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Lawsuit seeks to allow disabled Wisconsin voters to cast ballots electronically

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Lawsuit seeks to allow disabled Wisconsin voters to cast ballots electronically


MADISON – Four Wisconsin voters with disabilities who cannot read or mark ballots independently are suing the state elections commission in order to vote secretly by receiving and returning absentee ballots electronically.

The four voters, in conjunction with Disability Rights Wisconsin and the liberal-leaning League of Women Voters, filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court Tuesday that argues their right to a secret ballot has been disenfranchised because each are unable to receive and mark ballots independently.

“Voters whose disabilities prevent them from voting absentee without an accessibility device are therefore presented with a choice that individuals without disabilities are not: forgo voting by absentee ballot, or relinquish their constitutional right to vote privately,” attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in the complaint filed Tuesday.

The lawsuit could change the landscape of voting for residents with disabilities just four months ahead of the August primary election, possibly requiring state election officials to work quickly to implement a judge’s ruling should the courts agree.

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More: ‘They’re infringing on my right to vote’: Wisconsin Supreme Court order makes it harder for those with disabilities to vote

The voters, who are either blind or have disabilities that prevent them from being able to mark ballots by themselves, are asking a judge to declare unconstitutional the state’s prohibition on “allowing absentee ballots to be privately and independently sent, marked and returned by electronic means by voters with disabilities.”

Current law allows ballots to be transmitted electronically to voters in the military or overseas electors. All other voters must receive absentee ballots by mail and return them by mail, or to their local election clerk. The plaintiffs argue this violates their right to vote privately because they must rely on the assistance of others to mark their ballots.

“… due to their disabilities, (each) is coerced into choosing an assistant to help them vote. Each (wishes) to keep their votes secret. Each cannot do so. Each must choose between revealing their vote to an assistant, including one who they may not trust to accurately vote their ballot, or forgoing absentee ballot voting altogether,” the lawsuit argues.

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The plaintiffs argue the rules for voters with such disabilities also violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Similar lawsuits have been filed in California and Alabama and have yet to be decided.

In 2016, a federal judge overturned a Wisconsin lower court’s ruling providing similar relief but to voters who were overseas for school, research or travel. It did not address voters with disabilities, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

This story will be updated.

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.



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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

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Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars


The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.

Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.

She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, have been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter. Outagamie County Jail

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.

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Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.

The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.

The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.

Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.

Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

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Melissa Goodman
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill. WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI/YouTube

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.



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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

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‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair


When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.

Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.

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For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.

The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.

Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes:

  • Aug. 6: Sixteen Candles
  • Aug. 7 and 8: Here Come The Mummies
  • Aug. 10 and 11: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • Aug. 12: Hairbangers Ball
  • Aug. 13: Too Hype Crew
  • Aug. 14: The Gufs
  • Aug. 15: Let’s Sing Taylor – An Unofficial Live Tribute Show
  • Aug. 16: Pat McCurdy

All Bank Five Nine Amphitheater concerts are included with fair admission.

The lineup is also nearly complete for the Bank Five Nine Main Stage, with just a show on Aug. 11 to be announced.

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Tickets are on sale for these shows at wistatefair.com and include same-day fair admission:

  • Aug. 6: Hairball
  • Aug. 7: Nelly
  • Aug. 8: Bailey Zimmerman with Chandler Walters
  • Aug. 9: Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge
  • Aug. 10: For King + Country with Rachel Lampa
  • Aug. 12: John Mulaney
  • Aug. 13: The All-American Rejects with Joyce Manor
  • Aug. 14: Lindsey Stirling with PVRIS
  • Aug. 15: AJR with Em Beihold
  • Aug. 16: The Beach Boys



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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach

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Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach


WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.

According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.

UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.

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The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.

“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.

The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.

Wausau School District email to parents regarding Canvas data breach(WSAW)

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