The Capitol Report

Donald Trump’s win in Wisconsin still lingers in the minds of national Democrats, especially for those who helped Barack Obama win here twice.

With the upcoming state Supreme Court race next month and big fall races for governor and U.S. Senate, some other contests like attorney general are chugging along without much attention.

Mike Haas, who came under fire from Senate Republicans, will be easing out of his job as the top administrator at the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Wisconsin Rep. John Macco, chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, suggests a comprehensive tax overhaul could include cutting $2.5 billion worth of state exemptions. 

Workers, advocates and Democratic state lawmakers met on the 25th anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to speak against GOP legislation they say would curtail protections for workers. 

Interest groups spent about $2.7 million more to lobby the Capitol in the last half of 2017 as the state budget dragged on, compared with the same period in 2015, a WisPolitics.com review shows. 

More than half of the appointees on the state Elections and Ethics commissions continued to make political donations to state candidates and groups even after joining the bodies, according to a WisPolitics.com check of campaign finance reports.

Republicans at the Wisconsin state capitol are working hard to curry favor with rural voters in this election year of 2018.

Republicans in Madison and Washington are working to rein in those who get taxpayer-funded aid amid worries from social service advocates that the poor and underemployed are being unfairly targeted.

The state’s first-ever advertising campaign to attract and retain Wisconsin workers is getting a thumbs-up from business and economic development leaders.