. The 5-year-old boy, identified by local news reports as Simon Gonzalez, followed and approached the loading doors from the rear of the bus. As the kindergartener extended his left arm into the bus, NTSB said, the doors closed. The school bus driver then proceeded to drive away with Gonzalez’s arm pinned.
Preventing School Bus Snagging and Dragging
‘Check the Door Once More’ to Avoid School Bus Dragging Incidents
The bus dragged the boy about 280 feet southbound on Route 35 before he dislodged and fell into the roadway. The school bus then ran over him and killed him. The school bus driver and the 7-year-old student, who local news reported is Gonzalez’s half-brother, did not sustain physical injuries during the incident.
NTSB said all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while determining probable cause. It also intends to issue safety recommendations, to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and Maine Department of Transportation are assisting in the investigation.
Related: School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty in 2016 Student Dragging Death
Related: Indiana Student Dragged Down Street by School Bus
Related: Maine Student Caught in School Bus Door is Dragged Down the Road
Related: ‘Check the Door Once More’ to Avoid School Bus Dragging Incidents
The post NTSB Investigating Fatal School Bus Dragging in Maine appeared first on School Transportation News.
SANTA TERESA, N.M. – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (“GreenPower” or the “Company”) a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today cited New Mexico’s electric vehicle ecosystem, the Santa Teresa Foreign Trade Zone designation and financial incentives offered by the state as reasons the Company has announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in New Mexico.
“This is a big win for New Mexico,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. “After hosting a congressional briefing with GreenPower on strengthening domestic EV supply chains, it was clear that building these electric heavy-duty vehicles in America means creating high-quality jobs and staying competitive in the race for the future of transportation. I’m proud that this partnership helped bring GreenPower’s manufacturing, servicing and operations to New Mexico — creating 340 permanent jobs in Santa Teresa and delivering cleaner air for our kids.”
“We are excited about yesterday’s announcement of an agreement with the state of New Mexico for the establishment of GreenPower’s new manufacturing facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico,” said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. “The Company looks forward to working closely with local stakeholders, government leaders and financial partners to create new jobs, drive economic development and accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation in New Mexico and beyond. Being part of a larger ecosystem in the electrification of transportation for the region will ensure a successful and economically strong manufacturing presence in the state.”
“We are proud to welcome GreenPower to Doña Ana County and the Santa Teresa region,” said Scott Andrews, Doña Ana County Manager. “This announcement reflects the power of collaboration, between local government, the state of New Mexico, the New Mexico Partnership, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and the Border Industrial Association — working together to create an environment where innovative manufacturers can thrive. GreenPower’s investment reinforces our region’s role as a leader in advanced manufacturing, clean transportation and cross-border trade.”
In May 2025 New Mexico entered into a contract to help achieve its fleet mandate which requires all state agencies to buy zero-emission vehicles when available, with the entire state fleet being zero-emission by 2035. The contract will help electrify more than 5,000 state fleet vehicles through EVaaS (Electric Vehicles as a Service) with a turnkey electrification solution. A separate contract, also awarded in 2025, makes a $400 million investment over four years to provide comprehensive EV fleet electrification, supporting the state’s zero-emission goals by electrifying more than 2,000 school buses and 3,500 state transit and “white fleet” vehicles, deploying charging infrastructure and integrating V2G technology, all under New Mexico’s “Electrify New Mexico” initiative.
“The state of New Mexico has established several policies and programs designed to aggressively promote the adaption of zero-emission vehicles,” Atkinson continued, noting major contracts and requirements have been put in place in the state. “GreenPower’s redesigned capital, assembly and distribution goals fit perfectly within the state’s direction allowing us to benefit from both manufacturing and deployment strategies.”
A strategic investment totaling $14.6 million was committed by the state to provide the financial incentives necessary for the establishment of the new manufacturing facility and was a major factor in the Company’s decision to locate a new facility in New Mexico. Of the total $5 million was offered through the New Mexico Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) program which helps local governments support businesses locating in the state, focusing on job creation and economic growth through public-private partnerships. Additionally, GreenPower will receive $4.6 million in job training incentive funds (JTIP), $1.36 million in Rural Jobs Tax Credit (RJTC) and $3.65 million as part of New Mexico’s High-Wage Jobs Tax Credit program.
The Santa Teresa Borderplex is a rapidly growing economic zone in southern New Mexico, centered around the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, a key U.S.-Mexico trade hub with major rail links (Union Pacific, BNSF) connecting to ports like Long Beach and Houston. It’s a hub for manufacturing, logistics and advanced tech, where significant state investment has been made in infrastructure, like the Border Highway Connector.
“Santa Teresa’s designation as a Foreign Trade Zone offers substantial benefits for GreenPower,” Atkinson stated. “The FTZ allows us to streamline customs procedures and cost-effective import and export operations. Most importantly it allows the Company to take financial advantage of the designation related to inventory, parts and distribution. The ability to make capital decisions without fear of tariff uncertainties is a game changer in the current environment.”
GreenPower anticipates setting up operations at the facility in Q1 of 2026 and take possession of the manufacturing plant June 1, 2026.
About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.
The post Company Cites Electric Vehicle Ecosystem, Foreign Trade Zone & Financial Incentives as Reasons for New Mexico Facility appeared first on School Transportation News.
VANCOUVER, Canada, – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (Nasdaq: GP) (“GreenPower” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced that it has received credit approval from CIBC for $5 million in financing facilities, comprised of a $3 million revolving line of credit and a $2 million term loan with a three year term. Additionally, the Company has received credit approval from CIBC to enter into a letter of credit of $450,000, secured by cash collateral, and a letter of credit facility of up to $2.5 million, which is subject to approval from another financial institution. GreenPower’s transaction with CIBC is subject to finalizing documentation, as well as satisfaction of all closing conditions, and all parties are actively working towards a timely completion. In addition, GreenPower has announced that it has closed $5 million in term loans from two family offices, which have provided personal joint and several guarantees in support of these credit facilities. A portion of the net proceeds from the financings will be used to repay and close the Company’s existing operating line of credit, with the remainder used for general corporate purposes. These transactions represent an important step in the recapitalization of the Company and will allow GreenPower to accelerate production of all-electric vehicles to fulfil existing customer orders.
The Company has agreed to issue 3,205,128 non-transferable share purchase warrants (each, a “Loan Bonus Warrant”) to one of the family offices. Each Loan Bonus Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a “Share”) at an exercise price of US$0.78 per Share for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the closing date of the Loan. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to one of the family offices an aggregate of 641,025 Shares (each a “Loan Bonus Share”). The family offices are each considered to be a “related party” within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”) and each of the loans with the family offices and issuance of Loan Bonus Warrants and Loan Bonus Shares, as applicable, is considered to be a “related party transaction” within the meaning of MI 61-101 but each is exempt from the formal valuation requirement and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemptions contained in Sections 5.5(g) and 5.7(e) of MI 61-101.
All securities issued in connection with the loans with the family offices will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing of the loan in accordance with applicable securities legislation.
About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com
The post GreenPower Announces US$10 Million Financing and US$2.95 Million in Standby Letter of Credit Facilities appeared first on School Transportation News.
A memorial grows Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 on the spot where an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, 37, the previous day. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, was a poet and a mother of 3. She moved to the city with her wife and 6-year-old son almost a year ago.
Good’s wife, Rebecca Good, told the Washington Post that they had stopped to support neighbors when she was shot by the ICE agent, who has been identified as Jonathan Ross by the Star Tribune.
“On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Rebecca Good said in a statement to the Post and other media outlets on Friday.
“We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness,” the statement continues. “Renee lived this belief every day. She is pure love. She is pure joy. She is pure sunshine.”
Renee Good, 37, was a mother to a 15-year-old daughter and two sons, ages 12 and 6, her first husband told the Post. Online records and interviews with media outlets from family and friends paint her as a caring person and an avid writer who enjoyed movies, making art, singing and playing guitar. Her first husband described her as a devoted Christian to the Post.
She studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, graduating in December 2020. She won an undergraduate poetry prize in 2020 for her poem “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” which the contest judge described as “a meditation that leads the reader into the unknown.”
“May Renee’s life be a reminder of what unites us: freedom, love, and peace,” university president Brian O. Hemphill said in a statement. “My hope is for compassion, healing, and reflection at a time that is becoming one of the darkest and most uncertain periods in our nation’s history.”
She was originally from Colorado Springs, Colo. She lived in Kansas City, Mo., with her wife before moving to Minnesota. Their former neighbor in Kansas City told the Post that the couple said they wanted to move out of the red state after President Donald Trump was elected in 2024.
Her second husband, Tim Macklin, died in 2023 and was a military veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, reported the Post. He was also a comedian with whom she co-hosted a podcast, according to a post on the Old Dominion University English department Facebook page.
A faculty member who taught her, Kent Wascom, described her to the Post as a poet who was focused on improving her fiction writing and who, unlike peers, never talked about politics.
“She was kind and talented, a working class mom who put herself through school despite circumstances that would’ve crumpled the pathetic rich boy politicians who sadistically abetted her murder,” Wascom said in an X post.
Good described herself as a “poet and writer and wife and mom and sh*tty guitar strummer from Colorado” who is “experiencing Minneapolis” on what appears to be her now-private Instagram page.
Good’s life was honored by thousands at a vigil Wednesday in Minneapolis. The site of her killing has become a memorial to her, where people have placed candles and flowers.
This story was originally produced by Minnesota Reformer, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Local police officers stand guard as Renee Good's car is towed away after ICE officers shot and killed a woman through her car window Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 near Portland Avenue and 34th Street. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
The Trump administration made its opinion known almost immediately after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday: The officer acted heroically in defending himself from Renee Nicole Good, who was intent on running him over with her Honda Pilot in an act of “domestic terrorism.”
“The officer, fearing for his life and other officers around him and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training to save his own life and that of his colleagues,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a news conference in Minneapolis.
A jury might very well disagree after seeing footage of the incident, like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey who called ICE’s claim of self-defense “bullsh*t.”
But the Trump administration seems intent on blocking local prosecutors from even bringing charges against the ICE officer, who the Star Tribune identified as Jonathan Ross.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office took the unusual step soon after the shooting of ousting the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the investigation into the killing.
The BCA typically investigates police shootings in the state, and was on the scene in south Minneapolis on Wednesday collecting evidence as part of a joint investigation with the FBI.
Then the U.S. Attorney’s Office “reversed course” and decided the investigation would be led solely by the FBI, said Drew Evans, BCA superintendent, in a statement.
“Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands,” Evans said. “As a result, the BCA has reluctantly withdrawn from the investigation.”
Gov. Tim Walz during a Thursday press conference expressed doubt about the results of any investigation conducted by the federal government because Minnesota officials have been purposefully excluded.
“Now that Minnesota has been taken out of the investigation, it feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome,” Walz said. “People in positions of power have already passed judgment … and told you things that are verifiably false.”
If federal investigators don’t share their findings with local prosecutors, they’ll struggle to put together a case to bring charges, said former Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Anders Folk, who brought federal charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd in 2020.
“I don’t know how any prosecutor could make a charging decision without facts,” Folk said. “The local authorities are going to have to figure out a way to do their own investigation if they want to be able to evaluate whether a criminal charge can be brought.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who has jurisdiction in Minneapolis, said in a statement on Thursday that her office is searching for a way for a state level investigation to continue.
“If the FBI is the sole investigative agency, the state will not receive the investigative findings, and our community may never learn about its contents,” Moriarty said in a statement.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who will make charging decisions based on the FBI investigation, pointed the Reformer to a post on X when asked if she has commented on the case and if she believes the use of force was justified.
“Obstructing, impeding, or attacking federal law enforcement is a federal crime. So is damaging federal property. If you cross that red line, you will be arrested and prosecuted. Do not test our resolve,” the post says.
Who might do a local investigation is unclear. Folk, who is now running for Hennepin County attorney, said he’s not aware of any cases of officers shooting someone in Minnesota in which the BCA was not involved.
“They are the law enforcement organization that we as Minnesotans look to do this kind of investigative work,” Folk said.
If the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is able to complete a criminal investigation and file charges, they face another difficult task: convincing a federal judge that the ICE officer was not acting reasonably in carrying out his lawful federal duties.
If state charges are filed, the officer will likely ask to move his case to federal court to assert immunity under what’s known as the Supremacy Clause, which protects federal officials from state criminal prosecution if they are reasonably carrying out their duties. Attorneys with the Department of Justice may then assist with his defense.
Whether the officer’s actions are deemed reasonable could hinge on a range of facts from his training to his duties to his subjective beliefs and the U.S. Supreme Court has provided only minimal guidance on how to answer that question, according to Bryna Godar, a staff attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Still, she emphasized local prosecutors can and have brought charges against federal officials.
“The baseline understanding here is that states can prosecute federal officials when they violate state criminal laws,” Godar said.
If state prosecutors convince a federal judge the officer’s actions were not reasonable, they could continue bringing the case in federal court on state crimes. That’s significant because a conviction for a state crime cannot not be pardoned by the president.
Godar points in a recent article to cases going back to antebellum, when free states charged U.S. marshals for capturing enslaved people under the Fugitive Slave Act. During the Prohibition Era, local prosecutors charged federal officers for using excessive force in shutting down distilleries.
More recently, local prosecutors in Idaho brought a charge of involuntary manslaughter against an FBI sniper who shot and killed an unarmed woman during the siege on Ruby Ridge in 1992. A divided federal appeals court ruled that the case could proceed because of disputed facts over whether the agent acted “reasonably.”
“Where we see those state prosecutions going ahead is where the use of force is deemed unreasonable or excessive or unlawful,” Godar said.
But that case may offer a cautionary tale for Minnesota: The case wasn’t allowed to proceed until 2001, nearly a decade later. Then the case was dropped by the newly elected prosecutor.
Good’s killing was the ninth shooting by an immigration officer in just the past four months and at least the second killing, with all of them involving firing at people in vehicles, according to a New York Times report. On Thursday, federal agents shot two more people in Portland, Ore.
In each of the recent ICE shootings, the government has claimed the officer was acting in self-defense.
A 2024 investigation by The Trace and Business Insider found in 23 fatal shootings by ICE officers from 2015 to 2021, no officers were indicted.
Minnesota prosecutors have won convictions in recent years against officers for killing people in the line of duty — Chauvin, Kim Potter and Mohamed Noor — but they are rare and juries are generally reluctant to convict.
Yet even if a conviction seems unlikely, filing charges allows local prosecutors to register a strong protest against ICE’s aggressive enforcement actions in the state and communicate that officers may not operate with impunity. Not charging would be an admission that federal agents are immune from local accountability as the Trump administration pushes for mass deportation.
Folk said a transparent investigation with clear standards is also important for the public’s faith in the justice system.
“Minnesota has seen firsthand how important it is to do these high-profile investigations the right way,” Folk said. “We deserve a good, thorough investigation, free of any kind of influence.”
This story was originally produced by Minnesota Reformer, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Teng Vang, 43, assigned to Oshkosh Correctional Institution died Thursday at a hospital. | Photo courtesy Wisconsin Department of Corrections
A ‘physical disturbance’ involving three incarcerated people occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Oshkosh Correctional Institution, Oshkosh police said in a statement. The department said it is investigating a death that occurred after the disturbance.
Beth Hardtke, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, told the Examiner that Teng Vang, 43, died Thursday at a hospital. He was assigned to Oshkosh Correctional Institution.
Police said a 43 year-old incarcerated person who assaulted another incarcerated person was secured by prison staff. He experienced a medical emergency and was transported to a local hospital.
Hardtke wrote that the Oshkosh Police Department is investigating the death and the Department of Corrections is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Vang was found guilty of crimes including attempted first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He was released on extended supervision in 2022, which was revoked in 2024.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
A section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall near El Paso, Texas, on June 6, 2024. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, joined at the U.S.-Mexico border Friday by a handful of other Republican senators, highlighted the president’s signature tax cuts and spending package passed last year that provided billions for immigration enforcement.
The press conference in McAllen, Texas, came after a federal immigration officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, and two people were shot by Border Patrol agents late Thursday in Portland, Oregon.
Thune, a South Dakota Republican, touted how the tax cuts and spending package signed into law last summer also provided “for additional reinforcements,” such as the hiring of more Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
On Jan. 3, ICE announced it hired 12,000 new officers, more than doubling its force from 10,000 agents to 22,000. Thousands more are set to be hired.
The GOP-passed bill also included $4.1 billion for Customs and Border Protection to hire 5,000 customs officers and 3,000 Border Patrol agents over the next four years.
Thune said because migration at the southern border has slowed, the time has come for President Donald Trump to shift his focus to immigration reform. CBP data from November, the most recent available, shows total apprehensions at the southwest border slowed to 7,350 that month.
“I think President Trump is probably the president best equipped to lead the effort to reform immigration law in his country in a way that it creates, again, those better paying jobs, opportunities for people who come to the country legally,” Thune said. “We are a nation of immigrants, but we’re also a nation of laws, and we have to make sure we’re enforcing our laws, and that’s where it starts.”
The Trump administration has continued with its aggressive mass deportation efforts throughout the interior of the country and has moved to revoke the legal status of more than 1.5 million immigrants since taking office last January.
Thune added that the GOP bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, also provided billions for border security.
“As a result of the passage of the One Big, Beautiful bill … we got more resources down here, not only for physical infrastructure, for the wall, but for also that virtual infrastructure, for technology and counter drone technology, all those sorts of things that make it possible for the Border Patrol to do their job,” he said.
Thune was joined by Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Ashley Moody of Florida, Jon Husted of Ohio, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.
Rounds said that under the Trump administration the southern border has undergone “a remarkable transformation.”
“There is no such thing as a country that can be a superpower, or, for that matter, be free if they can’t defend their own borders,” Rounds said.
Cornyn also highlighted how the bill will reimburse, up to $13.5 billion, those border states who have spent money on immigration enforcement. He said of that money, Texas will get $11 billion.
A hemp plant at a Cottage Grove farm. Hemp, used for industrial purposes and now grown legally in Wisconsin, is made from a variety of the cannabis plant that is low in THC, the active ingredient that is responsible for the intoxicating effect of marijuana. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)
Wisconsin lawmakers are backing competing visions for the future of hemp in the state. One proposal, (SB 682), was discussed during a Thursday meeting of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. The bill would create a regulatory structure for hemp-derived cannabis products which would preserve the state’s hemp industry despite a federal ban set to take effect in November. Without state-level intervention, or the federal government choosing to reverse course, hemp growers and distributors fear that Wisconsin’s $700 million industry and about 3,500 jobs will disappear.
Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), chair of the Agriculture and Revenue Committee presented the bipartisan hemp bill to his committee, which he authored with bipartisan support. Testin’s legislation would define hemp as cannabis plants with no more than 0.3% of delta-9 THC (or the maximum concentration allowable under federal law up to 1%, whichever is greater) and define “hemp-derived cannabinoids” as any such compound extracted from the hemp plant. THC concentrations would be determined using specific high-performance testing methods.
Wisconsinites would need to be at least 21 years old to purchase hemp-derived cannabinoid products under the bill, which mandates that products undergo independent lab testing to ensure that they contain the amount and type of cannabinoids described on the product’s label. This practice, known as truth-in labeling, is something the hemp industry has called for in recent years.
Products could not be sold under the bill without labeling including contact information for the manufacturer or brand owner, serving sizes per container of product, ingredient lists including allergens, potency labeled in milligrams, and any necessary warnings. Under the bill, hemp-derived products could not contain more than 10 milligrams of THC in a single serving.
Testin said Thursday that globally, the industrial hemp market was valued at roughly $11 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach $48 billion by 2032. “Despite its wide availability, the regulation of [hemp-derived cannabinoid] products is essentially non-existent, leaving a patchwork of different approaches taken by states across the country,” he said.
In Wisconsin, such products “are generally recognized as legal but unregulated,” Testin said. “There are no state laws that restrict the sale to minors, regulate the potency or content of [hemp-derived cannabinoid products], or establish labeling or packaging requirements.” Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee and other states have moved to enact their own regulations, Testin said. “Regulations are needed to eliminate the current uncertainty regarding the status of [hemp-derived cannabinoid products], provide stability and certainty for businesses looking to enter this segment of the economy, and enact public safety regulations.”
Both Testin and Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) have worked on hemp laws for Wisconsin since the federal Farm Bill passed in 2018. “I’ve actually grown hemp,” said Kurtz, recalling that in 2019 “it was kind of a wide open market.” People that Kurtz and others called “bad actors” throughout the hearing also rode the hemp wave, seeing it as a “get rich quick scheme.” Kurtz said that today, the hemp industry is filled with people who want to do the right thing, but that “bad actors” have persisted.
Kurtz said SB 682 is designed to ensure that Wisconsinites “get the very best product, and they know what they’re getting.” He stressed that “if we do nothing, then hemp is going to be illegal at the federal level…but it will still be legal here in the state of Wisconsin. So I think it would behoove us to work together, get a good compromise, a good common sense piece of legislation to make sure that we — in my humble opinion — protect our constituents, but also protect an industry that I think is needed.”
Although hemp would be illegal at the federal level, a state-level industry could still operate similarly to the way some states have fully legal recreational or legalized cannabis programs, largely because the federal government has not cracked down on those industries.
Testin added that “regardless of anyone’s thoughts as it relates to cannabis and cannabinoids, it’s here. And obviously we have a lot of different approaches as to how to best move forward.” He repeatedly took aim at the “stupidity” of what he described as “our overlords” in Washington D.C., but also criticized other hemp-related bills being pushed in Wisconsin. Whereas some Republicans are seeking to ban hemp products outright, others have differing ideas about how a legal industry should be regulated.
A bill introduced by Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto), SB 681, would require that manufacturers and distributors of hemp-derived cannabinoid products have permits. Products would be sold under a three-tier system, and would be regulated similarly to alcohol under the Division of Alcohol Beverages, a component of the Department of Revenue, which would be renamed to the Division of Intoxicating Products.
Although both Testin and Wimberger’s bills have gained bipartisan support, Testin described Wimberger’s bill as “the dead bill” and “deader than dead.” Testin argued that SB 681 would over-regulate the hemp industry, and even lead to a monopolization effect where a small number of entities could control who gets hemp permits, shape an otherwise competitive market, and operate in a “good ol’ boys club” manner.
Sen. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi) highlighted the divide among state Republicans over hemp and cannabis products, stressing that Democrats are not the ones holding up legalization and regulation.
The committee room was filled with people from across the hemp industry who listened to the conversation. When lawmakers questioned how to ensure that children do not acquire intoxicating hemp products, distributors and manufacturers pointed to age-verification software even for online sales, which require a photograph and image of a driver’s license to approve an order. There was also discussion about how to prevent products from being marketed to children using cartoon-like advertising and appealing candy wrappers.
Some veterans testified, describing how hemp helped them alleviate pain, kick addictive pain killers, soothed PTSD symptoms, and calmed the body for sleep. Other testimony centered on the danger involved in crossing state lines to Michigan or Illinois to acquire cannabis to treat various medical conditions. Hemp farmers stressed that they need to know now how they will be affected by a looming federal ban as they decide when or whether to plant their crops in the spring.
Much of the public testimony was supportive of Testin’s bill, though some speakers said that it needed to be amended to protect farmers and growers, and also expand the kinds of products it would cover including drinks and gummies.
“Yes, we are now in a scenario where there are intoxicating hemp products,” said Testin. “But just no different than anything like beer, wine, or alcohol, we need to have some sensible regulations put in place, which this bill aims to do just that.”
As for “concerns about getting baked or getting high from these products,” Testin added, “it’s no different than those individuals who go out and consume too many old fashioneds at fish fry on a Friday night, or have too many beers. It’s about personal choice and responsibility, but at the same time making sure that we have some regulations put in place.”
The hemp industry deserves to “thrive and grow,” Testin said, while the public deserves protection and to know “that this stuff isn’t falling into the hands of people it shouldn’t be in, like kids.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy speaks to Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) after delivering testimony on AB 678. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)
Wisconsin school districts would be required to establish policies on appropriate communication between students and staff members before the next school year, under a bill that received a public hearing Thursday.
The bill comes in reaction to a report from the Capital Times in November that found over 200 investigations into teacher licenses due to allegations of sexual misconduct or grooming from 2018 to 2023. Another bill coauthored by Nedweski, AB 677, making grooming a felony crime in Wisconsin received a public hearing earlier this week.
“Many of these cases begin with the erosion of professional boundaries when a school employee starts communicating with the students inappropriately often outside of school hours and without parent knowledge usually through the use of text messaging and social media,” Nedweski told the Assembly Education Committee. “While the vast majority of school staff use these tools responsibly, a small number have exploited that access — sometimes leading to devastating consequences.”
AB 678 would require Wisconsin school boards to adopt a policy on appropriate communications between students and employees or volunteers in the school district.
“This bill preserves local control. It does not mandate a one-size-fits-all policy; instead it allows each school district to determine what communication policies work best for its own community,” Nedweski said.
The policies would need to include specific consequences for staff who violate the policy and specify that it applies to communications during and outside of school hours. The policy would need to include standards for appropriate content and methods of communication.
An amendment to the bill, which Nedweski said came at the request of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and other stakeholders, would require annual training for employees on identifying, preventing and reporting grooming and professional boundary violations.
The Department of Public Instruction has worked with Nedweski on the legislation and supports it.
“We think this is a good effort to get the conversation started,” Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy said, noting the agency has been working on policy related to appropriate communication for over eight years. He said there are a lot of districts that are using technology for software that allows them to track communications.
“There’s a bit of a dichotomy with this issue. We know that in order to educate kids we need to foster and build relationships with students and families, and so we do encourage appropriate communication in every school district,” McCarthy said, adding that the policy and training would be critical. “You will find some circumstances where you’re going to want communication and it might not be as neat and tidy as you’d expect it to be. There are always emergency circumstances where a teacher might need to call a student directly… so we want some policies to be flexible to address those areas.”
Chris Kulow, director of government relations for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB), said the organization had some concerns about the language in the bill related to consequences. He testified for information only, noting the issue of communication between staff and students is not new to school districts.
“Although recent news coverage and increased interest from state policymakers may make this appear to be a new issue, it is not new to schools. School boards have long recognized the need for policies addressing appropriate communication and professional boundaries between pupils and staff. Many districts have already adopted such policies,” Kulow said. “This bill may require some districts to update existing policies to reflect its specific language and to the extent it prompts boards to review and strengthen policies is beneficial.”
Kulow said complying with the provision related to consequences as currently written would be challenging as violations can vary widely and require a wide range of responses. The organization wanted the provision removed, but said Nedweski wanted something related to be included in the bill.
“Attempting to predetermine specific consequences for every specific scenario may be impractical and could complicate the disciplinary process,” Kulow said. “We suggested revising the language in the bill to read that ‘the school board shall include in the policy a range of consequences up to and including termination.’”
The bill currently only covers Wisconsin public schools, though Nedweski told Democratic lawmakers, who expressed concerns about the bill not including the state’s private voucher schools, that she is working on an amendment.
“We need to protect all kids. This is such a growing problem. We’ve seen just an increase in inappropriate communication,” Nedweski said.
Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), also asked whether lawmakers would be open to including funding for school districts to support the implementation of the bill.
Nedweski said she hasn’t had any requests for funding from schools or the DPI throughout the development of the bill.
“I think it’s a serious enough issue, a weighty enough issue, that all schools can find the resources to craft a policy and do some training to make sure they are protecting children,” Nedweski said, adding that DPI already has modules related to this type of training.
McCarthy said additional funding, including the release of $1 million set aside for the agency in the state budget, could help speed along the process. Those funds, which sit in a supplemental fund, can only be released by the Joint Finance Committee. He said without the funds the agency could potentially have to cut down on staff and other areas of its operations, which could affect how quickly work is done.
Under the bill in its current form, school boards would need to adopt a policy by July 1, 2026.
McCarthy said DPI would like to see an amendment that would move the deadline for policy adoption to a later date, saying DPI may need a longer “runway” to ensure the agency has time to change and update policies and training if needed. He told the Wisconsin Examiner that some of the changes could be necessary if Nedweski’s grooming bill becomes law.
Rich Judge, assistant state superintendent for the division of government and public affairs, also noted that school boards would need to have time to meet, develop and approve policies.
Nedweski said in a written statement to the Examiner that she is taking the agency’s suggestion under consideration and is discussing potential dates. One potential date could be Sept. 1, 2026, she said.
“If AB 678 is signed into law, the goal is for school districts to have these policies in place for the 2026–27 school year,” Nedweski said. She noted that some of the agency’s concerns are tied to her other bill. “This only underscores the importance of passing AB 677 and getting it signed into law promptly to ensure that districts across Wisconsin can take the necessary steps to better protect students in school.”
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