Revenues from fees on transfers of real estate in Wisconsin increased 37% in fiscal year 2021, the largest annual increase in nearly four decades. This was driven by robust increases in real estate sales and residential property values during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the latest "Your Right to Know" column, Attorney Richard Niess says that anyone who doubts that secrecy in government breeds poor public policy should take a look at the Business Court Pilot Project launched by our Wisconsin Supreme Court.
"For the last five years, the project has granted large commercial interests outsized influence over our court system’s handling of their cases," he writes. The business court pilot debuted in 2017 in Waukesha County and the 8th judicial district (encompassing Brown, Marinette, Kewaunee, Oconto, Door, Outagamie and Waupaca Counties). It was expanded to other districts and, in a surprise move, to Dane County in 2020.
I recently re-watched “Mrs. Doubtfire” – a classic, family-friendly comedy from the 1990s that also deals with the serious topics of divorce and child custody. (Spoilers ahead.)
Even when the icy grip of winter keeps holding on, there are signs of spring around us. One sign of spring in the woods is the waking up of the bears.
The state Republican party endorsement process in Wisconsin is drawing criticism from some of its candidates as just two GOP governor and four lieutenant governor hopefuls have so far met campaign finance thresholds needed to qualify for the party’s endorsement.
A variety of legal topics will be the focus of a new twice-monthly column — Know Your Legal Rights — produced by lawyers at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
The stories will be made available to WNA members for republication at no cost, beginning April 1.
As municipal public health agencies in Milwaukee County face evolving expectations and a generational test from a global pandemic, an assessment of future challenges suggests it may be appropriate to consider options to improve the structure for delivering these services.
Polco users and readers visiting WNA member websites from March 9 to 22 were asked how they were adjusting to higher gas prices, which hit record highs earlier this month. More than half of respondents said they hadn't made any changes, while 29% were driving less and 13% said they were spending less elsewhere.
This poll question and results were made available through a partnership between the WNA and Polco to help Wisconsin newspapers better engage readers and access enhanced data and insights.
Gordon Hintz and Dianne Hesselbein were the first dominoes to fall. Now, Wisconsin Assembly Democrats will have an entirely new leadership team than the one they had just four months ago — an unheard turnover in session for a caucus.
For Chris Hardie, it’s the rare quiet times in between the rush that stand out from the noise. The waning hours of winter on the first day of spring was one of those quiet times, a chance to take in fresh air, solitude and imagine the spring that is to come.
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