Wisconsin
Wisconsin members of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA mourn founder’s assassination
Wisconsin members of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA say they’re shocked, saddened and angry following his assassination at a college campus on Wednesday.
Kirk, 31, died after being shot in the neck during a question and answer session at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
When University of Wisconsin-Madison junior RJ Hybben heard the news, he told WPR he felt “anger, sadness, confusion.”
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“A lot of really strong, raw emotions,” said Hybben, a former president of his campus’s chapter of Turning Point USA.
The group, founded by Kirk in 2012, mobilizes conservatives at high schools and college campuses around the nation. Hybben said he met Kirk in September, during his “You’re Being Brainwashed” speaking tour and was inspired by the campus visit.
“His energy was unmatched,” Hybben said. “His enthusiasm for what he believed in was incredible. And I think especially young men in Gen Z, think they really looked up to him as a person who was unashamed of what he believed in.”
Hybben said he awoke Thursday with feelings of sympathy for Kirk’s wife and two children. He also said he’s “more inspired than ever to get involved politically,” but seeing some on the left celebrating Kirk’s assassination also left him with a sense of fear.
“Frankly, it’s terrifying because as someone that worked for Turning Point Action, that means I’m pretty in agreement with a lot of what Charlie said,” Hybben said. “So, that basically signifies to me that if I got shot working at a political event, they would cheer and they would be happy as well. So, it’s frankly, very, very scary.”
Hybben referenced chalk drawings stating “Charlie Kirk is Dead” near the Madison campus. One of those had a heart drawn just below.
In a social media post Wednesday night, Brown County Board member and Turning Point Action Field Representative Dixon Wolfe recounted how Kirk “had a way of making politics not just accessible, but fun” when he joined the group in 2023.
“He didn’t treat it like a dull obligation or a distant world reserved for elites—he brought life, energy, and purpose to the conservative movement,” Wolfe said. “He breathed fresh air into a party that desperately needed it, and he did so by rallying young people, people my age, who otherwise might never have felt that their voice mattered.”
Wolfe’s post also spoke of Kirk’s Christian faith, which inspired him to speak his mind and hold firm to his convictions.
“And now, as we grieve his brutal and senseless murder on a college campus, my heart aches with sorrow and righteous anger. It is beyond me how our culture has allowed itself to fall into such radical hate.” said Wolfe.
Wisconsin Assembly holds moment of silence following Kirk assassination
Kirk’s role as a leader within the young conservative movement in America wasn’t without controversy. Democrats often attacked him for his criticisms of the LGBTQ+ community, not to mention his criticisms of diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI.
Still, the assassination drew widespread condemnation from both Republican and Democratic legislators in Wisconsin. At the start of a Wisconsin Assembly floor session, Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, led the chamber in a moment of silence for Kirk’s wife, two children “and the millions of people who are mourning this senseless act of political violence.”
“Many see the other party as their mortal enemies out to destroy the country, not just the good hearted political rivals that we should be,” Vos said. “That mindset makes each day a struggle between good and evil, rather than a contest between political ideas, both of which have value. Social media doesn’t help. Mainstream news doesn’t help. These bitter personal battles are wiping away any public displays of bipartisanship, and that’s a huge threat to our democracy and to our future.”
Ahead of the floor session, Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, addressed Kirk’s death and a school shooting in Colorado, news of which broke shortly after the shooting in Utah. Hesselbein said she and colleagues are still saddened about the political assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Horton.
“We stand together to condemn this violence wherever it happens, and we promise and pledge, we will work with anyone to stop this from happening again,” Hesselbein said.
Following news of Kirk’s assassination, Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, posted dozens of times on the social media site X Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. He called several people celebrating Kirk’s death on social media “scum” and repeatedly said “the gloves are off” in response to the posts.
Van Orden accused Democrats and the media of being directly “culpable” in the shooting and claimed the “democratic Party has been fostering, a 21st century Civil War.”
“I would encourage them,” he continued, “look at the results of the last one that they started.”
In response to Van Orden’s repeated comments, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, said there is no place for political or gun violence, and “Overheated rhetoric hurts us as well.”
“Read his Twitter account,” Pocan said of Van Orden’s X posts. “And ask him to tone it down. It’s crazy.”
During an appearance on WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Brian Schimming said he abhors political violence of all kinds, but videos of Kirk’s assassination spread far and wide on social media “brought it to life.”
“I just encourage the people to debate their views strongly,” Schimming said. “The people are smart. They know how to decide, but we want to make sure they hear both sides. And I think Charlie Kirk was on campus in Utah yesterday to make sure that the conservative movement was felt on that campus, and that conservative views were heard and seen on that campus. And in the case of yesterday, Charlie Kirk paid for it with his life.”
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
The following Wisconsin Rapids-area school districts have announced closures or other changes for Thursday, April 2 due to a predicted ice storm.
Watch as March 15 snowstorm blankets Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point
A snowstorm moved across Central Wisconsin March 14 and 15. As of noon March 15, between 3-19 inches of snow had fallen in the Wausau, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point areas.
As another winter storm threatens to bring significant icing across central Wisconsin Thursday, April 2, many local school districts have canceled classes or adjusted to virtual learning.
The National Weather Service has also issued an Ice Storm Warning from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday for Wood, Portage and Waupaca counties, including Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, Plover, Stevens Point and Waupaca.
The storm could bring total ice accumulations between one-quarter and one-half inch of ice and winds gusting as high as 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Power outages and tree damage are likely with the storm due to the ice.
Travel also could be hazardous due to the icy roads. The hazardous conditions will impact the Thursday morning commute. The National Weather Service “strongly discourages” people from traveling during the warning. For the latest road conditions, call 511.
Wisconsin Rapids-area school district closures
The following Wisconsin Rapids-area school districts have announced closures or other changes for Thursday, April 2.
- Assumption Catholic Schools: Assumption Catholic Schools will be closed on Thursday, April 2, according to the district’s Facebook page. Students in grades 7-12 should refer to the email and instructions they received regarding remote learning day expectations.
- Nekoosa School District: The Nekoosa School District has canceled classes for Thursday, April 2, according to an email from the district.
- School District of Pittsville: The School District of Pittsville will have a virtual learning day on Thursday, April 2, according to the district’s Facebook page. The Pittsville Child Care Center also will be closed April 2. Students and staff already are scheduled to be off for Good Friday on April 3, so they will return on Monday, April 6.
- Port Edwards School District: The Port Edwards School District will have a virtual learning on Thursday, April 2, according to the district’s Facebook page. The Student Council’s Red Carpet Semi-Formal Dance for middle-schoolers has been postponed to 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10.
- Tri-County Area School District: The Tri-County Area School District will have a virtual learning day on Thursday, April 2, according to the district’s Facebook page. Staff and students will participate in virtual education as planned by their building administration. There will be no after-school activities on April 2.
- Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools: Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools will have a remote learning day for all students on Thursday, April 2. All elementary and middle school activities are canceled. The status of after-school activities will be determined by mid- to late-morning on April 2, depending on road conditions.
Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@usatodayco.com or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @Jamie_Rokus.
More student loan borrowers are falling behind on payments than ever before. The Biden-era SAVE plan is dead. Collections are moving from one federal agency to another. New loan limits will take effect this summer.
Carol Trone can barely keep up with all of the student loan news, and she’s the executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt, a nonprofit that helps borrowers.
“I check headlines every day,” she said. “These are crazy times.”
Wisconsin has about 720,000 borrowers who hold $24 billion in federal student loan debt, according to the latest federal education data. Nearly 125,000 of them are in default, including more than 50,000 who are newly in default as of last year.
Many have questions about repayment, loan consolidation and more.
“You’re not alone,” Trone said. “The stories we hear are of frustration, confusion, loan servicers changing – it’s a lot.”
Trone encouraged borrowers to contact the coalition’s free, confidential helpline. She also broke down some of the biggest changes for 2026:
More borrowers in default
Student loan payments were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Payments resumed in 2023, but borrowers did not face credit damage or default during a yearlong “on-ramp” period. That ended Sept. 30, 2024.
A borrower is considered delinquent when they haven’t made a payment in 30 days. They are in default when they haven’t made a payment in 270 days, though it may take two additional payment cycles to be reflected on credit reports.
More borrowers are falling behind on their payments. Nearly 8 million borrowers had defaulted on $181 billion in federal student loans by the end of last year, according to U.S. Education Department data. Another 3 million loan recipients were at least three months late on their payments.
It’s the highest combined rate of serious delinquency and default since the government began its data reporting system nearly a decade ago, the New York Times reported.
Biden’s SAVE plan is dead
Former President Joe Biden first proposed canceling up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year. After the U.S. Supreme Court knocked it down, he launched a new program that promised a lower monthly bill and a shorter path to loan forgiveness than other repayment plans.
About 135,000 Wisconsin borrowers enrolled in Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education plan, also referred to as SAVE, Trone said. But several legal challenges have effectively killed the program.
SAVE borrowers need to apply to a different repayment plan, the federal education department said March 27. In July, loan servicers will begin notifying borrowers they have 90 days to switch plans or automatically be placed in the standard plan.
The new repayment options will be far less borrower-friendly, Trone said. A family of four making $84,000 would have paid $36 per month on the SAVE plan. That could jump to $440 per month.
The federal student aid website includes a loan calculator tool to get a sense of how much payments will increase and which plan will lead to the lowest payments.
Borrowers seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness face more complications
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers a path for borrowers who work in public service – such as teaching, nursing and policing – to have their debt erased after 10 years on the job.
The Trump administration is trying to change the program’s rules. The federal education department said that, beginning July 1, it would deny loan forgiveness to workers whose government or nonprofit employers engage in activities with a “substantial illegal purpose.” It could include organizations, for example, that work with undocumented immigrants or provide gender-affirming care to children.
Several predominantly Democratic cities sued last fall. The case remains pending.
Borrowers seeking public service loan forgiveness who enrolled in SAVE are caught in legal limbo. Their payments were frozen because of the court cases. But that also means they can’t make any progress toward loan forgiveness.
“Their applications are going nowhere,” Trone said. “So there’s high frustration.”
Student loan oversight moving to different federal agency
The U.S. Education Department announced the Treasury Department will assume responsibility for collecting on defaulted student loans.
The transition of the office of Federal Student Aid is happening in phases, and it’s unclear when the first phase will begin, Trone said. A borrower’s terms and interest rate won’t change during the transition. The consequences of falling behind on payments won’t change either. The government can garnish your wages, and withhold Social Security payments and federal tax refunds.
New loans subject to new borrowing limits
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill signed into law last summer, sets new caps on direct federal loans: $50,000 annually and $200,000 over a lifetime. It also eliminates the Graduate PLUS loan program, which many professional-degree seeking students use to cover living expenses while in school.
Republicans say the changes are long overdue and will encourage schools to rein in rising tuition costs for pricy professional and graduate degree programs.
But some financial aid experts worry the new caps will price some students out of pursuing degrees in law, medicine, veterinary medicine and more, or push them to the private loan market. Private loans offer fewer protections, higher interest rates, less favorable repayment terms and may require a co-signer.
Wisconsin student loan borrowers can get free help from hotline
Borrowers in some states can get help and file complaints against servicers with student loan ombudsmans. In other states, there is a higher education agency to turn to for help. Wisconsin has neither.
The Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt started up to fill the gap. The nonprofit group runs an anonymous and confidential hotline for borrowers.
Call 833-589-0750. There’s no wait time. No artificial intelligence-driven chatbots. Questions go directly to human student loan experts.
The hotline hasn’t taken off as much as you might think. Since its informal launch during the pandemic, Trone estimated the coalition has helped about 900 borrowers.
“We are pushing so hard to get the word out,” she said.
New incentives for employers to help workers with student loan debt
Employers can pay up to $5,250 per year per employee for qualified student loan payments, tax-free.
The incentive began in 2020 as a temporary provision, which deterred some employers from pursuing it, Trone said. But the measure now has permanent status.
The coalition is assessing which Wisconsin employers offer this perk to employees.
Kelly Meyerhofer has covered higher education in Wisconsin since 2018. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
Wisconsin Congressional Districts (2025)
MADISON, Wis. – A three-judge panel in Wisconsin on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters that sought to redraw the battleground state’s Republican-friendly congressional boundary lines ahead of the November midterm election.
The decision can be appealed to the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court, but it’s unclear whether it could rule in time to affect the election this year. There is a second lawsuit pending that also seeks to redraw the state’s congressional districts, but it isn’t slated to go to trial until April 2027.
Both lawsuits were filed as President Donald Trump wages a national redistricting battle in an effort to preserve the Republicans’ slim House majority in November.
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Judge panel’s decision
What they’re saying:
The three-judge panel said in its ruling that it has “no basis to find the current congressional map invalid.” The case must be dismissed, the judges said, because only the Wisconsin Supreme Court can determine whether the maps should be redrawn.
But in dismissing the lawsuit, the panel made clear that it was “not endorsing the current congressional map.”
“Rather, we, as circuit court judges, do not have the authority to read into a Wisconsin Supreme Court case an analysis that it does not contain,” the judges ruled.
Wisconsin Capitol, Madison
However, the judges said they “stand ready” to engage in any fact-finding the state Supreme Court might order later.
Republicans praised the ruling.
“This is a significant win for Republicans and a yet another blow to desperate Democrats who wanted to reshape the electoral landscape,” said Zach Bannon, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “By keeping Wisconsin’s current district lines in place for 2026, Republicans are in a strong position to build on our momentum to retain and grow our House majority.”
Lawsuit over maps
The backstory:
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in November ordered that the redistricting cases be first heard by the three-judge panel over objections from Republicans. It marked the first time that process has been used under a 2011 law enacted by Republicans.
The lawsuit that was dismissed argued that the current maps discriminate against Democrats. They do so by packing a substantial number of Democrats into two districts while breaking up other Democratic areas into six Republican-favorable districts, the lawsuit argued. They also argued that the Wisconsin Supreme Court violated the constitutional separation of powers provision when adopting the most recent map.
In 2010, the year before Republicans redrew the congressional maps, Democrats held five seats compared with three for Republicans. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive.
The current congressional maps, which were based on the ones drawn in 2010, were approved by the state Supreme Court when it was controlled by conservative judges. The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2022 declined to block the maps from taking effect.
Election outlook
Big picture view:
A top target for Democrats is the western Wisconsin seat held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a vocal Trump supporter. He won in 2022 after longtime Democratic Rep. Ron Kind retired. Van Orden won reelection in the 3rd District in 2024.
The other seat Democrats hope to make more competitive is southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st District, which Republican Rep. Bryan Steil has held since 2019. The latest maps made that district more competitive while still favoring Republicans.
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What’s next:
The dismissed lawsuit was brought on behalf of 11 voters by Elias Law Group. Attorneys with the liberal law firm did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment. Attorneys for Wisconsin’s six Republican members of Congress who sought the dismissal had no immediate comment.
The lawsuit scheduled to go to trial next year was brought by a bipartisan coalition of business leaders. There is also a pending motion to dismiss that case.
The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy argues in its lawsuit that Wisconsin’s congressional maps are unconstitutional because they are an anti-competitive gerrymander. The lawsuit notes that the median margin of victory for candidates in the eight districts since the maps were enacted is close to 30 percentage points.
The Source: The Associated Press provided this report.
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