Wisconsin cannot gamble with sports betting. As former attorney general, I join the people of Wisconsin who have real concerns about the constitutionality of this plan.

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As the Assembly and Senate get ready to adjourn session in Madison for 2026, state legislative leaders are working behind closed doors on a deal to legalize online sports betting and give the Indigenous tribes exclusive control. 

New polling shows Wisconsinites are skeptical of the Legislature’s current plan, and for good reason. While voters aren’t uniformly opposed to online sports wagering, they strongly oppose a framework that grants exclusive control to tribal nations, limits competition, and bypasses direct voter approval. Sixty percent of likely voters oppose giving tribes a monopoly, and 86 percent believe a decision of this magnitude should be decided by the people through a constitutional amendment or referendum. (Note: Polling figures cited are from The Tarrance Group.)

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The legislation under consideration would create an unfair monopoly on online sports betting in Wisconsin. Rather than allowing well-known operators like FanDuel or DraftKings to compete in an open marketplace, the state would grant Native American tribes exclusive control as a way to try to circumvent the constitution. This approach stifles competition, limits consumer choice, and allows the monopoly holder to operate without meaningful oversight,  a setup that is neither fair nor economically responsible.

Spearers couldn’t ask for much better conditions this sunny Valentine’s Day for the opener of the sturgeon spearing season. A flyover counted 3,019 shanties across Lake Winnebago. With reports of fairly good ice conditions and water clarity throughout the lake, these spearers were pretty evenly distributed across the water.

A total of 479 lake sturgeon were harvested on Lake Winnebago, with 53 juvenile females, 239 adult females and 187 males. This puts us at about 36% of the adult female harvest cap. Most of the harvest was coming from the east side of the lake, with the Stockbridge registering the most fish with 148 registered.

A considerable number of fish were also harvested on the Upriver Lakes, with spearers harvesting 175 fish (24 juvenile females, 49 adult females and 102 males). While the 90% harvest cap for the Upriver Lakes hasn’t yet been reached, we are only 17 adult females away from that number. This means the Upriver Lakes season will likely close in the next few days as fish continue to be harvested. Upriver Lakes spearers, please make sure you are checking the daily updates for season closures as we near the harvest caps.

View the full details in today’s harvest report.

It was great to see so many families out on the ice and at the registration stations today. While it is a thrill for spearers harvesting fish, many families in the area also use this time of year to get together, reminisce about great stories and share their own traditions. This includes Jay Plonsky and Jeff Wagner, who have started to create their own stories and traditions over the last few years. This tradition includes Jay’s daughters, Scarlett and Devin, who were able to help pull the sturgeon out of the hole after their dad speared it.

There is also young Abigail Derksen. At age 13, she is proving she has what it takes. It was her second year spearing, and her second fish, a respectable 53.6 in, 34.0 lbs, M2 male. We hope we keep seeing her at registration stations for years to come. 

Another notable stat was that 17 fish over 100 pounds were harvested throughout the system. Today’s largest fish was a 148.9-pound, 75.4-inch F4 female speared Upriver by Christopher Inda. 

For those who couldn’t make it out today, there will likely be just as much excitement tomorrow around the lake. Pair that with the forecast calling for another nice, mild day, and it is a recipe for a great family adventure to see these incredible fish and the passionate people who target them. Congratulations to all successful spearers on a great opening day!

MADISON, Wis. — Nick Boyd scored 29 points and shot 5-of-7 from 3-point range as Wisconsin trounced No. 10 Michigan State 92-71 on Friday night, marking the second time in four nights that the Badgers have beaten a top-10 team.

Wisconsin (18-7, 10-4 Big Ten) is the first team to post three wins over top-10 squads this season. The Badgers won 91-88 at No. 2 Michigan on Jan. 10 and pulled out a 92-90 overtime victory at No. 8 Illinois on Tuesday.

The Badgers made their first five 3-point attempts in the opening 5½ minutes and never looked back on their way to a surprisingly easy victory that ended with a court storming.

Wisconsin never trailed and led by as many as 24. The Badgers shot 15-of-35 from 3-point range, including 10-of-17 in the first half.

Wisconsin’s 21-point win was its largest against a top-10 team in the AP Poll era (since 1948-49). The Badgers’ only other 20-point win against a top-10 opponent came on Feb. 18, 1989, against No. 5 Illinois (72-52).

Boyd scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half, while John Blackwell had 19 of his 24 in the second half. Nolan Winter added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Wisconsin.

Coen Carr had 19 points to lead Michigan State (20-5, 10-4). Jeremy Fears Jr. had 14 points and 12 assists, but he shot just 3-of-12 from the floor.

Michigan State trailed 24-14 when Spartans center Carson Cooper landed awkwardly on a drive and briefly left the game. The Badgers outscored Michigan State 8-0 while Cooper was out — completing a 15-0 spurt — and led 32-14 when he got back on the floor two minutes later.

The Spartans cut the margin to nine on a couple of occasions after Cooper returned, but Wisconsin built its lead up again and led 51-34 at the break. The margin never dipped below 15 in the second half.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.