The Capitol Report

Gov. Tony Evers’ decision to issue a statewide mask mandate could set up another legal bill over the extent of his powers to combat COVID-19. But it would be with different plaintiffs and a different composition on the state Supreme Court.

The tab for private attorneys hired by Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin has now hit nearly $4.8 million for this legislative session, fueled recently by fights over Gov. Tony Evers’ orders during the COVID-19 pandemic and a string of election lawsuits.

UW System President Tommy Thompson and a coalition of shared governance groups are seeking to limit cuts to the state’s university system following Gov. Tony Evers’ call for $250 million in state agency budget cuts for the current fiscal year.

The EPA Small Refinery Exemptions update in mid-June shows the agency was considering 52 exemption petitions for Renewable Fuel Standard compliance in a big chunk of the 2010s — actions that could hurt a Wisconsin ethanol industry just beginning to come back from a pandemic-induced hit.

The state Supreme Court has declined to fast track a case seeking to force from the rolls thousands of Wisconsin voters who may have moved, making it likely the suit won’t be resolved until after the Nov. 3 election.

While the attention of media, elected officials and community leaders has been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, another crisis — opioid addiction — has worsened in Wisconsin.

Lawmakers, regents, chancellors, staff and faculty largely praised the appointment of former Gov. Tommy Thompson to serve as interim UW System President.

Coming off the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s first-ever virtual state convention, Chair Ben Wikler says the party has built a “presidential-class campaign” that will now link up seamlessly with the operation of presumptive nominee Joe Biden.

Assembly Democrats will face 22 more contested races this November than they did in 2018. Still, only a handful of those seats were even close to competitive in the 2016 presidential race, and only one is among Republicans’ top targets this fall.

Farmer interest in the state’s hemp program has remained steady despite cratering wholesale prices for the newly legalized crop.