Francesca Hong, the progressive state legislator who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for governor, is hitting the road over the next month to rally her supporters around other Democratic candidates this November.

The post Francesca Hong to campaign for David Crowley, Democratic candidates appeared first on WPR.

Proposed transmission line developments through southwestern Wisconsin have made for unlikely political bedfellows this election season.

The post Proposed transmission lines unite some Republicans and Democrats in opposition appeared first on WPR.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump to rework absentee mail-in voting requirements. But other federal efforts remain underway to obtain state voter data and investigate some states’ election processes, including Wisconsin’s.

The post After SCOTUS rejects voting changes, feds still eyeing Wisconsin elections appeared first on WPR.

David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, says he’ll push for changes to state law that would limit elected officials’ ability to profit off their offices and access.

The post David Crowley proposes plans to tackle government corruption appeared first on WPR.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion restrictions Thursday, just days after the Wisconsin Supreme Court returned to work with a newly cemented 5-2 liberal majority in place.

The lawsuit, filed in Dane County against Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, argues that two Wisconsin laws violate the state constitution’s guarantee of personal liberty.

One of those laws requires people seeking abortions to wait 24 hours between requesting an abortion and receiving one. The other states that only licensed physicians may provide abortions; this limits a person’s ability to self-administer abortion drugs through telehealth.

“This case asks our court to recognize … that our constitutional freedom includes the ability to make deeply personal decisions about our reproductive health care without unnecessary government interference,” said Tanya Atkinson, the president of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, during a press briefing announcing the lawsuit.

The case names Ozanne as a representative of all Wisconsin district attorneys because they would prosecute violations of the rule that only physicians can administer abortions, said Diane Welsh, a lawyer for Planned Parenthood.

“Anywhere in the state where an abortion would be provided, there could be criminal charges for a person who’s not a physician,” said Welsh.

Lawsuits challenging Wisconsin’s abortion restrictions have been anticipated since Roe vs. Wade — which federally protected abortion access — was overturned in 2022, effectively throwing the issue back to the states. The most significant challenge was over a Civil War-era statute that had been interpreted as banning abortion in Wisconsin and that went back into effect when Roe was overturned.

That law was at the heart of campaigns to elect liberal justices to the state Supreme Court, and last year, the high court overturned the statute, allowing abortions to be administered within the state under certain restrictions.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court found that the 19th-century law had been superseded by a series of additional restrictions passed in the ensuing decades. Immediately, abortion advocates signaled they might challenge those restrictions.

Thursday’s announcement makes good on those possibilities. In the briefing, attorneys for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin argued that requiring a physician to be present during abortions and requiring a person to receive counseling and wait a full day before receiving abortion care are unnecessary and illegal barriers to health care access.

“Through this case, we are asking Wisconsin courts to recognize that these restrictions conflict with the freedoms and protections guaranteed to each of us under our state’s constitution,” said Atkinson. “It’s about whether our constitutional freedoms belong to each of us, or whether the government can make our most personal decisions for us.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Right to Life said Planned Parenthood is seeking a “permanent constitutional shield” for abortion access.

“This lawsuit isn’t about access,” said Samantha Craig. “It’s about removing the last few guardrails standing between a woman and the procedure table. It is incredible to us that such basic protections for informed consent and women’s safety are disregarded for the sake of protecting Planned Parenthood’s abortion-first business model.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which would have the final say in the case, has a definitive liberal slant that is all but guaranteed to be in place for years to come. Liberal Justice Chris Taylor, whose 10-year term began in August, was once a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood. Liberal Justice Susan Crawford, who was sworn in a year earlier, once represented the group as a private attorney.

This story was originally published by WPR.

As Wisconsin Supreme Court starts new term, Planned Parenthood challenges abortion restrictions is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion restrictions Thursday, arguing that the laws in question violate the state constitution.

The post As Wisconsin Supreme Court starts new term, Planned Parenthood challenges abortion restrictions appeared first on WPR.

Absentee ballots are on their way to some Wisconsin voters, even as President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting is in the courts.

The post Absentee ballots on their way to Wisconsin voters, as Supreme Court considers Trump’s restrictions appeared first on WPR.

This week, a few dozen Wisconsin Republicans will travel to Dallas for their party's midterm convention. Others are staying home as President Donald Trump's approval ratings hit record lows.

The post Wisconsin Republicans are heading to a midterm convention. What is that? appeared first on WPR.

President Donald Trump's administration says it is pulling accreditation from more than 100 trucking schools, including three in Wisconsin, as part of its effort to crack down on immigration.

The post Wisconsin trucking schools among dozens shuttered as part of immigration crackdown appeared first on WPR.

In Wisconsin, a recent example can be found on the campaign social media of U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, who is running a competitive reelection bid.

The post Video in competitive congressional race spotlights challenge of regulating AI-generated political content appeared first on WPR.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing President Donald Trump to advance his plan to restrict voting by mail won't be the final word ahead of Wisconsin's November election, Wisconsin election officials say.

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A recent attack on Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, accuses him of being in the pocket of “data center special interests.”

The post Amid data center attacks, Crowley seeks to balance union support, public opinion appeared first on WPR.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has won the Democratic primary for governor, a shocking outcome for a candidate who briefly suspended his floundering campaign roughly a month ago.

The post In shocking comeback, David Crowley wins Democratic primary for governor appeared first on WPR.

Wisconsin Democrats’ efforts to flip control of the state Senate runs through just a handful of districts — and the most competitive of those will be in a newly-drawn district in southwest Wisconsin.

The post 3 Democrats vie for competitive Senate seat that could determine majority appeared first on WPR.

Madison's police chief said between 30 and 40 protesters remained in the streets for hours overnight, setting fires and expanding the footprint of their nearly two-week-old protest.

The post Arrest count at Madison encampment site climbs to 22 after overnight skirmishes appeared first on WPR.

A new campaign finance report details the chaotic end to Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s campaign for governor, including the reimbursement of an ostensibly independent outside group for nearly $53,000.

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With mail-in voting under scrutiny and two weeks out from Wisconsin’s midterm primary elections, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, on Friday toured Milwaukee’s elections operations center in an effort to promote voter confidence.

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Mainstream Democrats hope he can win the primary over Madison Rep. Francesca Hong, the democratic socialist. But this late in the campaign, it's a risky political bet.

The post Mainstream Democrats pin hopes on David Crowley’s reboot campaign for governor appeared first on WPR.

With her democratic socialist brand of politics, Madison Rep. Franceca Hong is defining the terms of the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin. Mainstream Democrats are worried she would lose in November and are scrambling for an alternative.

The post Francesca Hong has defined Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor appeared first on WPR.

An immigration judge took testimony all day Wednesday in the U.S. government's prosecution of Salah Sarsour, the leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque who was detained by immigration officials in March.

The post Deportation hearing begins for Milwaukee Muslim leader Salah Sarsour appeared first on WPR.