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GOP leaders say Milwaukee funding could be stripped from local aid bill if deal not reached

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GOP leaders say Milwaukee funding could be stripped from local aid bill if deal not reached


Republican leaders in the state Senate and Assembly say measures to provide Milwaukee with much-needed funding could be stripped from an extensive local aid bill if a deal isn’t reached with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

In addition, deliberations on Wisconsin’s two-year budget will be put on hold after this week until the Republican-controlled Legislature and Evers come to an agreement on the bill, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters Wednesday.

Hours later, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, reiterated Vos’ stance that, if Evers doesn’t agree to a version of the bill approved by both chambers, lawmakers will advance a bill that strips provisions that would allow Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to increase their local sales tax revenue to address pension debt.

“Today we made our last, best offer to the Governor,” LeMahieu said in a statement. “If an agreement is not reached today, the Senate will pursue a shared revenue proposal that does not include an option for Milwaukee to raise additional sales tax revenue.”

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LeMahieu did not provide details on the new agreement, which comes weeks after he and Vos became divided on the Milwaukee provision in the bill.

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“The offer we put forth is fair,” LeMahieu added. “It is a product of months of work and negotiations. The Governor has a chance to save Wisconsin’s largest city and most populous county from bankruptcy. We hope he takes it.”

The hold on budget deliberations, which will begin after the Legislature’s finance committee meets Thursday, comes just a few weeks before the state’s 2023-25 two-year spending plan is slated to take effect. If Evers doesn’t sign a budget effective by July 1, the state would continue operating using spending levels set in the previous two-year budget.

This weekend – June 10th and 11th – Democrats from across Wisconsin will gather in Green Bay for their state party convention. They’ll hear from party leaders, participate in training sessions and make plans to re-elect Senator Tammy Baldwin and President Joe Biden in 2024. Watch WisconsinEye’s Newsmakers as Brown County Democrats Chair, Christy Welch and Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, talk about the Convention agenda and party goals.

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Republicans say discussion on Wisconsin’s two-year spending plan cannot proceed until an agreement is reached on the local aid bill, which boosts state funds to local communities through Wisconsin’s shared revenue program. The budget committee has yet to take up major spending items including K-12 funding and tax cuts.

“We hope to have those negotiations be successful soon so we can continue our work,” said Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who co-chairs the Legislature’s budget committee, adding that the committee can’t sign off on certain requests without knowing how much money lawmakers approve in the local funding proposal.

At its core, the measure would boost local aid by diverting 20% of the state’s 5% sales tax to local communities through Wisconsin’s shared revenue program. If signed into law, future state aid to communities and counties would be directly tied to the state sales tax. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have largely supported those provisions of the bill.

But division has surfaced between GOP leaders over a component in the bill allowing Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to increase their local sales tax revenue. Assembly Republicans passed a version of the bill allowing Milwaukee County to increase its 0.5% sales tax by 0.375 percentage points and Milwaukee to impose a 2% sales tax to fund pension debt, but only if voters approve those increases.

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Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, told reporters Wednesday putting the measure before voters would be a “death sentence” for Milwaukee because it would fail.

Before passing the amended version of the bill in May, Vos declared his chamber was done negotiating on the matter. However, LeMahieu said the following day he wants to strip the public vote measure from the bill and allow the Milwaukee Common Council and Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to approve the local tax increases — a provision opposed by Vos but supported by Evers and local officials.

LeMahieu said on WISN’s “UpFront” Sunday he didn’t have 17 Republican votes in the Senate to make the change.

“I am hopeful we will be able to find the answer on shared revenue, trying to stick with the parameters close to where the Assembly passed this bill, not having wholesale radical changes to it,” Vos said.

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Without an agreement on state funding for local communities in the next few days, Vos said, “We will just focus on the balance of the bill, which is repealing the personal property tax and making sure that every community around the state is not held hostage by Milwaukee’s problem.”

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told lawmakers last month mounting pension obligations have put Milwaukee “on a path to catastrophic budget cuts“ that would have to be made by 2025 if funding is not increased.

LeMahieu didn’t take questions from reporters after the Senate’s floor session Wednesday.

Asked to respond to Republicans’ comments Wednesday, Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said the governor’s position on the negotiations hasn’t changed since he said Wednesday morning that he hopes to figure out the proposal “by the end of this week or very soon.”

Wisconsin’s shared revenue program was created in 1911 and initially provided local municipalities 70% of state income tax collections, while counties and the state received the remaining 20% and 10%, respectively.

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Shared revenue remains among the state’s biggest programs. But the past few decades it has dropped from 12.5% of the general fund budget in 1994-95 to less than 5% now, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

GOP proposes 3.25% flat tax in Wisconsin; Gov. Tony Evers remains opposed

Evers has called for a 10% tax cut for individuals earning $100,000 or less a year and married filers making $150,000 or less.

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Low- and medium-wage earners chief targets in Gov. Tony Evers' proposed tax cuts

The governor’s budget proposal is all but certain to receive pushback from legislative Republicans, who have championed the need to implement a flat income tax in Wisconsin.

Gov. Tony Evers prioritizes mental health funding, education in State of the State address

Evers on Tuesday also unveiled proposals to cut taxes, increase local government funding, spend more than $100 million to deal with PFAS contamination and support child care providers.

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Both sides say they want to improve mental health in Wisconsin, but GOP not sold on price tag

Around a third of students across Wisconsin feel sad and hopeless almost every day, according to the Office of Children’s Mental Health.

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Wisconsin's projected surplus exceeds $7 billion

Wisconsin’s latest fiscal outlook projects the state will wrap up the current fiscal year with about half a billion dollars more than previous projections.

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Wisconsinites will likely see a tax cut this year. Whose will go down the most?

The two top options being discussed are adjusting the state’s income tax to benefit middle class earners or eliminating the current tax and creating a 3.25% flat tax.

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Gov. Tony Evers calls for increased aid for veterans related to housing, employment, mental health services

Evers will unveil his formal budget request on Feb. 15. From there, the Republican-controlled budget committee will rewrite the document before sending it back to the governor.

Drunken driving penalties raised under Tony Evers budget proposal

Of the more than 4.2 million licensed drivers in Wisconsin, 770,000 had at least one OWI citation or conviction as of the end of 2021.

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Wisconsin

How Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr performed in No. 7 Kansas' loss to No. 2 Iowa State

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How Wisconsin transfer A.J. Storr performed in No. 7 Kansas' loss to No. 2 Iowa State


Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr saw increased playing time in No. 7 Kansas’ loss to No. 2 Iowa State on Wednesday.

The former Badger saw 10 minutes of action in the 74-57 defeat and totaled five points, two rebounds, two assists and a block on two-of-six shooting and zero-of-two from three.

 Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s narrow win over Ohio State

The performance is a step forward for Storr, whose role had dwindled significantly over the last several weeks. Head coach Bill Self called him out publicly after a Dec. 31 loss to West Virginia, which preceded the star transfer playing just four minutes in the Jayhawks’ 19-point win over Arizona State on Jan. 8.

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Those minute totals are back in double digits, first in a Jan. 11 win over Cincinnati and now against the Cyclones. He played well in the 10 minutes of action, even igniting a mini-run to cut Kansas’ deficit from 11 to five late in the second half. In succession, Storr blocked a layup attempt, grabbed the defensive rebound, then assisted a layup on the other end. One minute later, he missed a three-pointer that would have brought Kansas to within three points.

Storr stayed on the court for the last seven minutes of the game as Kansas dealt with foul trouble to its big men. In the end, his contributions weren’t enough to keep pace with an Iowa State team that seems poised for a deep run in March.

The former Badger’s performance, while a step in the right direction, did not help his season-long averages. Those totals currently sit at 17.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 39.8% shooting and 29.7% from three. They are all lower than his production as a freshman at St. John’s, plus far from his outputs from a stellar 2023-24 campaign with the Badgers.

Storr and the Jayhawks are back on the court on Jan. 18 against Kansas State. He’ll look to carry momentum from this performance, continuing to battle for a consistent role in Kansas’ deep lineup.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion

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Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 15, 2025

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Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 15, 2025


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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 15, 2025, results for each game:

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Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

08-41-52-53-58, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

Midday: 5-8-9

Evening: 7-4-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

Midday: 1-3-8-0

Evening: 6-8-4-5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

Midday: 03-05-07-10-11-13-14-15-17-19-22

Evening: 01-03-04-07-08-10-12-13-15-19-21

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Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

01-04-09-15-26

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

06-07-12-14-20-27, Doubler: Y

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Megabucks numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

01-04-08-17-26-44

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

  • Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
  • Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
  • All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
  • Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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The number of guns caught by TSA at Milwaukee’s airport drops for third year

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The number of guns caught by TSA at Milwaukee’s airport drops for third year


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Sixteen firearms were intercepted by Transportation Security Administration officers at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport security checkpoints in 2024, the agency said in statement Wednesday.

That’s the third straight year the number of guns caught at MKE, Wisconsin’s largest airport, has dropped.

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“Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, dangerous mistake that can be easily avoided,” Wisconsin TSA Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay said in the statement. “When individuals bring firearms to our checkpoints, they are introducing a risk to everyone in the area.

“These incidents also slow down the checkpoint screening process for other travelers because when a firearm is detected, all activity in the lane comes to a complete halt until police arrive. Unloaded firearms can be packed with checked baggage and declared to the airline.”

In 2023, 19 handguns were found at MKE security checkpoints, and 21 were seized in 2022. Twenty three firearms were caught at MKE security checkpoints in 2021.

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How many people did TSA screen at Wisconsin airports in 2024?

At MKE, TSA screened nearly 3.6 million departing passengers and flight crews in 2024. Officers there discovered firearms in carry-on luggage at a rate of 4.5 firearms per million passengers screened.

This calculates to a rate of one firearm discovery for every 222,413 travelers screened.

TSA officers stopped a total of 29 firearms at Wisconsin’s commercial airports in 2024, which is down from the year before when 36 were intercepted, TSA data shows.

The other Wisconsin airport numbers were six firearms at Dane County Regional, three at Appleton International and Central Wisconsin Airport, and one at Green Bay Austin Strabel International.

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Nationally, the TSA screened more than 904 million passengers in 2024, and prevented more than 6,600 firearms from getting onto flights, down from 6,737 in 2023, the agency said in its statement.

The vast majority of the weapons caught last year – 94% of them – were loaded.

What happens when someone is caught with a gun at an airport?

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. But, in short: violators are subject to law enforcement action.

TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint also can face a civil penalty up to about $15,000, and can lose their TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years.

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Here’s how you can fly with your gun

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case. Guns need to be declared at the airline check-in counter.

Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.

To learn more

TSA posts details on how to properly travel with a firearm on its website. Travelers should also contact their air carrier for any additional requirements for flying with firearms and ammunition.



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