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Wisconsin attorney argues 175-year-old abortion ban validity to state Supreme Court

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Wisconsin attorney argues 175-year-old abortion ban validity to state Supreme Court

An attorney for a Wisconsin prosecutor made the case to reinstate a 175-year-old abortion ban to the state’s Supreme Court on Monday.

His argument comes more than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which effectively ended recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and gave states the power to allow, limit or ban the practice altogether.

In December, Sheboygan County District Attorney Joel Urmanski appealed a Dane County judge’s ruling that said there is no state ban on abortions, invalidating the 175-year-old abortion ban.

While a ruling is not expected for weeks, abortion advocates are almost certain to win the case, since liberal justices control the court.

WI REPUBLICAN PROSECUTOR PLANS APPEAL IN STATE ABORTION CASE

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Janet Protasiewicz, 60, is sworn in for her position as a State Supreme Court Justice at the Wisconsin Capitol rotunda in Madison, Wis. on August 1, 2023. (Sara Stathas for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Associated Press reported that one of the judges, Janet Protasiewicz, made remarks on the campaign trail that she supports abortion rights.

The hearing on Monday lasted about two hours, though no decision was made.

Rebecca Dallet, another liberal justice, told Matthew Thome, the attorney representing Urmanski, that the ban was passed in 1849 by white men who had all the power.

Liberal Justice Jill Karofsky pointed out to Thome that the 1849 law does not provide exceptions for rape or incest, and reactivating the ban could result in doctors not providing medical care.

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WISCONSIN DISTRICT ATTORNEY APPEALS COURT DECISION ALLOWING ABORTIONS TO RESUME WITHIN STATE

A baby at 19 weeks gestation

Ultrasound image of a baby at 19 weeks gestation. (Fox News)

Thome told the court on Monday that he was not arguing about the implications of reinstating the ban on abortion. Instead, he maintained that the legal theory of new laws repealing old ones is shaky.

He also argued that the ban and newer restrictions on abortion can overlap.

Thome pleaded to the justices that a ruling that the 1985 law effectively repealed the ban would be “anti-democratic.”

“It’s a statute this Legislature has not repealed, and you’re saying, no, you actually repealed it,” he said.

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Justice Dallet told Thome that disregarding laws passed over the last 40 years to go back to 1849 would be undemocratic.

The state’s ban on abortion from 1849 held up until 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the right to abortion nationwide in the landmark Roe v. Wade case. But when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Dobbs decision and overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, states regained the power to decide their own laws on abortion.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN TO RESUME ABORTIONS IN SHEBOYGAN BEFORE YEAR’S END

josh-kaul speaking

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul speaks at a campaign stop, Oct. 27, 2022, in Milwaukee.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit challenging the law in 2022. He argued that a 1985 Wisconsin law that allows abortions before a baby can survive outside the womb supersedes the ban.

Urmanski contends that the ban was never repealed, and it can co-exist with the 1985 law since it did not legalize abortion at any point.

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He also argues that other modern-day abortion restrictions do not legalize the practice.

Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled last year that the ban outlaws feticide, or the killing of a fetus without the mother’s consent, but not consensual abortions.

 

Because of the ruling, Planned Parenthood was able to resume offering abortions in Wisconsin after halting procedures when Roe was overturned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Detroit, MI

What’s next for Detroit as a mayoral election approaches in 2025?

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What’s next for Detroit as a mayoral election approaches in 2025?


(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit is on a rebound following years of turmoil. With a mayoral election set for next year, what will the city look like in the future?

Detroit will soon kick off a mayoral election, and a new face will lead the city after Mayor Mike Duggan announced he was not going to seek a reelection. It comes as the city emerges from its troubled past.

“We were the only major market city that filed Chapter 11. We lost our mayor, we lost our police chief, we had no city council,” said community activist Pastor Mo.

From focusing on lowering crime to boosting downtown opportunities, Pastor Mo is proud of Duggan’s work. He hopes whoever becomes Detroit’s next mayor is for the people and can help improve the public school system, among other things.

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“Bring more big businesses here and make sure Detroiters are getting those jobs and those contracts,” Pastor Mo told CBS News Detroit.

The job of a mayor can be a busy one, especially in a large city like Detroit. As the city continues to make strides in improving the quality of life for residents, some hope the community will continue to be included in those decisions.

“Let people be a part of the planning and developing. Some things you will have to make a decision on, but let the people be a part of it,” Pastor Mo said. “They could come in here and really take it off, or they can come in here and fumble the ball, the City of Detroit is looking like the Lions and Tigers.”

The Detroit Regional Chamber issued the following statement after Duggan’s announcement:

“Mayor Duggan’s administration has been marked by productive collaboration with residents, business, government, and community leaders. The Chamber hopes his successor will carry this dynamic forward. Someone attentive to Detroiters’ needs and concerns will ensure the progress made by Mayor Duggan continues.”  

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Milwaukee, WI

Metro Milwaukee home sales dipped in October while prices rise

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Metro Milwaukee home sales dipped in October while prices rise






Home sales in the four-county metro Milwaukee rose fell 1.3%, year-over-year, while at the same time sale prices rose 11.9%, according to the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors.

Median home sale prices in the four-county metro Milwaukee area were $400,028 in October, up from $357,529 for October of 2023.

“Prices are going up because the market simply does not have enough homes to meet demand, resulting in prices being pushed up as buyers bid up prices,” the GMAR report states. “Demand for homes continues to remain strong.”

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October home sales dipped in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties, year-over-year, but rose in every other southeastern Wisconsin county. Here’s the count-by-county home sale breakdown for October:

  • Racine: 216, +20.0%
  • Washington: 148, +18.4%
  • Kenosha: 176, +17.3%
  • Walworth: 131, +12.9%
  • Waukesha: 443, +11.0%
  • Ozaukee: 97, -4.0%
  • Milwaukee: 837, -9.0%



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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis replacing lead water pipes for property owners at no charge

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Minneapolis replacing lead water pipes for property owners at no charge


Minneapolis officials are working to replace aging water infrastructure, including lead pipes, at properties across the city without any charge to owners.

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READ MORE: Minnesota drinking water lead pipe address lookup, maps available

What we know

Minneapolis officials say that residents who have either a lead water service line, a galvanized water service line that requires replacement, or a water service line of unknown material, will get a letter from the city sometime this week.

That letter will reportedly provide information on the water service line material, how to minimize lead exposure in drinking water, as well as an update on the Minneapolis effort to replace lead water service lines.

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The water service line is the pipe that runs from the water main in the street to the meter inside the property.

Property owners in Minneapolis own the entire water service line, and the city needs explicit permission to replace it. 

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Anyone who receives a letter is encouraged to complete, sign and return the form. 

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State and federal funding

The city is crediting the Minnesota 2023 Lead Service Line Replacement legislation for allocating public funds for the replacement of water service lines.

Minneapolis is now using a combination of state and federal funds to replace lead water service lines “at no cost to the homeowner.”

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City officials say about 400 lead service lines will be replaced in 2024, and they plan to replace about 1,000 in 2025.

The goal is to replace every lead service line in the city with the property owner’s consent.

The legislation passed prioritizes replacement based on these criteria:

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  • Areas with lower-income residents and “disadvantaged communities.”
  • Areas with children who have elevated blood lead levels.
  • Making the most efficient use of grant funding by coordinating lead service line replacement with other improvements.

The state’s goal is to remove all lead service lines in the state by 2033.

What homeowners can do

Anyone with a lead water service line can mitigate the presence of lead by using cold water for cooking and drinking, running the water for a few minutes before using it or run the water through a lead-reducing filter or pitcher. 

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The city also shared an interactive map showing lead and non-lead service lines. 

READ MORE: Minnesota drinking water lead pipe address lookup, maps available

Minneapolis officials emphasized that the city’s water is safe to drink and is tested hundreds of times a day. 

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Minneapolis can also request a free at-home water lead testing kit.

Nationwide replacement

Back in October in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, President Joe Biden proposed a 10-year deadline for cities nationwide to replace lead pipes.

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The initiative would not begin for three years, but will have a goal to remove all lead pipes within 10 years, down from an initial 60-year time limit in an effort to prioritize safe drinking water.

The new regulation would be stricter than one proposed in 2023, and require water systems to ensure that lead concentrations do not exceed an “action level” of 10 parts per billion – a decrease from 15 parts per billion under the current standard.



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