News & Commentary

This past Saturday morning, I had the privilege of speaking at Community Brainstorming, a weekly forum held at St. Matthew's CME Church. The topic was the Supreme Court's recent decision in Shelby County. Although Shelby County is often simply described as "gutting" the Voting Rights Act, it actually struck down the 48 year old formula by which certain states are required to seek the permission of the federal Department of Justice before they can implement any change in their election laws. Denying or abridging the right to vote on the basis of race continues to be prohibited by the Voting Rights Act and the United States Constitution. I don't want to repeat the arguments for and against the result in Shelby County. Wisconsin was never one of these pre-clearance jurisdictions. I want to make a larger point about federalism.

Dom and Crutte discuss their grievances, and are joined in studio by Michael Kissick, Plaintiff of Federal Lawsuit vs DOA and Capital Police and his lawyer from Wisconsin ACLU Larry Dupuis and we take your calls.

Dozens of organizations came together, including the Boys and Girls Clubs, the ACLU and Milwaukee Public Theatre.  MPT organizer Barbara Leigh thinks the rally benefits adults as much as children. "There's been a lot of violence and there's been a lot of fear about young people," Leigh said.  "We need to show the community that, no, no, there's all kinds of people out there doing wonderful things."

Welcome back to our weekly survey of what's goin' down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin' gets done and where god has mercy, on them that has been slandered and humiliated.

Walker’s administration revised its Capitol access policy in December 2011 to require permits for any organized activity in the Capitol, even if it was performed by only one person. Three or fewer people gathered to promote a cause are exempt. Police have issued the singers dozens upon dozens of citations.

The American Civil Liberties Union says posting the pictures online doesn't solve the drug problem, but rather forces drug users to find their fix elsewhere.

The Walker administration’s attempt to silence the voices of peaceful singers in the capitol rotunda failed yesterday, as the Wisconsin Capitol Police’s apparent attempt to declare an unlawful assembly went unheard and unheeded by the sixty or so people participating in the daily Solidarity Sing Along.

MADISON (WKOW) -- A federal judge extended a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of a provision in a new Wisconsin law that would require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic. 

Dozens of singers continued their noontime Capitol ritual Tuesday despite admonitions from police and last week’s temporary court ruling allowing the state to regulate groups larger than 20.