Friday, March 22, 2013
Incumbent Tony Evers is taking on state Rep. Don Pridemore in the April 2 election for Wisconsin's top education post.
State Superintendent of School Tony Evers will face state Rep. Don Pridemore (R-Hartford) in his bid for re-election in the April 2 election. Both candidates in the nonpartisan race say they're focused on improving the quality of education in Wisconsin, but they differ on the best way to accomplish that goal. Evers, a Plymouth native, has been the state superintendent of schools since 2009. He has been in the education field for more than 30 years, working as a teacher, principal, superintendent, regional administrator and deputy state superintendent before being elected to his current post. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1973, a master's degree in 1976 and a doctorate in education …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The "nonpartisan" state Supreme Court race could have big ramifications on cases sitting on the court's docket.
"Nonpartisan election" seems to be a buzz phrase quickly falling out of style in Wisconsin politics as the state is again embroiled in a saucy state Supreme Court election essentially split on party lines. And in a race split by ideology, barbs are sure to follow. State Supreme Court Justice Patience Roggensack is seeking another 10-year term on the bench, but is facing a challenge from Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone in the April 2 election. The 2013 race has all the fixings of a partisan race similar to the 2011 showdown between Justice David Prosser and JoAnne Kloppenburg, which was seen as a referendum on Gov. Scott Walker at the time. The court is weighted 4-3 in favor of conservative justices, and April 2 could tip the …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Kenosha Democrat is putting together an exploratory committee about whether or not he should challenge Rep. Paul Ryan for the First Congressional District in 2014.
First Congressional District voters could see a rematch in 2014 when Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, is up for re-election. Kenosha Democrat Rob Zerban announced Wednesday that he is putting together an exploratory committee to vet his chances in another run at Ryan. Zerban's announcement comes on the same day that House of Representatives will vote on Ryan's newest budget, which Zerban describes as gutting Medicare and rewarding wealthy Americans. "Since the election, I have been inundated with phone calls and emails from people all over the First District urging me to come forward again to give the people of Southeast Wisconsin a viable alternative to Paul Ryan," Zerban said in his written release. "My hope is that, over the next few …
After a four year hiatus from the Common Council, Eileen Madden returned to fill the remaining term of Noah Fiedler, and she hopes to see less tension in the next term
Eileen Madden is not a newcomer to the Muskego Common Council, but she admits the tenor of the debate she's seen since filling the vacancy of Noah Fiedler, who resigned from the council in 2012, has been a new experience. "I don't recall there being such anger in disagreements, and I'm hoping that in the next term we can go back to a council that can disagree and come to an understanding without such tension, but more teamwork," she explained. Madden served on the council from 2003 to 2007, having been defeated in 2007 by Fiedler. The seat was returned to Madden after the council appointed her from among other candidates, with Mayor Kathy Chiaverotti casting the tie-breaking vote in March 2012. "I've always enjoyed my time on council, and …
Bob Hammel and William 'Butch' LeDoux represent the only race in the spring aldermanic races in Muskego
Although four seats on the Muskego Common Council are up for election this year, only one is going to be contested. District 2 will feature a race between two men who seem to have a similar philosophy and interest in serving, with a key difference being in where each comes from. Bob Hammel is the newcomer in the Muskego governmental scene, and feels that will help bring a fresh perspective in how the common council can tackle issues in the next term. He told Muskego Patch that his background in finance is one that will bring a strong skills set to the council. In contrast, William "Butch" LeDoux has been steadily involved in Muskego committees, serving a term in 2001 in the district, and since appointed to various committees including the …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
With a couple of key moves in recent few days, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sends clear signal that he is interested in making a presidential run.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:50 p.m. Saturday to include CPAC straw poll results. Coming off Mitt Romney's defeat in November, Republicans are looking for a strong candidate who will give the party a chance at taking back the White House in 2016. Could Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker be their man? Even before the November presidential election, there has been speculation that Walker — along with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and others — would go after the GOP nomination in 2016. And in an interview with Politico on Friday, Walker did little to quell that speculation. “Would I ever be (interested)?" Walker told the political web site. "Possibly. I guess the only …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
No stranger to Muskego, LeDoux hopes to continue problem-solving as alderman
If the name is familiar, it could be that LeDoux has been a part of Muskego's business community for decades, with a leather shop that once resided near the corner of Tess Corners Drive and Janesville Road. William LeDoux, who is better known to most simply as Butch, still crafts leather in his Muskego home, a skill handed down over the generations. LeDoux will once again vie for the District 2 aldermanic seat in April, a position he held for one term in 2001, losing to Chris Buckmaster in 2003, and again in 2009 by about 60 votes to Kert Harenda. He will face off against newcomer Robert Hammel after Harenda could no longer serve in the district because of the new lines that were drawn during redistricting in 2011. However, LeDoux has not …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Entering the only contested race on Muskego's April ballot, Robert Hammel says he's eager to be a voice for his district, but realizes it's not about making everyone happy
As a personal lending officer with TCF Bank, Robert Hammel said, "I've see what good finances are versus bad, and overall Muskego has kept its values fairly steady." He is hoping to take that experience in finance, along with an interest in community service, as the District 2 alderman in April. Hammel will face competition from Butch LeDoux, who has been involved in various committees in the city as well as a previous term as an alderman. However, he sees that as a plus. "I'd like to think being outside of the loop allows me to look at problems with a fresh perspective," he said. "It makes me a good voice for the district, although I know that you're never going to make everyone happy." "I like to understand why things are done a certain …
Ed Fallone, who is challenging incumbent Patience Roggensack in Wisconsin Supreme Court election, say justice should have recused herself from a case involving attorney who also represented her.
In 2010, the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstated a criminal conviction against Dimitri Henley. Afterward, his lawyers filed a motion arguing that Justice Patience Roggensack should have recused herself from taking part, given her role in a case involving Henley’s co-defendant. This motion was later denied, on a 4-3 vote. What surprised and even shocked some court observers was that Roggensack took part in this ruling. “Justice Roggensack’s participation in judging her own conduct showed astounding disregard for legal ethics and every litigant’s right to impartial justice,” thundered the New York Times. But it was in keeping with what Roggensack, now seeking a second 10-year term, has helped make the standard — that individual justices have …
Friday, March 1, 2013
A newcomer to Muskego's political landscape, Kevin Kubacki hopes to continue his interest in involvement representing the city's rural residents.
While it's been a much more placid year on the Common Council, the effects of the contentious atmosphere that the lake park proposal brought seems to still be resonating. After a withdrawn recall attempt of 6th District Ald. Neome Schaumberg, who was in favor of a city purchase of land that would be used as a public park on Little Muskego Lake, and her recent announcement that she would retire at the end of the term, it wasn't clear if anyone would want to step forward. However, Kevin Kubacki did and while he's the lone candidate running for the D6 seat, he's hoping to continue to heal what many saw as a rift on the council. "I previously had been on the Board of Realtors, which was in a similar situation and I feel that I was able to …
JusticeTroll
2:12 pm on Friday, March 29, 2013
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