http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/icefishing-river-s5.jpgWisconsin leans heavily on hunters and anglers to fund DNR wildlife management programs, but the fee revenue has not kept pace with demand. A new report outlines options the legislature can consider during upcoming budget deliberations to help address the funding shortfall.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/veterans_army_medic-s5.jpgAcross the country, 61% of veterans who voted chose Trump over Clinton. But how will a Trump - Republican administration affect the VA healthcare system which 7 million vets depend on for all or part of their medical care?

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/opioid-young-start-s5.jpgResearch shows 9 in 10 adult addicts started using risky addictive substances before age 18. Plan needs a proactive approach to prevention that is up to the scale of the problem.

Bill would restore fairness and competition to legislative elections.

MADISON - State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) announced today that he is seeking sponsors for legislation to create a non-partisan redistricting process. Seeking sponsors marks the next step toward introduction of the bill.

Hansen has been a long-time advocate of redistricting reform that would take the responsibility out of the hands of legislators and political parties and place it with the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

“Allowing politicians to draw district boundaries makes it too easy for the majority party to gerrymander the maps to their long-term advantage,” said Hansen. “And when parties engage in that behavior it is the voters and the people who are hurt because they are no longer able to check extreme behavior by the majority party.”

In 2011 Republican leaders and staff worked in secret outside the Capitol to draw district lines designed to lock in their legislative majorities for ten years or more. As a result, in the 2012 election Republicans took over 61% of the seats in the State Assembly despite winning less than 49% of the vote.

“Gerrymandering as we are seeing it practiced is a form of cheating,” said Hansen. “Neither political party should be able to lock in their power by creating an unfair advantage in drawing district lines.”

A federal court ruled the Republican maps are unconstitutional and confirmed that they were drawn by the Republicans in 2011 to help them lock in their control of the State Senate and Assembly.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/voter-primaries-s5.jpgLeague of Women Voters of Wisconsin reports that the new laws caused confusion for voters and election officials alike in some polling sites, and were misapplied by election officials and prevented eligible citizens from voting in others.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/wisc-capitol-dome-s5.jpgVeteran Senator Kathleen Vinehout writes about what it is like to be a newly elected legislator. Newly elected individuals sworn in as members of the Wisconsin State Senate and State Assembly face a daunting task preparing to make all the critical decisions that are required.