(The Center Square) – Two Veterans Housing and Recovery Program facilities in Wisconsin are set to close by September following a lack of state funds in the current biennial budget.
The sites, overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, provide housing and supportive services to military veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to help them obtain permanent housing.
In a statement, Gov. Tony Evers said he had included $1.9 million for the program in his proposed budget but Republican lawmakers removed it.
He said Republicans approved zero dollars in new funding for the program, causing the veterans housing facilities in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay, to close as soon as Sept. 30.
“Our veterans should not have to worry about being able to afford to keep a roof over their heads. Period,” Evers said. “The bottom line is that there will now be fewer options for homeless veterans as a result of the Legislature’s irresponsible decision to reject the investments that I proposed.”
According to Evers, during the budget process, the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau had told the Joint Finance Committee that “without additional funding, the Department [of Veterans Affairs] would not have sufficient resources to maintain the program’s three sites.”
After the budget was signed into law, WDVA confirmed this to be the case.
Although Evers blames legislative Republicans for the sites’ closures, Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken, who chairs the Senate committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, said legislative Democrats and Evers’ negotiation tactics are culpable.
“I voted across party lines on the Senate floor to provide additional funding for VHRP and expand the Disabled Veterans and Surviving Spouse Property Tax Credit in the budget as I’ve previously authored as standalone legislation,” Jacque said in a statement to The Center Square.
“I am greatly disappointed that the governor did not prioritize veterans assistance higher within his budget negotiations,” Jacque said. “I was further disappointed that the Senate Democrats decided to vote for the budget in greater numbers than required for it to pass, which greatly reduced the leverage of legislators like myself to insist on its inclusion in the budget to earn our support for the document.”
Jacque, who does not sit on the Joint Finance Committee, did not mention legislative Republicans sitting on that committee for their votes against the funding or decision to not adopt alternative funding to the budget.
According to Evers, the 23 homeless veterans living at Chippewa Falls and the about 17 living at the Green Bay facility will be offered alternative placement options and will continue to receive services.
Applications for the Chippewa Falls and Green Bay locations are no longer being reviewed.

(The Center Square) – Milwaukee County Transit System plans to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to close a projected $10.9 million budget deficit this year.
However, concerns are mounting over a larger structural shortfall expected in 2026.
The budget deficit, announced last month, came as a surprise to MCTS, county officials and the public, leading to the resignations of interim MCTS CEO Julie Esch and Milwaukee County Department of Transportation Director Donna Brown-Martin.
Although relief funds were originally planned to have been spent until 2028, the plan to use up the funds this year is causing some transit officials to see 2026 as a “fiscal cliff” for MCTS, Urban Milwaukee reported.
“Now we’re likely going to run out of federal funds in 2026,” Joe Lamers, director of the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance, told county supervisors at a meeting. “Now we’re getting ready to prepare the 2026 budget, and we are suddenly faced with this federal funding lapse issue that we previously thought we have a little bit longer of a timeline to get to.”
MCTS is the largest transit system in Wisconsin, with a deficit estimated between $12 million and $18 million.
Now, MCTS is also considering cutting some of its bus routes in order to save money, although Esch said that’s the “last thing” they want to do.
“We provide 80,000 rides a day – that’s tens of thousands of Milwaukee County residents who depend on us to get to work, school, and medical care,” Esch told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Our goal is to ensure that service cuts have minimal impacts on the businesses, organizations, and people who rely on this important service.”
Members of the labor union Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 have expressed criticism and distrust of MCTS following the deficit’s announcement, leading to members voting 98% in favor of authorizing a strike Wednesday.
However, a strike could not happen until at least August as the current contract between MCTS and ATU 998 was extended until the end of July to allow more time for negotiations.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s northernmost congressman is fed up with smoke and haze from Canada.
Congressman Tom Tiffany was on social media recently, complaining about another air quality alert for much of northern Wisconsin.
“Another weekend of Canadian wildfire smoke and air quality warnings across WI, MN. With today’s modern tools to prevent wildfires, this shouldn’t keep happening,” Tiffany posted. “Canada owes us answers for its forest management failures.”
Canada’s wildfires have been burning, in one place or another, since May. Those fires have caused air quality alerts from Montana to New York state. Wisconsin saw at least two air quality alerts this week.
Tiffany has been pushing for Canada to do more to control its fire for a while, including last week when he and a number of members of Congress write a letter to Canada’s ambassador, asking for better forest management.
“In 2023, Canada had its worst year for wildfires on record, last year’s fire season was considered one of the worst, and this year seems to be a continuation of these previous years,” Tiffany and the others wrote. “In our neck of the woods, summer months are the best time of the year to spend time outdoors recreating, enjoying time with family, and creating new memories, but this wildfire smoke makes it difficult to do all those things.”
Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman also signed on to Tiffany’s letter.
As did Brad Finstad (MN-01), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Pete Stauber (MN-08).
The New York Times on Monday reported that Canada’s wildfire smoke continues to make the air quality in Canada even worse.
Both Montreal and Toronto are among the 10-worst cities for air quality, according to IQair.

(The Center Square) – Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Devin Remiker said he wants current Gov. Tony Evers to run for reelection in 2026.
Remiker, appearing as a guest on WISN 12’s UpFront on Sunday, praised the governor’s current electoral record but said he has no actual insight into whether Evers will decide to run for a third term or not.
“I pray that he decides to seek reelection, but either way, I know the Democratic Party of Wisconsin will be in a great position to ensure he’s either reelected or reelect a Democrat in 2026,” Remiker said.
“Gov. Evers has been a fantastic partner to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin,” Remiker said. “He’s even put on pause his own election efforts to help fundraise for some of our state legislative work on cycles when he hasn’t been on the ballot, and he’s a tremendous fundraiser.”
Remiker was elected state party chair in a three-way race in June after receiving the endorsement of former chair Ben Wikler.
While Evers has not made any formal announcement about whether or not he will run in 2026, a Marquette University Law School Poll published June 25 said most Wisconsin voters would not want him to seek reelection.
Overall, 42% of voters responding to the poll said they want Evers to seek a third term as governor in 2026, while 55% do not want him to run again.
Also, 83% of Democrats said they would support a third-term bid by Evers, while 93% of Republicans and 50% of Independents said they would oppose it.
No state Democrats, however, have officially launched a campaign for governor, with Ever’s decision still pending.

(The Center Square) – The head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission says she thinks Madison’s former city clerk broke the law when she didn’t count nearly 200 absentee ballots last November.
But Ann Jacobs doesn’t want to see criminal charges in the case.
Jacobs was a guest on UpFront over the weekend, and blamed Madison’s former clerk, Marybeth Witzel-Behl, for ignoring her job and for weakening the faith in Wisconsin’s electoral system.
“First of all, she should have opened the bag to see if there were ballots inside. The minute she saw there were ballots inside, she needed to notify the county clerk because the county clerk was doing the county canvass, and she needed to notify her municipal board of canvassers, and they needed to take steps to count those ballots and ensure they were included,” Jacobs explained. “Then, after making sure that first set of ballots was included, she needed to take steps to make sure that the same mistake hadn’t occurred elsewhere, which we now know did.”
Jacobs wrote in her report on that case that she believes that Witzel-Behl broke the law in how she handled the case.
“We made findings of probable cause,” Jacobs told the hosts. “Commissioner Mills and I, we believe there was probable cause to believe that she violated multiple statutes.”
Jacobs added that only the full commission can decide whether Witzel-Behl broke the law.
But Jacobs said that’s as far as she’d like to see the case go. She told the UpFront hosts that she doesn’t want Dane County’s district attorney or the state attorney general to file formal charges.
“I’m not a big fan of that, but obviously it’s up to their discretion to do that,” Jacobs said. ‘I’m hesitant to start criminalizing the work of our clerks. A lot of things went wrong here, but I’m not sure that criminal charges are the way to prevent this in the future. I really do think that it’s a learning experience for our clerks across the state.”
Jacobs said Witzel-Behl’s performance after the lost ballots were found was “astonishing.” But she also said she is confident that Madison’s election office has corrected its mistakes, and she is hoping for better in the next election.

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investing a black bear attack in Barron County where a black bear allegedly attacked a 69-year-old woman in Comstock.
The attack was reported around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and her current condition is unknown.
Officers from Barron County and Cumberland worked with local DNR wardens and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services staff to attempt to track the bear, including using a trained bear hound dog.
The officers found a cub in a tree, which they say indicate the attack involved a sow and cub, but did not find the bear.
Bear traps have been set at the scene in an attempt to euthanize the bear and assess its condition. It is unknown why the attack occurred.
The DNR said there are an estimated 24,000 bear in the state and that “black bears are generally secretive, not aggressive and tend to avoid humans as much as possible but bears are sometimes known to be aggressive if cubs are present and feel threatened.”
The Wisconsin bears are generally in the northern two-thirds of the state.
Bear eat both plants and animals and are opportunistic feeders who will eat both natural foods and human food.
The public is reminded to avoid bear attractants at residence or camps including bird feeder, which should be hung 10 feet from the ground, brought in at night or used only in winter. Garbage cans should be secured.
The DNR says that, if an individual encounters a bear, they should not approach the bear, run or play dead. Instead, they should talk to the bear, shout if it does not leave, raise arms and wave them to appear larger and slowly back away while leaving an escape route for the bear.

(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Democracy Defense Project is applauding the Wisconsin Elections Commission report that showed former Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl broke the law by leaving 193 absentee ballots uncounted during the 2024 general election.
The group includes former Wisconsin lawmakers from both sides of the aisle including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former Attorney General JB Van Hollen, former U.S. Rep. Scott Klug and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate.
The group works across several states, saying it “will work to defend the transparency, safety, security and validity of our nation’s electoral system.”
“Everyone in Wisconsin should sleep easier knowing just how thoroughly our elections are being vetted,” the group said in a statement. “This instance of 193 missing ballots, while a stain on the Madison City Clerk’s office, is an example of the vetting procedures in place working to verify every single vote cast in our elections.”
The WEC report called Witzel-Behl’s actions a “profound failure” that undermines public confidence in elections.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway suspended Witzel-Behl from her role as clerk after the election, and she then resigned in April.
“Municipal and county clerks across the state will benefit from the findings of this report, ensuring that no further ballots can fall through the cracks,” Democracy Defense Project said. “Voters can rest assured, if this is the process in place to verify what happened to 193 absentee ballots, there is no feasible way that bad actors could thwart our election system to the tune of tens of thousands of ballots.”

(The Center Square) – The University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents approve a 5% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate tuition for most of the UW campuses, leading to questions from several lawmakers who voted for a recent increase in the schools’ funding in the Wisconsin budget.
The new Wisconsin budget included a two-year $256 million budget increase with the schools receiving $1.13 billion in capital budget and $316 million for operational budget.
“The last two tuition increases have been done in early spring so incoming students have complete information before the deadline to commit to a university; now, committed students are facing a shock tuition increase,” Senate President Mary Felzkowski said in a statement. “Why is this year different? They had to first secure those billion dollars in the budget!”
The plan calls for a base 4% undergraduate tuition increase with an optional 1% increase that will be used by all of the schools except UW-Green Bay, University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said.
UW-River Falls, meanwhile, will see a 5.8% increase.
A recent audit showed an increase in staff and salaries over the past 10 years in the UW System while student enrollment has dropped by 16,000.
“Instead of simply returning their staff-to-student ratio to what it was 10 years ago, UW chose to resist reform, demanding more and more from the State and its students,” Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, said in a statement.
Both Wimberger and Felzkowski also point to issues in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Education Achievement that led to an audit finding “concerning” decisions made in the department including lump sum awards to 85% of staff in late 2023 amounting to $218,750 without consultation.
“On top of it all, UW-Madison is now undertaking a media campaign to promote dismantling their DEI department,” Felzkowski said. “Don’t be fooled – the positions have simply been moved to other departments. The timing of the state budget, the tuition increase, and the false DEI media campaign is not coincidental.”

(The Center Square) – Authorities and family members have put together the pieces from two crime scenes, and believe they add up to a murder-suidice involving one of the Wisconsin State Patrol’s top officials.
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office this week identified David and Teri Pabst as the victims of a double homicide in Middleton ay.
The sheriff in Vernon County then identified their son, James, as the man who killed himself during a standoff later the same day.
On Thursday, the Pabsts’ daughters said it appears her brother killed her parents, fled, and eventually killed himself.
The sheriff’s office said deputies and officers from the Viroqua Police Department stopped James Pabst and said he “refused to cooperate with verbal commands.” That led to a standoff, which ended with James Pabst taking his own life.
The Dane County ME’s office has not yet said how the older Pabsts died. There is also no motive for the Pabsts’ killings.
The Pabsts’ daughters released a statement.
“They were proud grandparents to seven grandchildren and the most loving parents to all five of their children,” the statement said. “If you were lucky enough to have encountered them in your life, you know what kind, generous, and empathetic people they were.”
David Pabst was the Bureau of Transportation director for the State Patrol, a job he held since 2013. Before that Pabst was a trooper, an inspector, a lieutenant, and finally a captain at the State Patrol headquarters in Madison.
“Our dad was proud to come from a long line of public servants in the state of Wisconsin,” his daughters said in their statement. “He truly had a passion for keeping people safe on the roads of Wisconsin. He was the type of person who would drop everything to help someone in need. He showed up for people on their worst days and his compassion was
unmatched. His impact was felt all around the state and will continue to be for a long time.”
Teri Pabst was a teacher, and spent her entire career in schools, including Madison Metropolitan Schools and the schools in Middleton.
“Our mom thrived when she could make a difference in the life of a child. Please know that if you ever worked with her or had a child who was lucky enough to be taught by her, that our family heard daily about how proud she was of you,” her daughters added.
There’s no word when the Dane County ME will announce a cause of death in the Pabsts’ killings. Their autopsies took place Wednesday, but the ME’s office said it is waiting for test results.

(The Center Square) – Legislation to prevent suspended judges from collecting their salaries was introduced in the Wisconsin state Legislature on Thursday.
The bill comes in light of Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan’s suspension by the state Supreme Court after federal prosecutors said she helped an illegal immigrant sneak out of her courtroom to avoid ICE agents.
According to bill co-author Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Gibson, Dugan is still receiving pay.
“The suspension of a judge is a very serious and rare action,” Sortwell said in a statement. “Judge Hannah Dugan was suspended by the the Wisconsin Supreme Court while her criminal proceedings are ongoing, however, she is still collecting her pay. The taxpayers will have to fund an extended vacation for her, while already paying for reserve judges filling in.”
Sortwell also cited Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ellen K. Berz, who was suspended by the state Supreme Court for seven days following a finding of judicial misconduct.
Berz had attempted to retrieve a hospitalized defendant by driving to the hospital herself to bring them to court.
According to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, from 1978 to 2024, the state Supreme Court has only suspended 15 judges.
“We want to make sure the public has confidence in the courts of Wisconsin during pending criminal proceedings for judges,” bill co-author Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, said in a statement. “This is important legislation to ensure that there are not unjust rewards for judges who are suspended.”
Circuit court judges, like Dugan and Berz, have annual salaries of up to $174,512, according to Legislative Reference Bureau.
A co-sponsorship memo from Sortwell and Tomczyk noted that Dugan’s court date extension, which could leave her trial pending until later this year or even next year, would allow her to continue receiving her salary indefinitely.
Dugan pleaded not guilty to the two federal charges she is facing. She could spend up to six years in prison if convicted.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources is set to proceed with a marsh dredging project that Gov. Tony Evers had previously vetoed funding for.
The announcement came after Evers’ veto stopped a $70,000 Legislature-approved provision from funding a project to assist farmers and residents along the Manitowoc River.
Lawmakers previously said a veto without any promise of future funds would put more than 100 farmers and other residents at risk of annual flooding due to a river backup.
However, Wisconsin’s DNR says the project was in the works for “months” and did not need the Legislature’s funds in the first place.
“As the Evers Administration had already worked to secure the necessary resources to move this project forward, Gov. Tony Evers last week rejected a last-minute effort by the Wisconsin State Legislature that would have changed the funding source for this project, opting instead to use existing state resources the administration had already spent months planning to use on the wetland project,” Wisconsin’s DNR said in a statement.
DNR explicitly called the Legislature’s budget earmark “unnecessary,” claiming it was removed from the budget by Evers to ensure “available funding sources can be maximized for high-priority environmental management work.”
However, in his veto message, Evers only cited the Legislature’s decision to discontinue the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship program as the basis of his veto, but did not mention continuing the dredging project through separate funds, as the DNR said.
Evers’ veto immediately drew criticism from Calumet County locals, Fox 11 News reported.
Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken, whose district encompasses the Brillion marsh, said credit for the project’s resuming belonged to locals who pressured the DNR to continue the project after the governor’s veto.
“While it’s clear the Governor needed to save face once the public became aware of the impact of his political games, today’s announcement by the DNR proves how false, contradictory, and concocted both his veto message and his administration’s prior communications to legislators and residents regarding this project really were,” Jacque said in a statement.
Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, whose district also includes the marsh, agreed, saying “Any attempt by the Governor to now take credit for this project is disingenuous.”
The project is expected to begin with the help of a private contractor, with dredging to begin in 2026.

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin ranks 33rd in mean household disposable income and 30th in mean household personal income, according to new numbers released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The average personal household income in the state in the most recent data from 2023 was $154,365 with $137,388 counted as disposable income, or the money taken home after taxes.
The median personal household income, meaning the midpoint instead of the average in order to adjust for high-end earners, was $106,946 with $101,388 considered disposable income after taxes.
Wisconsin has fallen mildly over the 12 years of data as the state fell from 16th in median income in 2013 to the current ranking of 26th amongst states. Mean personal household income remained similar at 29th in 2013 and 29th in 2023.
When the data was all adjusted to 2017 dollars, Wisconsin household personal income went from an average of $117,606 in 2012 to $137,612 in 2023 while the median went from $75,766 in 2012 to $106,946 in 2023.