The statewide COVID-19 website is a one stop shop that consolidates information from state agencies, and provides up-to-date information and guidance regarding COVID-19. DHS has also offered information on their website on How and Where to Get Tested.
For information about voter ID, voter registration, and options for voting in the upcoming election on November 3rd, check out my
Image from The Verge Story by Josh Dzieza image photography by Scott Olson, Andy Manis, Brendan Smialowski / AFP, Billy H.C. Kwok / Bloomberg via Getty Images
An investigation by the technology news association, The Verge, into the operations of the Foxconn Project, including interviews with 19 employees, revealed a dismal account of the progress being made towards the project in Mt. Pleasant.
Last week the WEDC denied the annual awards that the company could have received, citing the project's deviations from the original contract. The Governor's administration has reaffirmed it's commitment to working with Foxconn, but has said that the company must either follow the terms of the contract, or enter into renegotiations.
Among the key findings:
Foxconn employed only 281 people eligible under the terms of the contract in 2019. It's goal is to employ 5,200 by the end of 2020.
Many of the original Wisconsin hires have quit or been laid off.
Today is the first day of in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin, otherwise known as early voting. This is a convenient option for those who wish to cast their ballot in person, but may not always have time on a Tuesday to come for Election Day.
I recommend checking the What's on My Ballot page before going in to vote, that way you can research any candidates or referenda in advance.
Times and locations vary by municipality. Check the in-person absentee options for your municipality below. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to your municipal clerk directly!
For more information about other options such as mail-in absentee voting or in person voting on election day, refer to myStep-By-Step Instructions for Voting.
Wisconsin Continues to Break COVID-19 Records
Today, Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported its highest ever total of new cases at 4,591. This high number is due to a backlog of data created over the weekend during maintenance on the computer system that the agency uses to report these statistics.
In order to understand where our state stands without data discrepancies, the appropriate metric to look at is the 7-day average, which has also increased to its highest ever level of 3,287.
Judge Reinstates Governor Evers' Emergency Order Creating Capacity Limitations
Barron County Judge James Babler reversed a ruling made last week that had prevented enforcement of the public space capacity limitations that Governor Evers' and the Department of Health Services had created in Emergency Order #3.
He explained that the Supreme Court ruling which ended Governor Evers' Safer at Home order in May did not make it clear what the administrations authority to create such limits is, and he asked for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to provide clarity.
The Tavern League, the original plaintiffs in the case, said that they would not be appealing the decision.
Governor Evers' order is set to expire on November 6th.
Election Workers May Need to Work through the Night
Due to expected high turnout and the logistics of counting absentee ballots, counting ballots for the November 3rd election is expected to take longer than usual.
Absentee ballots, collected through early voting and mail-in voting, are processed on Election Day with all of the votes that are cast in person. The added logistics of removing ballots from envelopes, unfolding them, and addressing any errors that may exist with the ballots, create a much longer process for counting these ballots.
Wisconsin's laws do not take the circumstances of a pandemic into account, and currently they require counting of ballots to continue until it is complete.
My Democratic colleagues and I have requested that the Legislature convene in order to take up and pass 2019 Wisconsin Senate Bill 574, which would allow for the counting of absentee ballots to begin on the Monday preceding the election. This would help relieve the burden of the workers as they administer our election, and could help to make results from the election available on Election Night rather than the next morning.
It is also important to note that due to the use of a central count in the City of Milwaukee and 38 other communities, results from a precinct won't include absentee vote totals until all of the absentee ballots have been counted. This could give the impression that all votes from a precinct have come in before that process is complete.
Built in 1889 by Milwaukee architect Henry C. Koch, the Soldiers Home Chapel remained in use until 1996.
Since then it has been vacant, with religious services held in the Main Hospital Chapel. The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance is working to rehabilitate the Chapel and return it to serviceable condition for the veterans as a part of the Save the Soldiers Home Project.
The chapel is built in the shape of a cross with features from the Queen Anne style of architectural design, including asummetrical shapes and diverse wall textures.
