Jon Richards

Judge Jeffrey Wagner Will Retire

He's served since 1988. Evers will appoint replacement to finish Wagner's term.

Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Death of More Than 50 Dogs

Michael Ellis convicted of five felony counts of animal mistreatment.

Where Are Act 10 Players Today?

Governor and three-fourths of legislators engaged in 2011 battle over law crushing public unions have moved on.

Judge Candidate Switches Races

Attorney Susan Roth switches to run for Judge Fiorenza's seat, who resigns and will support Roth.

Evers Appointment Shakes Up Judicial Race

Schwantes drops out of circuit court race, endorses Evers' appointee Jon Richards.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court – Branch 5

Blomme vs Dedinsky in one of two contested Milwaukee County circuit court races.

Circuit Court Candidates

Three candidates competing for judgeship.

Harley Gave Generously to Republicans

So did Sartori Foods. Both now hurt by Trump tariffs.

Kovac Raises Money for Reelection

Politicians, city officials and other notables chow down on food from Glorioso's.

The Twisted Tale of Talgo

Settlement forces state to pay more for trains it didn’t get, leaving it with slower Amtrak trains.

Rep. Brostoff’s Historic East Side Condo

The new assemblyman lives in an 1870s building once used for rooming houses, but now elegantly refurbished, like most of the neighborhood.

Milwaukee’s Biggest Building Breaks Ground

"A beautiful day in Milwaukee" and for assembled power brokers as Northwestern Mutual's new skyscraper gets underway.

Attorney General Race Could Be a Sizzler

Happ's dramatic victory sets up clash between two county DAs.

Abele Goes O-fer On Election Night

Sheriff Clarke wins democratic primary. Plus: The rest of election night's winners and losers.

For Rail or Trail

A path along the lake could connect cyclists/hikers to Ozaukee County, but coal freight is hogging the line.

Pick Tuesday’s Primary Winners

Burke v. Hulsey won't be close. But the 19th Assembly District Democratic primary looks to be very competitive, who will win it?

Handicapping the Democratic Race for Attorney General

Jon Richards is the favorite. But is he the best choice?

All Four Attorney General Candidates Back Open Records

They support open meetings rules for lawmakers and full access to online court records.

Wide-Open Battle for 19th Assembly District

Four talented candidates battling for open district which runs from Bay View to East Side.

Democrats Blast GOP Opponent for Attorney General

Was Brad Schimel lax in prosecuting alleged pay to play or are Democratic AG candidates blowing smoke?

Gun Bill Dies Without Shots Being Fired

Despite overwhelming support for bill toughening penalties for felony firearms offenses, Alberta Darling and Republicans give up on it.

Mud Fight for Attorney General?

The three Democrats running all have similar stands, so may have to attack each other to stand out.

Wisconsin Not a Leader in Drunken Driving?

New study says other states are worse. But experts say Wisconsin still has far to go on this issue.

Casualties of War

The war over Act 10 may be a key reason 46% of legislators have left or will leave in just over two years.

Get Your Vote On

Early voting already underway for spring election, and memorials planned for Debra Usinger and Donna Schlieman.

The House of Hank the Dog

The Brewer's canine mascot has a nine-room Whitefish Bay home and 10,000 square foot lot to roam in, all worth $570,000.

Marquette Likely to Get Its Own Police Force

Bill would give MU police the power to arrest on and off campus, and pursue criminals anywhere in the state.

$32 Million Spent Lobbying State Legislators in 2013

End of year reports also show Walker raised three times more campaign dollars than Burke.

Drunk Driving Becomes Campaign Issue

Issue of whether to make first-time OWI a crime is hot issue in attorney general race.

Goodbye Faye McBeath Foundation

The foundation created by a Milwaukee Journal heir gave untold millions to local causes since 1960s, but will spend its final assets this year.

Crazy Casino Politics

Both Gov. Walker and Mary Burke have mishandled the Kenosha Casino issue.

Campaign Season Kicks Off

Politicos flock to Jon Richards fundraiser, and judicial candidate Janet C. Protasiewicz's event.

Marina Will Battle Geenan for Assembly Seat

Dimitrijevic and Geenan are already competing for labor support.

Larson Aide May Run for Richards Seat

Plus: problems for the Bucks' Larry Sanders and redevelopment at Reed Street Yards.

Brookfield Square Welcomes County Buses

Unlike Southridge and other suburban malls, Brookfield Square actually runs ads to attract bus-riding city residents.

Four May Run for Richards’ Assembly Seat

The biggest name: sources say county board chair Marina Dimitrijevic is preparing to run.

Mary Nohl vs. NIMBY

Proposal to open artist Mary Nohl's home to the public leaves Fox Point residents crying "not in my back yard!"

Retiring With Guns Blazing

Several politicians have announced retirement, some diplomatically, others firing shots at their opponents.

Jon Richards Will Run for Attorney General

Like Abe Lincoln, Richards has been practicing law all across the state in preparation for his run.

Why We Lost the Marsupial Bridge Swings

The city hasn't allocated money to maintain them. Should the nearby Business Improvement District adopt them?

Brewing as a Conceptual Art

Brenner Brewing has a ways to go before it functions as a working brewery. Plus: a fundraiser for the anti-Clarke candidate.

Shocking Conditions at the Courthouse

Court Commissioner Barry Slagle electrocuted in scary, unreported incident at courthouse.

Murray Ave Parklet Takes It to the Street

Parking spots on Milwaukee's East Side converted into a dining area.

East Library Groundbreaking

Photos capture groundbreaking for new mixed-use development combining East Library, retail and apartments. Take that, Bayshore.

New Front Door for Lakefront

Dramatic plan moves freeway ramps and creates a grand boulevard that connects downtown and the lakefront.

Every Politician in Town

Well, not quite, but the City's Birthday Party had a big turnout of politicians and insiders.

Evers Vs. Pridemore

The battle between State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers and challenger Don Pridemore.

Neighbors Boiling Over Boylston Plan

Too much congestion, they complain. Ald. Kovac is feeling the heat.

The Anti-Health Care Governor?

Even as Scott Walker throws people off health care, he opposes federal programs that would increase coverage and lower costs.

Milwaukee Taxi Cab Medallion Bill Passes Assembly

The City of Milwaukee is working on state legislation to allow the City to profit from the sale of additional taxi cab permits (to be called medallions) and address the perceived shortage of taxi cabs in the city. Currently under Wisconsin law, permit and license fees can not exceed the cost to issue said permits. This gives the Common Council and Mayor little incentive to raise the cap on the number of permits (currently capped at the seemingly random number of 321 since 1992), despite the fact that the permits are changing hands in the private market for between $80,000 to $150,000.

Doyle’s Decision Could Send Ripples Through Milwaukee’s Political Landscape

Governor Doyle's announcement that he will not be seeking a third term could send ripples through Milwaukee's political landscape. The most commonly mentioned named Democratic Party members that may run for Governor include, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

South Shore Listening Session Recap

Following the veto of Milwaukee County transit sales tax by Governor Doyle, Representative Christine Sinicki, Senate Jeff Plale, and Representative Jon Richards held a listening session at the South Shore Park Pavilion.

Whose Scandal is it, Anyway?

Republicans try, fail to shift blame to Dems on Kenilworth project

State Elections Board Responds to Complaint Against Walker

John Weishan and Gerry Broderick filed an official complaint today with the Wisconsin State Elections Board against Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.

Voting With The Mayor

Mayor Barrett’s office announced Monday that he would vote at City Hall at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Dem Challenge for Panzer Seat

The disarray of the Republican 20th Senate District has convinced the Democratic Party to field a write-in candidate for primary.

ABC and the Gay Governor

The catch, is that McGreevey announced he was gay, while the lover says he, himself, is straight.

Plale Recall Drive Begins

Can a group of south side political activists pull themselves together enough to acquire 13,212 signatures to force a recall election against Sen. Jeff Plale? Rep. Jon Richards said he doubts it. “This thing is going nowhere,” says Rep. Josh Zepnick. “These people are so lazy! They’ve taken out a newspaper ad asking people to come by and sign a recall petition. Who is going to do that?” True enough. To win an election, you’ve got to knock on doors, post signs in windows and do all kinds of grass-rooted activities. There is scant evidence of this in the Plale recall attempt, and absolutely no evidence of it in the northern fringes of Plale’s district, including Brady Street and the East Side. That hasn’t stopped Plale from printing up thousands of football schedules that he is handing out at every turn. The South Milwaukeean made the journey to St. Rita’s Church last week to attend the Brady Street Association monthly meeting where he was asked about the recall. “They’ve got until September 7th to get the signatures to recall me,” Plale told the audience. When told there seemed to be no effort on the East Side to circulate petitions, Plale said, “well, these people wouldn’t know how to find Brady Street.” Plale was also in the Brady Street area for what the neighborhood hopes is an annual Artisinal Food Festival. The gig was held Sunday, July 25th, and Plale was there along with his schedules. The recall effort against him stemmed from his crucial vote to uphold Governor Doyle’s veto of a republican-sponsored measure to limit property tax increases. Plale says the upcoming plans to sponsor a constitutional amendment known as the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, (TABOR) is similarly flawed, and a potential recipe for disaster. He cites Colorado, a state that has enacted similar provisions into its laws and is now in the midst of its worst fiscal crisis ever. Amendment on the Run The legislature republicans spent the last unedifying session promoting the agenda of Gays, Guns and Gambling. The Madison gang came up with loads of goofy legislation, none of which could sustain a veto by the governor. Leave it to this group to be able to reconvene and pass a constitutional amendment, no less, in just one week. This was the decision of Sen. Mary Panzer, the republican leader who had earlier been criticized for not rushing a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights law through the Solomonic deliberations of the nation’s most august lawmakers. But, as soon as she faced a primary challenge from Rep.Glenn Grothman, an ambitious fellow republican who covets her senate seat, Panzer decided to schedule a vote for this week. Then, the legislature can go home and come back next year to vote again. Then, finally, the matter will be put to public vote in a referendum, if it is still alive. But, if the legislature does not act by August 5th, the whole procedure would have to be repeated in yet one […]

Changes at the Election Commission

Lautenschlager’s Fast Ones – Past Speeding Tickets Raise Residency Issues

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager exploits a legal loophole.

Lautenschlager’s Mess

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager’s drunk driving arrest last week removes her from behind the wheel of her state-owned vehicle for a year, and puts Governor Jim Doyle in the driver’s seat. The two had squabbled, privately, over terms of the Governor’s jobs bill, with Lautenschlager threatening to use her authority to see that the law comply with the state’s environmental regulations, which she intimated it did not. This sort of independent action by an attorney general is not new in Wisconsin. Doyle was the chief practitioner of it, but then again, he was a Democrat, and the Governor at the time was a Republican. The press has made note that Doyle suggests Lautenschlager forgo some of her pay as a sort of penance for her indiscretion, a matter that remains unresolved at this time. Doyle also suggested that Lautenschlager consider entering a program to treat problem drinkers. He said that he had a number of friends who had been in a similar situation and that the treatment had helped them. In fact, the public admission of guilt and responsibility (which Lautenschlager made) is usually accompanied these days with a prompt acknowledgement that a problem exists. The subject then usually promptly enters a treatment program and completes it, after which the matter is forgotten. Lautenschlager has not made that admission thus far, which leaves her in the position of either not having a “problem” or being “in denial” of it. It does leave Doyle high and dry, however, and much less likely to face interference in his plans from that peskiest of all politicians – an ambitious Attorney General. Walker at the War Memorial County Executive Scott Walker welcomed about 100 well-clad guests to a fundraiser February 26th at the War Memorial Center. The strictly upper-crust affair was a Republican-type fundraiser, which meant that hard liquor was consumed (in moderation) and beer, for the most part, was ignored. For those fans of the frothy stuff, Walker offered Miller products and Heineken. Food was by Ellen’s Prestige Catering, and included strolling waiters, another classy touch. Menu items included spinach somethings, meat and melted cheese on sandwich rounds, wrapped up little salmon tidbits, an entirely unsuccessful raspberry-brie tart, platters of some kind of 21st century sandwich product along with perfectly delicious fruit. The event was unmarred by public oratory, but was enhanced by an A-list of locals practicing up for the next time Bush is in town. Among the exalted: George Dalton, Dennis Kuester (on crutches), Michael Cudahy, mourning the recent death of Daniel Urban Kiley, creator of the $4 million Cudahy garden outside the adjacent Milwaukee Art Museum, Fred Luber, Tim Hoeksma, Carol Skornicka, John Finerty, Jim Weichmann, Joe Rice, Mary Buestrin, Corey Hoze and developer Mark Irgens. Hoze has secured speaker Dennis Hastert to appear at a $2000 fundraiser on his hopeless behalf in his upcoming congressional campaign. That’s rich. Marvin Pratt popped in and worked the crowd for about 20 minutes before his cop told him it was time to […]

No Challenge to Hill Papers

But Halbrooks says Election Commission’s Extended Hours Helped Opponent

Krug Scores Joint Finance Seat

Rep. Shirley Krug was chosen Monday to take a seat on the influential Joint Committee on Finance

Ameritech Catches Political Fire From Competitors

Open up this month's Ameritech bill and you may find a surprise.

Scott Jensen’s Big Shakedown

Rep. Jon Richards was feeling a little lonely.