Sunday, December 31, 2023
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Thursday, December 21, 2023
Robin Vos says medical marijuana bill likely coming in January
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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the bill would propose something similar to Minnesota's medical marijuana program, which originally allowed for the substance to be sold in pill, oil and liquid forms for people with serious conditions such as HIV, cancer, Crohn's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. |
Republicans will likely introduce a medical marijuana bill in January that would allow the substance for Wisconsinites with serious conditions, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Wednesday.
Vos, R-Rochester, said the bill would propose something similar to Minnesota’s medical marijuana program, which originally allowed for the substance to be sold in pill, oil and liquid forms for people with serious conditions such as HIV, cancer, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. The Minnesota law was recently modified to allow for smokeable forms of cannabis.
Vos said he’s been operating under the assumption that 50 Assembly Republicans — a majority of the 99-member chamber — would have to support the proposal for it to pass because Democrats typically support broader programs than what it appears Assembly Republicans are slated to introduce.
Vos offered details about the proposal under the condition that the Wisconsin State Journal not seek reactions to it until early Thursday morning. Legislative Democrats haven’t made clear publicly that they would be unanimously opposed to narrower marijuana bills.
Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer said Democrats were open to discussing the Republican bill.
"We hope that it's a serious proposal from our colleagues that addresses the past harms that have been caused by the criminalization of marijuana and that really allows access for the people who need it," she said Thursday.
Republicans this year stripped provisions to legalize marijuana from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ two-year budget.
Without providing more specifics about the bill, Vos said its authors wanted to make sure there would be no pathway “to assume that because we have medicinal (marijuana), someday we’ll have recreational.”
Vos said the bill is different from legislation Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, has been working on. It’s unclear what the differences between the proposals will be, but Felzkowski’s last version of the bill also proposed allowing the use of medical marijuana in nonsmokeable forms for people with serious conditions.
Felzkowski’s previous version of the proposal received a public hearing in April 2022, the first hearing in Wisconsin for a marijuana measure since 2009 and the first one ever under a Republican-led Legislature.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, who previously said he opposed legalizing marijuana for medical use, has since said Senate Republicans are moving closer to supporting the policy for serious conditions.
An October 2022 Marquette Law School Poll found 64% of registered voters in Wisconsin, including 46% of Republicans, want marijuana to be fully legalized. A 2019 Marquette Law School Poll found 83% of Wisconsinites said medical marijuana should be legal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Monday, December 11, 2023
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Saturday, December 9, 2023
Friday, December 8, 2023
Foxconn awarded $6.3 million in tax credits for meeting jobs, capital investment goals
The company has been approved for $6.3 million in tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., for hiring 1,029 full-time workers and investing more than $26 million at its facilities in Racine County for work done in fiscal year 2022.
This year's credit is $2.3 million less than what the company received last year.
Since 2020 Foxconn has received a roughly $43.6 million from taxpayers, which does not include land acquisition or infrastructure upgrades on the property in Mount Pleasant. Foxconn has received more than half of the funding it agreed to under the renegotiated deal with the state in 2021 and could receive up to $80 million through 2025.
In a statement on Thursday the company said it is "committed to Wisconsin and looks forward to growing with the state, county, and village."
"Foxconn has invested over $1 billion in Wisconsin and created approximately 1,000 jobs, a 42% increase over a three-year period and comprising a fifth of our workforce in the United States," the company said. "Foxconn currently manufactures data servers and microinverters in Wisconsin, and the campus remains a strategic asset for the company to respond to market demand with speed and flexibility.”
Foxconn was notified of the credits in a letter from the WEDC in November.
If the company wants to receive the full amount of tax credits from the state next year, it will need to hire at least 134 full-time employees and maintain a minimum of 1,163 full-time employees through 2025. According to the agreement, the company's goal is to employ 1,454 workers by 2026.
More:Here's a short timeline of Foxconn's plans and development in Wisconsin
Current reality far different than when original deal was signed
In 2017, then-Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn agreed to a $2.85 billion tax incentive package if the company met certain hiring and capital investment goals. At the time Foxconn was promised to bring 13,000 high-tech jobs to Wisconsin and create a massive large-screen LCD manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant
But by 2021, the development changed significantly from what was talked about four years earlier.
Foxconn was not awarded any credits in the first two years of the deal.
Gov. Tony Evers and officials at the WEDC renegotiated the deal and brought the job numbers down to under 1,500 and the maximum tax credit over the course of the agreement down to $80 million.
Foxconn's physical footprint in Mount Pleasant is also shrinking.
The company agreed to give up its development options on more than 1,300 acres in Wisconsin Innovation Park that will be used by Microsoft to develop a multi-billion-dollar data center complex east and north of Foxconn's campus. Microsoft has promised to build $1.4 billion in new property value by Jan. 1, 2028.
The company began construction this fall on the first building on a 2315 acre parcel that it bought from the village for $50 million. The sale of an additional 1,030 acres is scheduled to close by the end of the month.
The Milwaukee Business Journal first reported the award of tax credits.
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Friday, December 1, 2023
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Delahaye 107 Racer w/ 6.2L Gipsy Major Airplane Engine: Bizarre Start-Up Procedure & Accelerations!
I wish they showed the drive train.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Rehabs prey on addicts stuck in the 'Florida Shuffle' | Vargas Reports
"Treatment" is a lie with an only 3% recovery rate. Treatment centers have bilked the government out of billions of tax dollars.
Friday, November 24, 2023
Milwaukee County Zoo arrest, FOX6 obtains all sheriff's office video | FOX6 News Milwaukee
Don't mess with angry womens.
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Monday, November 20, 2023
Gen-Z losing more money to scams than other age groups, data shows
The dumbing down of America continues.
Kyle Vogt resigns as CEO of San Francisco robotaxi company Cruise
Experimenting on real roads with real people is criminal.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Neo-Nazi demonstrators march in downtown Madison
A group of about 20 neo-Nazi demonstrators waved swastika flags and used the Nazi salute in downtown Madison on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.
From: https://www.jsonline.com/videos/news/local/wisconsin/2023/11/18/neo-nazi-demonstrators-march-in-downtown-madison/71636602007/
Friday, November 17, 2023
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Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Teacher gave Nazi salute, had students say 'Heil Hitler,' but district says didn't 'intend to cause harm'
A teacher at a Wisconsin middle school made an antisemitic gesture and remark in class, but allegedly didn't "intend to cause harm," according to an investigation by the district.
According to the local parent newsletter "Elmbrook Community Need to Know," on Sept. 21 an eighth grade math teacher from Wisconsin Hills Middle School gave the Nazi salute to her class and told the students to respond with either "Heil Hilter" or "Heil [Teacher Surname]."
After garnering media attention, the school sent a letter to all families following a similar message that was only sent to students and families directly impacted earlier in the week.
The Elmbrook school district declined further comment, but provided FOX News Digital with the letter Principal Matt Schroede sent to all families of the middle school Friday.
The Elmbrook school declined to provide further comment to Fox News Digital, but confirmed antisemitic remarks were made by providing a letter that was sent to the middle school's families this week. (iStock)
The letter acknowledged the incident occurred and said a "complete investigation" took place.
"Regrettably, one of our teachers made an antisemitic gesture and remark during class that is highly offensive to both Jewish and non-Jewish individuals, something we would not tolerate from any student or staff member at Wisconsin Hills," the letter said. "Following a complete investigation, it was our determination that the teacher did not intend to cause harm, yet it was a clear violation of our staff professional responsibilities.
The letter added that in the course of the past week, "disciplinary action and corrective measures" were implemented "including antisemitism education."
"To be clear, the behavior described above is not condoned nor does it represent the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of our staff members," the letter concluded. "As we do with our students, we will hold our staff to the highest standard of professionalism and respond quickly when that standard is not met."
An anonymous parent of Elmbrook schools said the incident seemed to be "part of a pattern of inappropriate behavior in staff at Elmbrook in the last few years," citing a sex survey given to students, an inappropriate link in an email signature and explicit books brought into school that didn’t follow policy guidelines.
Monday, October 2, 2023
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Shocking video shows zombie-like addicts at ‘ground zero’ of Philadelphia’s ‘tranq’ epidemic
The only way to help these people is to let them experience the consequences of their actions. "Saving" addicts who OD simply enables more and more ODs.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Theodore McCarrick, age 93, ruled not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse charges in Massachusetts
DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that a 93-year-old former Roman Catholic cardinal is not competent to stand trial after both prosecutors and defense attorneys determined he suffers from dementia, and dismissed charges he sexually assaulted a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago.
Theodore McCarrick, the ex-archbishop of Washington, D.C., was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after an internal Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children. The case created a credibility crisis for the church, as the Vatican had reports from authoritative cardinals dating to 1999 that McCarrick’s behavior was problematic, yet he became an influential cardinal, kingmaker and emissary of the Holy See’s “soft diplomacy.”
The Wisconsin Department of Justice also charged McCarrick in April with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man in Wisconsin in 1977. Prosecutors said McCarrick groped the victim while they were both staying as guests at a residence on Geneva Lake. The case remains open.
During Wednesday’s hearing in Massachusetts, a psychologist hired by the prosecution said she found significant deficits in McCarrick’s memory during two interviews in June, and he was often unable to recall what they had discussed from one hour to the next. Dr. Kerry Nelligan said she administered a number of tests on two occasions in June. As with any form of dementia, she said there are no medications that could improve the symptoms.
“It’s not just that he currently has these deficits,” Nelligan said. “There is no way they are going to get better.”
Without being able to remember discussions, he could not participate with his lawyers in his defense, she said.
McCarrick appeared via a video link during the hearing. He was slightly slumped in his chair wearing a light green shirt and what appeared to be a grey sweater vest or sweater around his shoulders. He did not speak during the hearing.
The once-powerful American prelate faced charges that he abused the teenage boy at a wedding reception at Wellesley College in 1974.
McCarrick has maintained that he is innocent, and pleaded not guilty in September 2021.
In February, McCarrick’s attorneys asked the court to dismiss the case, saying a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine had examined him and concluded that he has dementia, likely Alzheimer’s disease.
At that time, lawyers said McCarrick had a “limited understanding” of the criminal proceedings against him.
McCarrick, who lives in Dittmer, Missouri, was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. He was not exempt from facing charges for abuse allegations that date back decades because the statute of limitations clock was paused once he left Massachusetts.
Mitchell Garabedian, a well-known lawyer for clergy sexual abuse victims who is representing the man accusing McCarrick, said in June that his client was discouraged by the prosecution expert’s findings.
“In spite of the criminal court’s decision today,” Garabedian said following Wednesday’s hearing, “many clergy sexual abuse victims feel as though former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is and will always be the permanent personification of evil within the Catholic Church.”
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who report sexual assault unless they agree to be named publicly, which the victim in this case has not done.
The accuser told authorities during a 2021 interview that McCarrick was close to the man’s family when he was growing up. Prosecutors say McCarrick would attend family gatherings and travel on vacations with them and that the victim referred to the priest as “Uncle Ted.”
Prosecutors say McCarrick abused him over several years including when the boy, who was then 16, was at his brother’s wedding reception at Wellesley College. The man said McCarrick also sexually assaulted him in a coat room after they returned to the reception.
Prosecutors say McCarrick told the boy to say the “Hail Mary” and “Our Father” prayers before leaving the room.
Woman LOSES Her Mind After Innocent Fender Bender
What a waste of skin that this person is. Obviously, she's never been held responsible for her actions before. How do the police keep their cool?
Monday, August 28, 2023
Police ram straight through climate activist blockade in Nevada
Friday, August 18, 2023
Maui's emergency services director resigns in wake of wildfire disaster
The emergency director should be prosecuted for killing over 100 people, maybe as many as 1,000. This is a crime against humanity. His arrogance is disgusting and criminal.
East Bay cops arrested in FBI raids
My how the corrupt cops complain when the same tactics that they use are deployed against them.
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Tipton County sheriff warns thieves about coming to his county
Monday, August 14, 2023
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Ft. Wright firefighters raise red flags over concerns about electric car fires
Who pays for this? Not the EV makers. You and I do. Our taxes finance the fire departments. When an EV explodes, kills its occupants, and burns for hours and hours, the EV makers just whistle and walk away. Essentially, they are saying, "I will shit in your face. Then you must wipe my ass."
An Applebee's manager has been fired following Kenosha officer's forceful arrest of Black man wrongly thought to be a suspect
From JSOnline:
Drake Bentley
The former Applebee's manager who was in charge the evening a Kenosha police officer was seen on video striking a Black man mistakenly believed to be a hit-and-run suspect has been fired.
Jennifer Harris, who said she worked at the restaurant for more than 10 years, told the Journal Sentinel she believes she was wrongly fired. She added that she was disturbed by the police officers' conduct during the incident.
Her attorney William Sulton said he will pursue all "legal remedies" if Applebee's doesn't restore Harris' employment.
"I put a lot of heart and passion into that job and that company," Harris said. "I feel like I've been done wrong, instead of getting support from my employer for handling the situation."
The incident took place July 20 at the Applebee's off Highway 50 in Kenosha.
Video posted to social media shows a Black man from Illinois holding a baby and being forcefully taken into custody, although he had nothing to do with the crash that happened moments before the arrest. Police would later find the people believed to be responsible for the hit-and-run in the bathroom of the restaurant.
Harris said she asked human resources on July 21 if she needed to fill out any forms or incident reports and was told no. But when the video became widely available to the public on Aug. 4, Harris was told she and her employees needed to provide statements.
Three days later, Harris said she was informed she was fired and that the company said it was her fault that employees shared videos of the incident to social media.
An email to an Applebee's HR representative was not immediately returned on Saturday.
Ex-manager describes disturbing incident, police respond
According to Harris, Kenosha police arrived at Applebee's shortly after 11 p.m. and asked a server if anyone entered the restaurant matching the description given by witnesses at the crash — two Black males and a Black female holding a baby.
The server said they didn't see anyone enter with that description, and Kenosha police departed the restaurant, according to Harris.
However, the server then shared with Harris that she noticed a Black couple with a baby eating dinner and asked Harris if she thought they were who police were looking for. Out of an abundance of concern for the baby, Harris said she made the decision to call police back to the restaurant.
When police returned, they approached the Black diners — Jermelle English Jr. and Shanya Boyd — and began questioning the couple after being the only diners left in the restaurant, Harris said.
Harris said surveillance video later showed the suspects from the hit-and-run entering through a side door while no employees were present, then entering the bathroom.
Harris said police asked the couple to show which car they arrived in, to which English responded that he had nothing to do with the crash. He then picked up his baby and proceeded to walk away from the officers, she said.
"(English) was like 'I'm here eating with my family. We've been here. It can't be us that you're looking for so excuse me, I need to go change my son's diaper,'" Harris said.
According to Harris, police insisted that English was not free to leave. Harris said English then asked the officers if he was being arrested, to which officers said no, but said that he was being detained until he answered the officers' questions. English responded that he had already answered the questions by stating he had nothing to do with the crash, Harris said.
English then continued to walk away as an officer followed him, she said.
"(English) kind of started running," Harris said. "Then they ran after him and they slammed him into the wall with the baby in his arms."
Harris added: "The baby hit his head on the wall. And then another cop tackles him so now there's two cops tackling him on the ground with a child still in his arms."
Leo Viola, spokesperson with the Kenosha Police Department, said the officers had legal authority to detain English and restrain him while they conducted their investigation.
Viola denied the ex-manager's claim about the infant hitting his head on the wall. He said a paramedic checked and found that the baby was unharmed.
As the scuffle ensued, Harris said employees immediately started asking for cooler heads to prevail.
On the video, an officer is then seen repeatedly striking English, to which employees ask the officer to stop.
Throughout the frenzy, Harris said she assumed the role of taking care of the child when she noticed the baby was starting to hyperventilate. Harris said she was informed by officers that they had accidentally deployed pepper spray.
Harris said an officer then incorrectly stated that the department was called to the restaurant because English and Boyd were fighting.
"We never said anything about fighting," Harris said. "So at that point, once we started telling the cops they're lying and (asking) why are they lying, they then threatened to arrest all of us."
In response, Viola acknowledged that pepper spray was deployed but said the child was not "directly" exposed. Viola did not directly address whether or not an officer accused the couple of fighting.
"The amount of disinformation being spread about this incident is pretty alarming," Viola wrote in an email. "The investigation when complete will answer these questions."
Prior to leaving the scene, Harris said police then reviewed security camera footage. Employees then recorded security camera footage on their cellphones, according to Harris.
"I got fired because I allowed that to get out to social media," Harris said.
Harris said she repeatedly attempted to call the general manager that evening, but no one answered.
"I didn't know what steps to take," she said. "They don't train you for situations like this."
Harris said she feels terrible about the incident and she wants justice for the couple.
What will happen next?
The Kenosha County District Attorney charged English and Boyd with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer. Boyd also received a possession of marijuana charge.
English and Boyd both plead not guilty to their charges earlier this week. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 25. A message to their attorney was not immediately returned on Saturday.
Kenosha police have launched an internal investigation into the incident.
Sulton, Harris' attorney, is also board president of the ACLU of Wisconsin, which issued a joint statement on Friday along with other community groups criticizing the police officers' actions.
"Too often, Black and Brown people suffer violence at the hands of police. It’s devastating to see police – again and again – treat Black lives with such callous disregard. It’s tragic that a Black person simply trying to enjoy a meal with his family is automatically seen as suspicious and that officers feel free to behave recklessly, violently, and unjustifiably, even toward a man holding a baby."
"We are calling for answers and accountability," Sulton added.
Drake Bentley can be reached at DBentley1@gannett.com.