Midwest

Wisconsin governor's push to erase gendered language from state law ignites debate

Published

1 year ago

March 5, 2025

Wisconsin governor's push to erase gendered language from state law ignites debate

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to apparently remove gendered language from state law is sparking debate about the impact it could have on the family and society at large.

Evers has come under fire after introducing a budget recommendation that would change the word “mother” to “inseminated person” in the context of IVF and “paternity” to “parentage” in some parts of state law.

The Evers administration’s budget recommendation for the 2025-2027 fiscal period also advises several other gendered terms be changed. References to “wife” or “husband” are changed to “spouse” in the proposal. In other places, the word “father” is changed to “parent,” and “mother” is swapped out for the phrase “parent who gave birth to the child.”

Now, critics are analyzing the impact these changes could have on culture as a whole.

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Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks to supporters during an election night event at The Orpheum Theater on November 8, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

Jay Richards, the director of the DeVos Center for Life, Religion and Family, argued that the proposal is an “ideological campaign” and explained that understanding reality is partly shaped by the language the culture uses. If people cannot distinguish between the sexes in language, it will be more difficult for young people to understand the reality of sex and marriage, he argued.

“If somebody says these kind of word changes are not a big deal, I always say, ‘OK, then why are you trying to do it?’ ….Clearly, somebody thinks it’s a big deal, or they would not have bothered to actually do it,” he told Fox News Digital.

Richards said that gender ideologues are trying to “erase language that would refer to the reality of sex” and proposals like Evers’ could cause confusion among young people about marriage. The most “perverse” consequence of gender ideology, he argued, is that many children growing up in 2025 entertain the “thought that they might be born in the wrong body.”

“In other words, that their self and their body are these two fundamentally different things, and so if they feel discomfort with their body, rather than learning to become satisfied and content with their body, they imagine that through drugs and surgery, they can transform their body to conform to some kind of internal idea,” he said. “That, to me, is the most toxic aspect of gender ideology because it essentially alienates children from the bodies that God has given them.”

Laura Dunn, a civil and victims’ rights attorney and Bailey Duquette partner, had a different perspective, explaining she is “happy” and “hopeful” to see Evers’ proposed changes because they take into consideration “generations that are feeling more free to express gender identity” while under “heavy attack.”

Dunn argued that those hoping to stick to the “gender binary” don’t often consider the “real-life consequences from individuals who are being discriminated, targeted, harassed and even abused as a result of breaking those forced norms and deciding to identify how they want.”

“Our Constitution doesn’t just guarantee liberty, it actually guarantees the pursuit of happiness, which is self-expression, which is allowing people to identify how they feel,” she said. “It is inherently part of the freedom of our country to have more openness and inclusiveness, and it’s very alarming in this political era, to see a backlash against that.”

Evers defended the changes by arguing they’re designed to provide legal clarity in state law for families and those who use IVF.

“What we want is legal certainty that moms are able to get the care they need,” Evers told reporters in Wausau on Monday. “That’s it. End of story.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Evers, and his office did not respond to requests for comment. However, he has argued the proposals are designed to provide legal clarity in state law for families and those who use IVF.

“What we want is legal certainty that moms are able to get the care they need,” Evers told reporters last month. “That’s it. End of story.”

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Michigan

Show your Holland, Michigan pride with tulip themed gear from the Holland Sentinel

Published

28 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

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Show your Holland, Michigan pride with tulip themed gear from the Holland Sentinel

Spring in Michigan comes alive with one thing: tulip season, with millions of tulips blooming across the state.

Anyone who’s experienced the Tulip Time Festival in Holland knows it’s more than just fields of flowers— it’s a lively mix of parades, Dutch heritage, concerts, magic shows and a weeklong celebration built around one of Michigan’s most beloved traditions.

Whether you’re heading there this year or just want to celebrate spring at home, official merchandise from The Holland Sentinel offers an easy way to do exactly that. From meaningful keepsakes to everyday essentials, these pieces help keep the tulip season alive long after the last petals fall.

Here’s everything to know to shop our exclusive Holland Sentinel Tulip Festival merch.

Get Holland Sentinel Tulip Festival merch

Heading to the Tulip Festival in Michigan? Shop tulip-themed merch

The Sentinel Tulip Dad Hat

The Holland Sentinel Tulip Stainless Steel Tumbler

The Holland Sentinel Tulip Reusable Shopping Bag

The Holland Sentinel Tulip Teddy Bear

The Holland Sentinel Tulip Windmill Bandana

When is the Tulip Time Festival?

The Tulip Time Festival is taking place now through May 10, 2026. It’s a world famous tulip festival that makes for a perfect spring getaway.

Where is the Tulip Time Festival?

The Tulip Time Festival is in Holland, Mich. which transforms a charming Lake Michigan destination into a sea of vibrant color every spring.

Shop the entire Holand Sentinel Tulip collection

How many flowers are at the Tulip Time Festival

There are expected to be five million tulips at this year’s Tulip Time Festival.

How old is the Tulip Time Festival

This year will be the 97th edition of the Tulip Time Festival, with the first show dating back to 1929.

How long does shipping take at USA TODAY Co. Store?

Orders typically are processed and shipped within two to five business days. However, this doesn’t include pre-order items, which will have their shipping estimates listed in the product description.

Shop the full Tulip Festival collection

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Minnesota

Man, 19, faces charges in stolen car crash that injured Minnesota state trooper

Published

40 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Press Room

Man, 19, faces charges in stolen car crash that injured Minnesota state trooper

A 19-year-old man is accused of driving a stolen car and crashing into a Minnesota State Patrol squad car in Minneapolis Friday evening, injuring three people, including a trooper.

Officials say the incident started around 10:30 p.m. in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. The criminal complaint says Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a stolen red Hyundai and were following it when the driver of the car started to flee and drive recklessly.

The Hyundai entered Minneapolis and the deputies turned off their lights and stopped pursuing the car, the charges say. The car drove through Aldrich Avenue and 46th Street at approximately 80 mph, blowing through a stop sign before crashing into the side of a state patrol vehicle.

The 19-year-old, who was driving the Hyundai, fled on foot but was apprehended a short time later, the complaint says.

The trooper was hospitalized with a fractured right fibula and a fractured left scapula, court documents say. The two passengers in the Hyundai were also both taken to the hospital; one had a compound neck fracture and brain bleed, while the other had neck pain, the complaint says.

According to the charges, the teenager told police in a post-Miranda statement that it’s fun to drive around in stolen vehicles.

He faces three counts of criminal vehicular operation, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of fleeing a peace officer.

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Missouri

Mizzou linebacker arrested, accused of fleeing traffic stop on Broadway

Published

52 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Press Room

Mizzou linebacker arrested, accused of fleeing traffic stop on Broadway

COLUMBIA — Freshman Mizzou linebacker JJ Bush was arrested late Monday night after he allegedly fled from police on East Broadway, according to court documents.

Bush, 18, was booked into the Boone County Jail early Tuesday and faces charges of aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, a class D felony, and operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, a class B misdemeanor, according to court records. He has since bonded out of jail.

Police saw a white Ford Mustang traveling around 50 mph on Trimble Road around 9:55 p.m. Monday, where the speed limit is 35 mph, according to a probable cause statement. Trimble Road is a short road between Conley Road and East Broadway in east Columbia next to several shopping centers and restaurants.

Police started following the vehicle and reported that it rapidly accelerated beyond the speed limit when it turned onto East Broadway, heading east in the direction of Old 63, according to the probable cause statement. Police estimated the vehicle reached speeds of 80 mph in the area, where the speed limit is 40 mph, according to the statement.

The officer activated their emergency lights and sirens in the area of East Broadway and Trimble Road and pursued the vehicle on East Broadway for over 20 seconds, during which the vehicle changed lanes to overtake other vehicles, according to the probable cause statement.

Police stopped the driver on East Broadway at the intersection with Old 63, where vehicles in all three westbound lanes were stopped at a red light, according to the probable cause statement. A video obtained by KOMU 8 News shows at least six law enforcement vehicles stopped with a vehicle matching the description of Bush’s vehicle in the area at the time of the traffic stop.

Police arrested Bush, the driver of the vehicle, at the scene, according to court documents. Bush allegedly told officers that he did not see the police vehicle until its emergency lights were activated, according to court documents. The officer wrote in the probable cause statement that the emergency lights were activated for over 20 seconds before the vehicle came to a stop.

Bush allegedly said he did not continue to speed after the officer activated their emergency lights and said “that’s just how my car is,” according to the probable cause statement. He allegedly admitted to going between 80 mph and 90 mph and said it was a bad decision, according to the statement.

The probable cause statement indicated there was another person in the vehicle while Bush was driving.

A statement KOMU 8 News obtained from Mizzou football head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Bush is suspended from the team.

“We are disappointed in JJ’s actions,” Drinkwitz said in the statement. “He is indefinitely suspended from the team as the legal process plays out.”

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