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Wisconsin lawmakers consider Capitol security needs after Minnesota assassinations

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Wisconsin lawmakers consider Capitol security needs after Minnesota assassinations


In the hours after a man shot two Minnesota lawmakers in their homes on Saturday, Wisconsin’s legislative leaders issued a rare joint statement.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, were joined by Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, and Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, in condemning political violence after reports that the shootings were a politically targeted assassination and assassination attempt.

“No one should ever fear for their lives because of their service to their community,” the leaders wrote. “Political violence accomplishes nothing, and is never the answer.”

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But in the days since, even after the revelation that at least 11 Wisconsin officials were named in a manifesto by the alleged shooter, lawmakers have differed about security needs for elected officials in the state.

Speaking before the Assembly convened for a standard session on Wednesday, Vos said it was important to “take a breath and look at what’s going to be the actual best potential solution, as opposed to a knee-jerk reaction.”

“The thing that’s most scary is this didn’t occur in a Capitol (building),” he added. “It occurred at someone’s home. So the idea of trying to make the Capitol into a fortress, I don’t know if that necessarily would even have ever done anything … to help the awful situation that happened in Minnesota.”

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Vos said Republicans planned to discuss next steps but expressed doubts about the efficacy of making the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison less immediately accessible.

His caucus is not necessarily united in their response, however. Over the weekend, Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, said on WISN-TV that he wanted to see metal detectors and a ban on members of the public carrying firearms at the Capitol.

On the other side of the aisle, Democratic leaders were more vague about prospective security changes, citing safety concerns.

“I feel safe in our Capitol building. I think we’re going to continue to have conversations to make sure that everyone else feels safe as well,” Hesselbein said.

Asked about metal detectors specifically, Neubauer declined to comment.

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“We’re not going to comment at this point on specific security measures, but are open to longer-term conversations to ensure that everyone feels safe,” she said.

Heightened security measures went into effect at the Capitol this week. Wisconsin State Capitol Senate Sergeant at Arms Timothy La Sage announced Monday that Capitol Police were implementing “updated measures.” He gave few specifics, citing “operational integrity,” and did not specify whether the measures would be in place permanently.

This isn’t the first conversation about Wisconsin officials’ personal safety in recent years, a time when experts say heightened polarization has led to increased threats against politicians, judges and civil servants.

Two years ago, an armed man entered the state Capitol demanding to speak with Gov. Tony Evers. He was arrested and released, then returned and was arrested again. Evers at the time did not discuss security changes made afterwards, but said, “Anytime something like this happens, obviously they (Capitol police) reevaluate.”

Just days before the Minnesota shootings, the Legislature’s budget-writing committee considered a proposal to increase funding security for Wisconsin Supreme Court justices. The request comes amid increased threats against federal judges in recent months, and as the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office has identified dozens of “credible, identified threats” against Wisconsin Supreme Court justices in the last three years — and dozens in just the first few months of this year.

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The GOP-held Joint Finance Committee ultimately rejected Evers’ $1 million budget request, arguing the Capitol Police force protects justices, too.

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Ahead of fishing opener, health officials update fish consumption guidelines

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Ahead of fishing opener, health officials update fish consumption guidelines


The new fish consumption guidelines include warnings about eating too much fish caught in northeastern Minnesota lakes and rivers, where fish tend to have higher mercury levels. And the state warns against consuming fish from the Vermillion River, south of the Twin Cities, because of PFAS contamination.



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Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante wins men’s college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award

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Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante wins men’s college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award


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Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante is the winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in men’s college hockey.

He edged fellow finalists, T.J. Hughes, a senior forward from Michigan, and Eric Pohlkamp, a junior defenseman from the University of Denver.

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Plante scored 25 goals and had 52 points in 40 games in his second season with the Bulldogs. The 2024 second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings finished third in NCAA Division I scoring behind Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach (59) and Hughes (57).

He’s the first Minnesota Duluth player to win the award since Scott Perunovich in 2020 and the seventh overall.

Plante’s father, former NHL player Derek Plante, also played for Minnesota Duluth and was a Hobey Baker top 10 finalist in 1993.

Michigan State’s Trey Augustine was named the top goaltender in the Friday, April 10 ceremony. He went 24-9-1 for the Spartans with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

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Wyttenbach was named college hockey’s rookie of the year.

Recent Hobey Baker Award winners

  • 2026: F Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
  • 2025: F Isaac Howard, Michigan State
  • 2024: F Macklin Celebrini, Boston University
  • 2023: F Adam Fantilli, Michigan
  • 2022: G Dryden McKay, Minnesota State
  • 2021: F Cole Caufield, Wisconsin
  • 2020: D Scott Perunovich, Minnesota Duluth
  • 2019: D Cale Makar, UMass
  • 2018: F Adam Gaudette, Northeastern
  • 2017: D Will Butcher, Denver
  • 2016: F Jimmy Vesey, Harvard



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New strain of COVID detected in 25 states including Minnesota

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New strain of COVID detected in 25 states including Minnesota


(St. Paul, MN) — State health officials are keeping an eye on a highly mutated new COVID variant called B-A 3-dot-2, or “cicada.” Minnesota Department of Health Epidemiologist Keeley Morris says, “With that many mutations it’s likely going to be pretty good at evading any immunity that people have from being vaccinated or also from prior COVID-19 infections.” She says the good news is that B-A 3-dot-2 doesn’t seem to be causing more severe illness. The C-D-C says the “cicada” variant has been detected in at least 25 states. Morris says Minnesota has detected three cases of either B-A 3-dot-2 or some of its descendants, and we also had one site that had a positive wastewater detection.



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